20040904 I1 mission

Mission Summary
20040904I1 Aircraft 43RF
Hurricane Frances Tasked SFMR Mission

**Scientific Crew (43RF)**
Lead Scientists	Peter Dodge Mike Black
SAR Scientist	Ed Walsh
Journalists	Joe Duncan Rob Stafford

Flight Crew (43RF)
Flight Director Tom Shepherd
Pilots LCDR Randy Tebeest
LCDR Barry Choy
LCDR Tom Strong
Navigators Ensign Tim Gallagher
LT Peter Siegel
LCDR John Adler
Flight Engineers Joe Klippel
Randy Mitchell
Systems Engineer Jeff Smith
Systems Analyst Terry Lynch
Electronics Technician Ray Tong

**Flight Crew (43RF)**
Flight Director	Tom Shepherd
Pilots	LCDR Randy Tebeest LCDR Barry Choy LCDR Tom Strong
Navigators	Ensign Tim Gallagher LT Peter Siegel LCDR John Adler
Flight Engineers	Joe Klippel Randy Mitchell
Systems Engineer	Jeff Smith
Systems Analyst	Terry Lynch
Electronics Technician	Ray Tong

Mission Plan :

AOC was tasked by NHC to collect Stepped Frequency Microwave Radiometer (SFMR) data in land-falling Hurricane Frances on 4 September 2004, the final flight in a six-day series of SFMR and CBLAST missions. Teams from Texas Tech (TTU), University of Oklahoma (OU), the Florida Coastal Monitoring Program (FCMP) and the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) had deployed portable wind towers and Doppler radars from Fort Pierce to Melbourne to capture data as the storm came ashore. HRD assisted the AOC flight director and navigator in designing a flight pattern that would meet the operational requirements but also allow high-density observations near the deployed ground teams. Takeoff from New Orleans, LA was to be at Noon and recover at New Orleans, LA at 9:00 PM EDT.

Mission Summary :

NOAA 43 departed New Orleans Naval Air Station at 1637 UTC. We reached the IP, where buoy 41009 used to be, at 1837. After hitting the eye at 1901 we headed N and then back to the coast. We then headed south along the coast, deploying sondes near the ground stations. At 1943 we descended to 5000', to get better coverage for the SRA. At 1955 we were basically flying down the eyewall which was slowly approaching the coast.

At 2005 we turned to head SE from the Lake Worth C-MAN station (LKWF1). Ed Walsh started raving about how well the SRA and SFMR rain rates agreed. The southernmost point in our pattern was reached at 2014 and then we headed back N. At 2023 Grand Bahama was in the east eyewall as we passed overhead. We turned N of the island and flew ~150 km east, to define the windfield on the east side of Frances. To complete the mapping of the NE quadrant 43 turned N at 77 deg W, and then flew a long leg WNW back to the coast. At 2200 we turned N of Cape Canaveral and then flew a long coastal run to ~50 km S of LKWF1.

We finished off with a final pass through the center and one more abbreviated run S to LKWF1. At 2319 43 turned to the NW, climbed and headed back to Louisiana, landing at 01194 IC at Lakefront Airport in New Orleans.

Acknowledgments :

Prof. John Schroeder, Prof. Mike Biggerstaff, Dr. Josh Wurman, and Dr. Forrest Masters kept us apprised of the latest mobile platform positions which were crucial for our attempts to target their sites with GPS drops. Tom Shepherd and the rest of the AOC flight crew were helpful in modifying the flight track to help us achieve the research goals while still maintaining the operational integrity of the mission. We all were tired after flying six days straight and the professional attitude of the AOC crew really shone through. The chefs at Mulates have our compliments.

Mission Data :

One minute listing

Flight Data

Flight track
Temperature and Moisture
Wind and Atlitude

Flight track detail

Tables :

**Table 1**
Mobile Platforms
Lat	Lon	Platform
27 08' 53.3"	80 12' 53.9"	T0 FCMP Port Salerno
28 08' 41,6"	80 35' 49.4"	T1 FCMP Indian Harbor Beach
27 41' 38.1"	80 24' 29.5"	T2 FCMP Vero Beach
27 26' 50.3"	80 19' 17.9"	T3 FCMP Fort Pierce
27 39' 01.0"	80 25' 02.8"	WEMITE 1 Tower TTU Vero Beach Mun.. Airport
28 03' 15.6"	80 33' 14.8"	WEMITE 2 Tower TTU Melbourne Beach
27 48' 46.4"	80 29' 53.9"	SBCOM Tower 1 Sebastian Airport
27 17' 27.4"	80 13' 19.4"	SBCOM Tower 2 St Lucie Intl. Airport
28 20' 27.6"	80 41' 15.5"	SR1 TTU/OU/NSSL Titusville Intl. Airport
28 30' 41.3"	80 47' 59.3"	SR2, Tower TTU/OU/NSSL Space Coast Reg. Airport
27 26' 25.4"	80 19' 14.9"	DOWs CSWR near Hutchinson Island

Note Some of these positions were converted from decimal lat and lon.

Table 2
Center fixes
Time
UTC Lat
d m Lon
d m MSLP
mb Source
1901 26 48 79 07 958 NOAA 43
2036 26 54 79 19 960 NOAA 43
2042 26 56 79 11 959 Air Force
2225 26 54 79 18 951
(wrong) Air Force
2252 26 55 79 20 960 NOAA 43

**Table 2**
Center fixes
Time UTC	Lat d m	Lon d m	MSLP mb	Source
1901	26 48	79 07	958	NOAA 43
2036	26 54	79 19	960	NOAA 43
2042	26 56	79 11	959	Air Force
2225	26 54	79 18	951 (wrong)	Air Force
2252	26 55	79 20	960	NOAA 43

Table 3
GPS Sonde Drops
# Serial # Launch Time
UTC Lat Lon Splash Time
UTC Comments
1 004255305 1840 27.65 80.30 1843 WL150 02057 085 DLM 03579 995748 MBL 02567 RAINBAND
2 033048008 1851 27.13 79.71 1855 WL150 01088 097 DLM 03588 976749 MBL 01594 LST 022 EYEWALL 315
3 032418089 1909 27.33 79.10 1912 WL150 06589 085 DLM 09588 971753 MBL 07595 EYEWALL 000
4 004255170 1909 27.35 79.12 1912 WL150 06585 085 DLM 08602 973821 MBL 07092 EYEWALL 000
5 004255300 1921 28.14 79.19 1924 WL150 07571 085 DLM 09077 994752 MBL 07576
6 033415318 1931 28.31 80.10 1934 WL150 05055 095 DLM 05570 998753 MBL 05061 LST 020
7 010715016 1940 28.02 80.47 1944 WL150 03557 145 DLM 04574 992753 MBL 04062 LST 070
8 033415071 1946 27.65 80.27 1949 WL150 02062 108 DLM 03576 991811 MBL 02070 LST 033
9 010715022 1952 27.28 80.10 1954 WL150 01065 085 DLM 02575 987843 MBL 01572
10 004255169 2001 26.57 79.87 2002 WL150 32071 144 DLM 33077 974844 MBL 32075 LST 069
11 004255169 2001 26.57 79.87 2002 WL150 32071 144 DLM 33077 974844 MBL 32075 LST 069
12 033415073 2018 25.77 78.90 2020 DLM 24074 988842
13 033518004 2027 26.30 79.00 2028 WL150 22588 092 DLM 24091 974836 MBL 23092 LST 017 EYEWALL 180
14 010715023 2027 26.32 79.00 2029 WL150 22588 085 DLM 23095 975911 MBL 22594 DLM 23095 975911 EYEWALL 180
15 004255171 2044 26.98 78.64 2046 WL150 14605 085 DLM 16105 969838 MBL 14606
16 004255171 2044 26.98 78.64 2046 WL150 14605 085 DLM 16105 969838 MBL 14606 EYEWALL 090
17 004255302 2045 26.98 78.60 2047 WL150 14100 085 DLM 16104 973833 MBL 14601 EYEWALL 180
18 032335190 2054 26.96 78.06 2056 WL150 14072 088 DLM 15584 989834 MBL 14576 LST 013 RAINBAND
19 032335191 2110 27.03 77.12 2112 WL150 14551 085 DLM 16067 000842 MBL 15062
20 032335195 2123 27.87 77.76 2125 WL150 11056 085 DLM 13073 998844 MBL 12067
21 032335188 2133 27.95 78.56 2135 WL150 09563 085 DLM 10574 994844 MBL 10070
22 032335189 2148 28.62 79.67 2150 WL150 05556 196 DLM 06061 987931 MBL 06058 LST 121
23 032335174 2205 28.53 80.49 2207 WL150 06054 085 DLM 06563 001844 MBL 06060
24 010715097 2211 28.04 80.49 2213 DLM 05064 983844 MBL 03564 LST 134
25 010715018 2244 26.45 79.47 2245 WL150 26584 085 DLM 26084 972957 EYEWALL 225
26 010715024 2259 27.22 79.76 2301 WL150 02078 085 DLM 02080 970945 EYEWALL 315
27 004255296 2300 27.23 79.79 2301 WL150 02102 158 DLM 03107 963847 MBL 02102 LST 083 EYEWALL 315

**Table 3**
GPS Sonde Drops
#	Serial #	Launch Time UTC	Lat	Lon	Splash Time UTC	Comments
1	004255305	1840	27.65	80.30	1843	WL150 02057 085 DLM 03579 995748 MBL 02567 RAINBAND
2	033048008	1851	27.13	79.71	1855	WL150 01088 097 DLM 03588 976749 MBL 01594 LST 022 EYEWALL 315
3	032418089	1909	27.33	79.10	1912	WL150 06589 085 DLM 09588 971753 MBL 07595 EYEWALL 000
4	004255170	1909	27.35	79.12	1912	WL150 06585 085 DLM 08602 973821 MBL 07092 EYEWALL 000
5	004255300	1921	28.14	79.19	1924	WL150 07571 085 DLM 09077 994752 MBL 07576
6	033415318	1931	28.31	80.10	1934	WL150 05055 095 DLM 05570 998753 MBL 05061 LST 020
7	010715016	1940	28.02	80.47	1944	WL150 03557 145 DLM 04574 992753 MBL 04062 LST 070
8	033415071	1946	27.65	80.27	1949	WL150 02062 108 DLM 03576 991811 MBL 02070 LST 033
9	010715022	1952	27.28	80.10	1954	WL150 01065 085 DLM 02575 987843 MBL 01572
10	004255169	2001	26.57	79.87	2002	WL150 32071 144 DLM 33077 974844 MBL 32075 LST 069
11	004255169	2001	26.57	79.87	2002	WL150 32071 144 DLM 33077 974844 MBL 32075 LST 069
12	033415073	2018	25.77	78.90	2020	DLM 24074 988842
13	033518004	2027	26.30	79.00	2028	WL150 22588 092 DLM 24091 974836 MBL 23092 LST 017 EYEWALL 180
14	010715023	2027	26.32	79.00	2029	WL150 22588 085 DLM 23095 975911 MBL 22594 DLM 23095 975911 EYEWALL 180
15	004255171	2044	26.98	78.64	2046	WL150 14605 085 DLM 16105 969838 MBL 14606
16	004255171	2044	26.98	78.64	2046	WL150 14605 085 DLM 16105 969838 MBL 14606 EYEWALL 090
17	004255302	2045	26.98	78.60	2047	WL150 14100 085 DLM 16104 973833 MBL 14601 EYEWALL 180
18	032335190	2054	26.96	78.06	2056	WL150 14072 088 DLM 15584 989834 MBL 14576 LST 013 RAINBAND
19	032335191	2110	27.03	77.12	2112	WL150 14551 085 DLM 16067 000842 MBL 15062
20	032335195	2123	27.87	77.76	2125	WL150 11056 085 DLM 13073 998844 MBL 12067
21	032335188	2133	27.95	78.56	2135	WL150 09563 085 DLM 10574 994844 MBL 10070
22	032335189	2148	28.62	79.67	2150	WL150 05556 196 DLM 06061 987931 MBL 06058 LST 121
23	032335174	2205	28.53	80.49	2207	WL150 06054 085 DLM 06563 001844 MBL 06060
24	010715097	2211	28.04	80.49	2213	DLM 05064 983844 MBL 03564 LST 134
25	010715018	2244	26.45	79.47	2245	WL150 26584 085 DLM 26084 972957 EYEWALL 225
26	010715024	2259	27.22	79.76	2301	WL150 02078 085 DLM 02080 970945 EYEWALL 315
27	004255296	2300	27.23	79.79	2301	WL150 02102 158 DLM 03107 963847 MBL 02102 LST 083 EYEWALL 315

Note 32 sondes were dropped; this table lists the 27 sondes that were transmitted to NHC.
WL150: Wind in lowest 150 m
DLM: Deep Layer Mean wind
MBL: Mean Boundary Layer Wind
LST: Height of lowest wind.

Page last updated February 1, 2005
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Flight Data
Flight track	Temperature and Moisture	Wind and Atlitude
Flight track detail

Mission Summary 20040904I1 Aircraft 43RF Hurricane Frances Tasked SFMR Mission

Flight Data

Mission Summary
20040904I1 Aircraft 43RF
Hurricane Frances Tasked SFMR Mission