ER-2 Flight Summary for 07/02/2005
Sortie Number: 05-9024
Take off: 1300
Landing: 1710
Mission Description:
A four hour ER-2 mission was planned to sample a region of oceanic convection region near the eastern border of Nicaragua and Honduras. Disturbed weather in this region had been observed in infrared satellite imagery throughout the night.
Mission Objectives:
The mission objectives were: 1. sample convection in the Caribbean Sea near the eastern border of Nicaragua and Honduras, 2. provide a training exercise for the forecasting team, 3. give the pilot familarity with area flying conditions, 4. evaluate instrument performance, 5. calibrate HAMSR and MTP observations with Ticosonde profiles.
Mission Notes:
The ER-2 pilot flew bowtie manuevers over two different convective systems near the vincinity of 14 N, 81.5 - 83 W. The first was a dissipating cell which he passed over a few times. Next, he observed a second cell that was displaying more active development approximately 100 nmi to the east of the first cell. The pilot used the lightning signature on the ER-2 storm scope to line up on the cell. Real-time LIP observations of strong electric fields and lightning from the ER-2 were sent to the TCSP science team on the ground by the REVEAL system. He sampled this cell between 1343 - 1506 GMT. He estimated cloud tops to be about 45,000 ft. At 1401 GMT, he noticed that the outside temperature dropped from -65 C to -70C. He experienced some turbulence shortly afterward. Before returning home, he overflew new convective buildup in the location of the original dissipating cell. He overflew the ticosonde site at 65,000 ft before landing at the airfield
Other Mission Assets:
Ticosonde launch schedule at Juan Santamaria International Airport was 0000, 0600, 1200, and 1800 GMT.
Flight Track:
Navigation Data
Instrument Status:
| Instrument Acronym | Status during sortie | Full Report | Quicklooks |
| AMPR | Red |
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| CRS | Red |
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| EDOP | Green |
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| HAMSR | Green |
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| LIP | Green |
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| MAS | Green |
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| MTP | Green |
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