Mission Plan :

This was the second mission for N42RF into AL93. This research flight mission was a combination Ocean Vector Winds/TDR (Tail Doppler Radar). The plan was to fly a figure four pattern and sample the eastern side of the system where most of the convection was present. We would deviate from the pattern to sample areas that Paul Chang is interested in.

Mission Summary :

Fig1. GOES-12 Visible Satellite image of AL93 on Sept. 24, 2008 at 2115Z.

We took off from Tampa (MacDill AFB) at 1951 UTC on 24 September 2008. AL93 remains a board area of low pressure N of Hispanola. The system lacked a well-defined surface circulation. Most of the convection was east of Puerto Rico. Upper level winds were marginally favorable for development. There was a trough in place, just west of the system. We were flying at 8,000 ft.

Fig. 2. GOES-12 infrared satellite image of AL93 on Sept. 24, 2008 at 2115Z.

Shortly after reaching the IP (2123z) we dropped the first sonde. There was little convection in this part of the system. We head towards the west in our flight pattern to search for a circulation center and complete our figure four pattern by heading NW and then south. As we headed south we deviated from out flight pattern to sample an area in the storm that Paul Chang was interested in. Afterwards we continued south and then towards the NW to our westernmost point. This area contained most of the convection (Figs.1 & 2). The system did not organize much throughout the time we were out there. Below are two satellite images of how the system looked like while we were sampling it. The colder cloud tops were on the east side of the storm (Fig. 2). Six sondes were dropped into the system and three radar analyses and super obs were created and transmitted. We landed back in MacDill at 0412Z (9/25).

Expendables and Transmitted operational data:

Total number of GPS sondes used: 6
Total number of GPS sondes processed (in-flight): 6
Total number of GPS sondes transmitted: 6
Total number of Tail Doppler Radar analyses transmitted: 3
Total number of Tail Doppler Radar SuperObs (SO) transmitted: 3

Problems :

The LF radar is still not working. We are still using a borrowed trackball mouse from Jim Roles (AOC) since the HRD workstation trackball mouse is broken.

Shirley Murillo
Nov. 24, 2008

Mission Data :