UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON'S CONVAIR-580 FLIGHTS FOR SAFARI-2000

Date: Aug. 18, 2000

UW Flight Number: 1816

Goals of Flight:

Sample smoke from prescribed fire near Medikwe Game Reserve (on South Africa-Botswana border).

Period of Flight (engines on to engines off: UTC): 1802-139 UTC

Location of fire: 24 deg 39 min 26.3 sec south/26 deg 23 min 18.6 sec east.

Weather Conditions: Clear

Accomplishments:

  1. Partial profile of ambient air in target area prior to fire.

  2. Sampled vertical smoke column just after ignition. Thin smoke.

  3. Sampled across plume about 12.5 and 28 nm downwind. Thin smoke.

  4. Sampled along long axis of plume heading back toward fire.

  5. Sampled ambient air at 6,300 ft.

  6. Sampled much thicker smoke in vertical column over fire.

  7. Sampled thick smoke just below capping cumulus cloud.

  8. Measurements just above base of capping cumulus

Main Instrument Malfunctions:

HC can pump, aerosol pump, and scanning humidigraph malfunctioned about halfway during flight due to overheating.

Flight Scientist: Peter Hobbs

Approx. UCT Time
(UTC = local time minus 2 hours)

Activity

0811

Take off.

0811-0850

Climb to 9,500 ft.

0850-0907

Descend to 6,000 ft 15 mins out from target area.

0907-????

Into target area at 6,000 ft plus descent over fire site with continuous chemical sampling in ambient air for filters etc. before fire was started.

????-1137

Chemical and physical sampling of vertical column over fire and older smoke downwind at about 12.5 and 28 nm downwind. Flew along axis of smoke plume back to fire in fairly thin smoke; fire much more active now than in earlier sampling over fire.

1137-1215

Ambient bag sampling for chemistry at 6,300 ft.

1224

Across thick smoke in vertical plume above fire at 6,000 ft. Bag sample for filters.

1240-????

Penetration of thick smoke column just below base of capping cumulus, followed by similar penetration just above base of cloud.
 

Return to Pietersburg near top of boundary layer.

1333

Land.

END