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

Date: 22 August 2000

UW Flight Number: 1820

Goals of Flight:

  1. Full profile over Skukusa Airport, Kruger National Park, South Africa, encompassing time of Terra overpass (0828 UCT) and ER-2 overpass.

  2. BRDF over Skukusa instrumented tower.

  3. BRDF over Mopane trees.

  4. Sample emissions from Phalaborwa copper mine.

  5. Sample emissions from plantations on high veldt.

Period of Flight (engines on to engines off: UTC): 0658-1235

Location: See above, plus map of flight path.

Weather Conditions: Very hazy in boundary layer. Very polluted over Kruger National Park.

Accomplishments:

  1. Goal #1 accomplished. Comprehensive physical and chemical measurements, and sunphotometer and SSFR measurements at eleven levels over Skukusa airport.

  2. Goal # 2 done BUT over towers to west of airport.

  3. Done (but did we identify Mopane trees correctly?).

  4. No measurements on emissions from Phalaborwa copper mine.

  5. No measurements on plantations (could not find at location given).

Main Instrument Malfunctions: PVM and JW noise in clear air. See Squawk list.

Flight Scientist: Peter Hobbs

Approx. UCT time
(local time = UCT time plus 2 hours)

Activity

0706

Take off.

0706-0717

Climb to 9,500 ft.

0717-0805

Transit to Skukusa at 9,500 ft.

0805-0808

Climb from 9,500 ft to 12,500 ft.

0816-1008

"Full" chemistry and physical measurements in vertical profile over Skukusa airport. Eleven horizontal runs centered on airstrip. Good sunphotometer and SSFR measurements. Terra and ER-2 overpass at 0828 UC. (Micropulse lidar at airport may have gone down during CV-580 profile due to power outage on ground.)

1034-1050

Five 20 deg banked circles for CAR measurements over two red and white stripped towers about 5 nm west of Skukusa airport (NOT location of Skukusa instrumented tower, which we could not find).

1050-1100

Transit north to near Phalaborwa (23 deg 59 min S/31 deg 07 min E). No time for measurements on plant.

1116-1140

Eight CAR turns over Mopane trees (maybe!) just SW of Phalaborwa.

1140-??

Searched in vain for plantations on high veldt. Not at location given to us by SAFARI control. Therefore, no dedicated measurements over plantations.

1230

Land.

END