DC-8 SUCCESS flight #217 [960217] (scientist: Steve Hipskind)
SUMMARY: The basic transit flight to Ames went very well. We (downward stair-step) profiled the atmosphere on the descent over California, however, we were unable to conduct diurnal measurements of OH due to a thunderstorm related delayed takeoff.
OPERATIONS
FLIGHT PLAN:
Early (4.30am) takeoff and fly short racetrack pattern in clear air over
central Texas (one hour in dark and two hours on station after sunrise).
After the racetracks we plan to continue on to Ames at the same
altitude for two hours (nominally 31 kft) and then to climb to an altitude
near the tropopause (for good MTP measurements).
If unable to conduct the diurnal experiment, due to a delay in the
takeoff, the fallback was to get a good vertical profile for
ATHOS (Brune) on the descent into Ames over California (via a stairstep
from max altitude (39 kft) down to the boundary layer).
TAKEOFF/LANDING
The DC-8 left Salina at 12.00 UTC (7.00 morning local time) and
returned to Salina at 17.30 UTC
FLIGHT REPORT
The modified flight was executed. as planned with a slight deviation in
California to try to sample our own contrail at 39 kft, which proved
unsuccessful (we were conning, but it was not persistent over northern
California). We were not able to get into the boundary layer on the last
horizontal segment.
METEOROLOGY-REPORT
OBSERVATIONS:
Salina was hit with severe thunderstorms at about 7.00 UTC, which
delayed the takeoff until 12.00 UTC (after sunrise).
INSTRUMENT STATUS
All instruments are functioning.