Mission Summary
20020919N1 Aircraft 49RF
Synoptic Surveillance flight
around Tropical Storm Isidore 2002

Scientific Crew (49RF)
Lead ScientistStan Goldenberg
Visiting Scientists Jing-Shan Hong
Mission Plan :

The G-IV jet, with scientific crew of Stan Goldenberg and a Taiwanese scientist, Jing-Shan Hong, will conduct an NHC-tasked synoptic surveillance mission around Tropical Storm Isidore at the nominal time of 12 UTC/September 19. Take-off time is schedule at 1:30 AM EDT from MacDill AFB and landing at 10:00 AM EDT at MacDill AFB, FL.

Mission Summary :

At 8:40 AM (EDT) a phone call was made to the Hurricane Specialist on Duty, Jack Beven. The following important information was relayed :

  1. Circulation evident in deep-layer mean. No sign of subtropical ridge axis or mid-latitude troughs to turn the storm northward. Weak steering ahead of the storm.
  2. Deep-layer trough in Bay of Campeche west of the Yucatan extending 200 mb to 700 mb, strongest at upper levels.
  3. 200 mb anticyclone centered over storm.
  4. Weak cyclonic circulation from 200 mb to 400 mb about 300 km southeast of the storm.
  5. Storm circulation did not clearly extend upward past 500 mb.
  6. Dry at low levels in the Gulf of Mexico and far western Caribbean.
  7. Break in ridge in Florida Straits at 400 mb only.

Problems :

  1. SATCOM did not work for most of the flight.
  2. Time problem (0.2 and 0.8) on sonde #14, requiring manual editing.
  3. Flight director's GPS died prior to drop #18.
  4. Iridium problems on part of flight.

PDF plots of drop data

Isidore
PLANNED mission drops
Aircraft: N49RF Takeoff: 19/0530Z Landed: 19/1400Z
DROP LOCATIONS
Drop # LAT
(d m)		 LON
(d m)		 TIME
(h:mm)
123 4582 300:33
223 1080 190:51
322 3478 101:08
422 0076 001:26
520 5274 451:40
619 4573 301:53
719 3776 202:16
819 3079 122:38
917 0079 302:59
1015 5281 003:14
1114 4582 303:29
1216 1584 453:51
1319 0084 454:14
1421 4584 454:36
1521 4587 304:58
1622 3788 455:10
1723 3090 005:22
1821 0091 305:46
1919 1591 306:00
2021 0093 306:21
2124 0092 006:49
2226 1590 007:13
2324 3087 307:37
2424 3085 007:56

Isidore
PLANNED mission turns
Aircraft: N49RF Takeoff: 19/0530Z Landing: 19/1400Z
TRACK DISTANCES
Drop # LAT
(d m)		 LON
(d m)		 LEG
(nm)		 TOTAL
(nm)		 TIME
(h:mm)
0MACDILL0.0.0:00
123 4582 30246.246.0:33
222 0076 00389.635.1:26
319 4573 30198.833.1:53
419 3079 12332.1165.2:38
517 0079 30151.1316.2:59
614 4582 30222.1538.3:29
716 1584 45160.1699.3:51
821 4584 45330.2029.4:36
921 4587 30159.2188.4:58
1023 3090 00178.2366.5:22
1121 0091 30173.2539.5:46
1219 1591 30105.2644.6:00
1321 0093 30157.2801.6:21
1424 0092 00200.3001.6:49
1526 1590 00177.3177.7:13
1624 3087 30177.3354.7:37
1724 3085 00143.3497.7:56
18MACDILL246.3743.8:30

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