17 Aug 2010 DC-8 Platform Scientist Report (Gulf Flight) - Ed Zipser

GRIP DC-8 Flight  06                                    August 17, 2010

Takeoff 1500   Landing 1941 UTC

Platform Scientist Report by Ed Zipser (with Jeff Halverson)

Main purpose was as an instrument test flight for DAWN and as a shakedown flight.  It was a very successful mission on both counts.  Several data communication and display problems showed up that hindered situational awareness for the platform scientists, and those problems are being attended to before the next flight. DAWN learned that their Lidar is well-aligned, and that their main issue is with temperature problems that prevent the laser from operating properly when the instrument environment gets too cool, so they are encouraged that they do not have to de-integrate until at least after the next flight, if then.  All other instruments worked well and got good data.  There were 8 dropsondes, all but one obtaining good data, although one had some dropouts when the aircraft was turning in the spiral. Scientifically, the main purpose of the flight was to obtain a line of data E-W and W-E just off the coast of Louisiana in the southern portion of the remnants of ex-TD5, and to execute a cloud microphysics module in a suitable target.  With assistance from the ground (via Xchat) and from the APR2, a stratiform precipitation region was first overflown at altitude (FL390), then a spiral down at 5 m/s to FL110,  then climb back to FL390 where a second line was flown over the then-dissipating stratiform region.  The spiral was executed in a 12 nm circle centered at 28° 55’ N and 92° 53’ W.