20080910 H1 mission

Mission Summary
20080910H1 Aircraft 42RF
Ike Ocean Winds flight 2008

**Scientific Crew (42RF)**
Lead Scientist	Frank Marks
Dropsonde Scientist	Bob Black
Radar Scientist	Sundaraman Gopalakrishnan
Guest	Dr. Rick Spinrad (OAR)
Observer	Jason Sippel (TTU)

Flight Crew (42RF)
Pilots
Al Girimonte

Flight Director Barry Damiano

Navigator

Flt. Eng. Greg Bast

Data Tech Bobby Peek

Elec. Tech Bill Olney
Steve Wade

**Flight Crew (42RF)**
Pilots	Al Girimonte
Flight Director	Barry Damiano
Navigator
Flt. Eng.	Greg Bast
Data Tech	Bobby Peek
Elec. Tech	Bill Olney Steve Wade

Mission Plan :

N42RF will fly an EMC-tasked Tail Doppler Radar (TDR) mission into Hurricane Ike in the Gulf of Mexico, dropping AXBTs in the vicinity of the pre-storm Ike and post-storm Gustav AXBT locations. After the TDR legs are completed we will do penetrations for NESDIS Ocean-winds. T/O from MacDill AFB, FL at 2000 UTC, and recover at MacDill AFB, FL by 0400 UTC. Plan is to send superobs back to AOML ftp site for use by Fuqing Zhang and the HFIP-TACC real-time test to initialize the ARW model starting at 0000 UTC 11 September. Rick Spinrad (DAA OAR) will be on this mission.

MISSION PLAN: IKE
Prepared by the Hurricane Research Division
Aircraft: N42RF Altitude: FL180-250 Proposed takeoff: 10/2100Z
TRACK DISTANCE TABLE
Point
# LAT
(d m) LON
(d/m) RAD/AZM
(nm/dg) LEG
(nm) TOTAL
(nm) TIME
(h:mm) Comments
0 MACDILL 0. 0. 0:00 AXBT @ 5 min > 100 fathom
1S 25 36 88 09 105/315 331. 331. 1:27 Combo @ mid, center
2S 24 21 86 48 0/000 105. 436. 1:55
3S 23 07 85 27 105/135 105. 541. 2:23
4S 25 36 85 27 105/045 149. 690. 3:03
5S 23 07 88 09 105/225 210. 900. 3:58 Combo @ center, mid SW ,end
6S 22 36 86 48 105/180 81. 981. 4:20
7S 24 21 86 48 0/000 105. 1086. 4:48
8S 25 11 86 48 50/360 50. 1136. 5:02
9S 24 21 86 48 0/000 50. 1186. 5:16
10S 24 56 86 09 50/045 50. 1236. 5:30
11S 24 21 86 48 0/000 50. 1286. 5:44
12S 25 11 86 48 50/360 50. 1336. 5:58
13S 24 21 86 48 0/000 50. 1386. 6:11
14S 24 56 87 27 50/315 50. 1436. 6:25
15S 24 21 86 48 0/000 50. 1486. 6:39
16S 25 11 86 48 50/360 50. 1536. 6:53
17 MACDILL 281. 1816. 7:51

MISSION PLAN: IKE
Prepared by the Hurricane Research Division
Aircraft: N42RF Altitude: FL180-250 Proposed takeoff: 10/2100Z
TRACK DISTANCE TABLE
Point #	LAT (d m)	LON (d/m)	RAD/AZM (nm/dg)	LEG (nm)	TOTAL (nm)	TIME (h:mm)	Comments
0	MACDILL	0.	0.	0:00	AXBT @ 5 min > 100 fathom
1S	25 36	88 09	105/315	331.	331.	1:27	Combo @ mid, center
2S	24 21	86 48	0/000	105.	436.	1:55
3S	23 07	85 27	105/135	105.	541.	2:23
4S	25 36	85 27	105/045	149.	690.	3:03
5S	23 07	88 09	105/225	210.	900.	3:58	Combo @ center, mid SW ,end
6S	22 36	86 48	105/180	81.	981.	4:20
7S	24 21	86 48	0/000	105.	1086.	4:48
8S	25 11	86 48	50/360	50.	1136.	5:02
9S	24 21	86 48	0/000	50.	1186.	5:16
10S	24 56	86 09	50/045	50.	1236.	5:30
11S	24 21	86 48	0/000	50.	1286.	5:44
12S	25 11	86 48	50/360	50.	1336.	5:58
13S	24 21	86 48	0/000	50.	1386.	6:11
14S	24 56	87 27	50/315	50.	1436.	6:25
15S	24 21	86 48	0/000	50.	1486.	6:39
16S	25 11	86 48	50/360	50.	1536.	6:53
17	MACDILL	281.	1816.	7:51

Mission Summary :

Actual flight track

Take off Landing
MacDill AFB, FL 20:02 UTC MacDill AFB, FL 03:29 UTC

Great missions! Storm is stronger than on the last mission and appears to be getting a little better organized. Very interesting storm structure with large outer rainband surrounding very small and relatively weak inner eyewall (see Figure 1). Very interesting SFMR data showing multiple wind maxima over the eastern semicircle of the storm. Western semicircle had much less reflectivity and weaker rainbands.

TDR mission went really well with analyses and superobs completed for the first three legs: (1) 1st leg from NW-SE; (2) 2nd leg from NE to SW; and (3) 3rd leg from S to NE. See flight track in Figure. Completed AXBT drops along track on 1st leg. Other AXBT drops combo with dropsondes at end points of legs (NW, NE, S, and SW) and in eyewall.

Superobs were generated on the Mac laptop connecting via ftp to the HP Workstation. While the process worked reasonably smoothly, it was a relatively intense process because of lack of experience and automation of the processes. Thanks to X-Chat and John Gamache we were able to get the superobs completed and off the plane to the ftp site (see X-Chat summary). Fuqing was able to access the superobs and use them in time to do a real-time run on the TACC.

Rick Spinrad and one of Fuqing's students (Jason Sippel) were on the flight.

Penetrations	9
AXBT	10 8 good
Dropsondes	15

Lead Project Scientist's Log
X-chat Log

Problems :

No LF radar again during this mission. Some issues ftp'ing superobs from Mac, but improved over last mission. Need more automation of the processing to streamline the analysis and superob generation.

Frank Marks

Mission Data :