Hurricane Felix
Operational Synoptic Flow Experiment

(950816I Aircraft 43RF)

Scientific crew
Chief Scientist J. Franklin
Cloud Physics Scientist S. Goldenberg
Dropwindsonde Scientist J. Kaplan
S. Aberson
Workstation J. Griffin

This document is divided into 3 sections (Each section is written by the Chief Scientist):

Mission Briefing

This was a ferry return from Boston to Opa Locka, with a Doppler figure four pattern planned if Felix was far enough offshore. Since there would be a penetration of Felix, there would be an opportunity to test the radar aspects of the new workstation. Al so planned was an ODW communications test, buoy intercomparison, and an electrification calibration maneuver.

Mission Synopsis

N43RF took off around 1800 UTC. At 1856, an ODW was dropped over a NOAA buoy at 38.45N 70.75W. The first inbound leg of the Doppler figure pattern started at 1940 UTC, oriented NW-SE. After the figure four, an electrification calibration, consisting of 15 s of 20 deg left roll, followed by 15 s of 20 deg right roll under a cirrus canopy, was done at 2053 UTC. Three radar reflectivity composites were made and transmitted to NHC. A second ODW was dropped at 2134 UTC. Both ODWs were transmitted via ASDL but not quality controlled at NHC, to test communications pathways. N43RF landed at Opa Locka around 2300 UTC.

Mission Evaluation and Problems

All the mission objectives were accomplished. The transmitted ODWs were received at NMC and made it into their databases, without the need for quality control at NHC. The workstation successfully communicated with the radar system and the images were rece ived at NHC.

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