DC-8 MISSION SCIENTIST REPORT (EJZ) 26 AUGUST 1998
Takeoff 110401 UTC/26 Aug Landing 182629 UTC/26 Aug
Mission Objectives:
1) Obtain data from the ER-2 and DC-8 on clouds and precipitation over and within Bonnie as possible at/near the times of TRMM overpasses at 1135, 1313, and 1449 UTC.
2) As Bonnie approached landfall near Cape Fear NC, execute coordinated passes through the storm with the ER-2, DC-8, and NOAA 42, all within a radius of 100 nm.
3) Obtain LASE and MACAWS data in the clear-air inflow region southeast of Bonnie.
Results:
All objectives were met. The storm continued to exhibit a huge eye, with the eyewall almost closed, circular, and about 100 nm in diameter. THe north wall had heavier rainfall rates, but at no time was any turbulence more than light encountered at DC-8 level. Indeed, after the first figure-four was completed at 35K' we descended to 30K' for the second figure-four. The wind pattern was more symmetric than on the two previous flights, with mainly cyclonic flow at all radii out to >100 nm, and wind maxima quite far away from the center, in the 50-60 knnot range. The clear air inflow leg on the SE side was indeed mostly clear above the low broken clouds in the lowest 1000-1500 m. On exit, we modified the return leg to come through clear air southwest of the storm before returning to Patrick AFB.
