ER-2 Flight: 96116

Date: May 12, 1996

Mission: Cirrus over uniform background water

Mission Objectives

Cirrus observations over a uniform water background: Observe the effect of the DC-8 aircraft exhaust while producing persistent contrail generated cirrus

Flight Summary

Take-off was 20.00 UTC from Ames Research Center. ER-2 followed DC-8 to an area just off the coast of northern California over the Pacific. There were stratus cloud over ocean except just near coast. At 21.20 the ER-2 overflew an extremely prominent ship track in the stratus with all instruments running. From 21.30 to 22.00 the ER-2 executed the planned racetrack flight pattern over an area where the DC-8 was making measurement in thin cirrus and generating very extensive persistent contrail. The cirrus area was over stratus except at the extreme eastern edge of the pattern. At 22.00 a communication error with the ER-2 occurred and the ER-2 broke away from the DC-8 to fly patterns over open ocean approximately 100 miles to the south of where the DC-8 was located. This unfortunate error resulted in the loss of the opportunity to observe with the ER-2 remote sensing the generation of persistent cirrus.

Highlights

Overflight of spectacular marine stratus ship track.
DC-8 created persistent contrail cirrus.

Instrument Status

• MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS): Operation OK.
• Cloud and Aerosol Lidar (CALS): Fan motor failure caused intermittent triggering and no data after 21.30 UTC
• High-Resolution Interferometer Sounder (HIS): Not flown.
• Millimeter-wave Imaging Radiometer (MIR): Operated; good data collected.
• Tilt Scan CCD Camera (TSSC): Shutter failed after a few minutes of operation
• Radiation Measuring System (RAMS): Operation OK.
• RC-10 Camera: Operation uncertain

Additional Pilot Notes: