As many of you may remember, we planned to conduct TC-Aerosonde 
flights during the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season but due to 
range 
constraints associated with deploying/recovering out of NASA's 
coastal 
Virginia Wallops Flight Facility (WFF), we did not end up flying 
in 
2004.Ê

Similar to 2004, all planned 2005 TC-Aerosonde missions will 
originate 
and recover out of WFF.

As far as the experimental flight plan goes, we will be 
conducting low 
level boundary layer inflow experimentsÊ that include low level 
eyewall penetrations (potentially as low as 500ft).Ê For more 
details 
on the experimental layout and other details (including a related 
power point presentation) please go to :

http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/project200

In all, we will have approximately 75h for use on the Aerosonde 
this 
season.Ê After accounting for a 6-8h clear air test/calibration 
mission we should have two (or possibly three) 20-24h flights to 
work 
with.Ê Our plan is to attempt to utilize all or most of our hours 
on 
one storm, if possible.Ê We believe there are two primary 
advantages 
for going this route.Ê One is logistically-based and the other is 
science based.Ê First, given our range constraint of ~2000-2500km 
total flight distance, we will have limited storm opportunities.Ê Secondly, by flying two 
(or possibly three) 
staggered 20-24h missions in one system we will get a rare 
opportunity 
to have long-term continuity, and as such, a much better chance 
to 
observe and diagnose any changes in storm structure and/or storm 
intensity that might occur. As was the case in 2004, we hope to 
have a 
minimum of 2 Aerosondes available for this effort.

FLIGHT LIMITATIONS...
The following flight constraints were placed on Aerosonde during 
CAMEX-4 in 2001.Ê These constraints and rules will also be 
followed 
this season for any potential Atlantic basin TC-Aerosonde 
missions in 
2005:

1)Ê Autonomous flight termination at 2500ft*1
2)Ê Autonomous flight termination on lost SATCOM link (Iridium).Ê 
SATCOM link time out to be set at 45min.
3)Ê Flight termination ability from AMPI (Aerosonde Mission 
Planning 
Interface)
 4)Ê AMPI to be setup in CARCAH with Aerosonde operator
 5)Ê On command from CARCAH we must terminate a flight if there 
are 
separation conflicts
6)Ê When the 53rd AF has been tasked for a low-level invest or 
fix, 
there will be no Aerosonde flights.
(This has been Specifically added for 2005 flight plans)*2

NOTE *1: One possible exception to the 2500 ft ceiling limitation 
is 
being proposed.Ê If no manned aircraft are in the storm, a spiral 
sounding within the hurricane eye (up to a max altitude of 
10000ft) is 
requested.Ê In addition, eyewall penetration at this altitude (as 
the 
Aerosonde departs the eye) is also requested.Ê Immediate descent 
to 
2500ft would be initiated once the Aerosonde safely exits the 
hurricane eyewall region and begins the ferry back to Wallops 
Island 
Va.Ê This exception is requested so as to maximize the chances of 
aircraft full recovery.Ê Again, this flight path deviation above 
the 
2500 ft ceiling will ONLY be requested if NO manned aircraft are 
in 
the storm at the time.

NOTE *2:While still adhering to the 6 limitations outlined above, 
it 
also should be noted that there is a strong interest to 
coordinate 
2005 Aerosonde efforts with any non low-level invest AFRES 
mission in 
addition to any scheduled or tasked G-4/P-3 flights that may 
arise.Ê 
(In any such Aerosonde/manned flight coordinated mission the 2500 
ft 
ceiling will be strictly adhered to.)

TIMING FOR 2005 AEROSODNE MISSIONS...

This has yet to be officially determined.Ê However, we hope to 
conduct 
our calibration test flight the first week of August and be ready 
to 
fly TC missions soon after.Ê As of today, it appears that our 
"operational window of opportunity" will be most of August 2005 
and 
from early October through the end of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane 
season.Ê However, it should be noted that these times may be 
subject 
to change.

"REAL-TIME" LOGISTICAL ISSUES ...
CARCAH- Coordination is a very important aspect of these 
missions, and 
as such, working closely with CARCAH is a top priority.Ê Aerosone 
has 
agreed to make sure CARCAH has the real-time ability to know, at 
all 
times during the flight, where the Aerosonde is located.Ê It 
should 
also be noted that Aerosonde missions will be terminated should 
any of 
the conditions outlined in "FLIGHT LIMITATIONS" be encountered.Ê 
CARCAH will at all times have the ability to contact an Aerosonde 
representative via phone.Ê In addition, an HRD representative 
will be 
on hand (at TPC/with CARCAH) during all Aerosonde TC missions. 
Since 
an Aerosonde mission can be up to 24h in duration coupled with 
the 
fact that we are planning staggered mission(s), select HRD 
personnel 
in Miami have agreed to participate in this effort.

FTP 'real-time' details and data format-

Aerosonde real-time data will available to TPC, EMC and CARCAH on 
an 
AOML-hosted ftp site.Ê

To get to the site (and see a sample Aersonde data file) go to:

ftp.aoml.noaa.gov
cd hrd/pub/dat>
the test file is E062204A.AMD

If asked for a username and password, please use 'anonymous' and 
'your 
email address', respectively.

Similar to the sample data file currently on the AOML ftp site, 
the 
real-time data will be an ASCII string in American Meteorological 
Data 
RelayÊ (AMDAR) format.Ê

Data included in the AMDAR ASCII string...

Aerosonde ID number, Time, Aerosonde position (Lat/Lon), 
Pressure, 
Temperature, RH, wind speed, wind direction, and Aerosonde flight 
level (pressure altitude).Ê In addition (but not part of the 
AMDAR 
string), real time SST estimates will be provided using an 
onboard 
downward looking IR sensor.

 Data resolution (in time and space)
Every 10s data is stored onboard the Aerosonde hard drive and 
will be 
available at this resolution (or higher) in 'post-storm analysis 
mode'.Ê However, due to in flight transmission limitations data 
will 
not be transmitted every 10s in real-time.Ê Instead, Aerosonde 
will 
follow the AMDAR procedure for updating data (see AMDAR.doc).Ê 
Essentially, a 'new' AMDAR string is recorded when atmospheric 
conditions change beyond a preset threshold.Ê Ambient homogeneous 
conditions = few AMDAR updates, rapid changes in the environment 
(e.g. 
eyewall) = many AMDAR updates.Ê

We have tentatively set the ftp data update cycle to be every 15 
minutes from takeoff to a radial distance of 200km and then every 
5 
minutes radially inward of 200 km.Ê The number of individual 
AMDAR 
strings posted for each (15min or 5min) ftp update could range 
from 1 
(far from the storm in ~homogeneous conditions) to several AMDAR 
strings per ftp update (e.g. near the eyewall).Ê Again, his will 
wholly depend on the relative position of the Aerosonde platform 
within the storm environment.

DATA ACCURACY/ERROR CHARACTERISTICS
In order to accurately and reliably measure atmospheric 
parameters the 
Aerosonde uses 3 Vaisala RSS902 Sondes.Ê These sondes can measure 
Pressure, Temperature and Humidity withinÊ 0.2 hPa, 0.1K, 2%, 
respectively.Ê Using Aerosonde's Proprietary wind measurement 
system 
winds can be measured within 0.5 ms-1.

 As far as the reliability of these measurements Aerosonde has 
provided the following estimates with regard to instrument 
measurement 
error:

 Pressure:Ê +/- 1.5 hPa
Temp:Ê +/- 0.5K
Humidity:Ê +/- 2%
 Winds:Ê +/- 0.5 m/s
IR SST:ÊÊÊ +/- 0.1K

Additional details about this Aerosonde project can be found at: 
Aerosonde as well as the Aerosonde Corporation can be found at: 
www.aerosonde.com .Ê For information about NASA's Wallops Flight 
Facility please visit: www.wff.nasa.govÊ

If you have questions or comments about the Aerosonde or about 
our 
2005 plans to use this unique platform in the near-surface 
hurricane 
environment, please do not hesitate to contact me.

 With best regards,

 Joe Cione
NOA> (305) 361-4406