| Lead Project Scientist | Eric Uhlhorn |
| Radar Scientist | Shirley Murillo |
| Doppler Scientist | Neal Dorst |
| Pilots | Barry Choy Amelia Ebhardt Sweeny |
| Flight Director | Paul Flaherty |
| Navigator | Tim Gallagher |
| Flt. Eng. | P. Floyd |
| Data Tech | Terry Lynch Joe Green |
| Elec. Tech | Daemon San Souci |
Mission Plan :
N43RF will fly a rapid-intensification experiment in TS Paloma. It will leave MacDill AFB, FL at 02:00 UTC, and recover at MacDill AFB, FL by 11:00 UTC. Flight altitude will be 12000'.
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Prepared by the Hurricane Research Division Aircraft: N43RF Altitude: FL180-250 Proposed takeoff: 07/0200Z | ||||||
| DROP # | LAT (d m) | LON (d m) | RAD/AZM (nm/dg) | LEG (nm) | TOTAL (nm) | TIME (h mm) |
| MACDILL | 0. | 0. | 0:00 | |||
| 1 | 22 00 | 85 06 | 379. | 379. | 1:25 | |
| 2S | 16 36 | 84 12 | 75/270 | 329. | 707. | 2:48 |
| 3S | 16 36 | 81 36 | 75/090 | 150. | 857. | 3:26 |
| 4S | 17 51 | 82 54 | 75/000 | 106. | 963. | 3:53 |
| 5S | 15 21 | 82 54 | 75/180 | 150. | 1113. | 4:31 |
| 6S | 15 43 | 81 59 | 75/135 | 57. | 1170. | 4:46 |
| 7S | 17 29 | 83 49 | 75/315 | 150. | 1320. | 5:25 |
| 8S | 15 43 | 83 49 | 75/225 | 106. | 1427. | 5:52 |
| 9S | 17 29 | 81 59 | 75/045 | 150. | 1577. | 6:30 |
| 10 | 22 00 | 85 06 | 324. | 1900. | 7:43 | |
| MACDILL | 379. | 2279. | 9:01 | |||
Mission Summary :
| Take off | Landing
| MacDill AFB, FL | 02:45 UTC
| MacDill AFB, FL | 11:50 UTC
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The flight plan consisted of a rotated figure-4 to obtain 4 Doppler wind analyses. N43RF departed KMCF at 0245 UTC after a small delay due to an AVAPS hardware glitch. Cuban airspace clearance was not obtained, somewhat increasing the ferry time to the IP, which was reached at 0522 UTC 105 nmi to W of storm. The MSLP for Leg #1 was found to be 993 mb (although likely displaced from the center), and a peak surface wind of 68 kts from GPS was found in the E eyewall, indicating Paloma was very near hurricane intensity. Leg #1 was completed at 0613 UTC, and N43RF turned to NW heading to a point N of center. Leg #2 began at 0637 UTC heading S, passing through the center (MSLP 984 mb), and ending at 0714 UTC next turning to NE. Leg #3 started to SE of storm heading NW at 0726 UTC. Leg #3 ended at 0803 UTC, with the center GPS drop failing to measure the MSLP. Leg #4 was begun at 0821 UTC SW of the storm heading NE for a final pass through the storm (MSLP 982 mb) and terminated at 0901 UTC to the NE of the center. N43RF returned to KMCF at 1150 UTC.
Four Doppler wind analyses were produced and transmitted off the plane.
Figure 2. LF radar reflectivity at beginning (0554 UTC) and end (0839
UTC) of flight.
Figure 3. SFMR surface and flight level wind speeds for the four passes.
| GPS dropwindsondes | 23 |
| AXBTs | 14/16 |
The original plan called for 32 GPS sondes to be released, with somewhat high density during each eyewall pentration. The AVAPS hardware problem limited this capability, and as a result, only 23 were ultimately deployed.
EWU
24 April 2009
Mission Data :
Flight Data Plots | ||
 Flight track |
 Temperature and Moisture |
 Wind and Atlitude |
 Flight track detail |
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