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

Date: 6 September 2000

UW Flight Number: 1832

Goals of Flight:

  1. Low-level pass on south-to-north line from Senanga (16 deg 0.69' south/23 deg 17.86 east), Zambia.

  2. BRDF measurements over instrumented tower at Mongu (15 deg 26' south/23 deg 15' east), Zambia.

  3. Vertical profile over Mongu Airport (lidar) at 15 deg 15.26' south/23 deg 19.03' east (check 09.03' ?) with ER-2 overpass.

Period of Flight (engines on to engines off: UTC): 0700-1058

Location: Kasane, Botswana; Senanga, Zambia; and Mongu, Zambia.

Weather Conditions: Haze and altocumulus.

Accomplishments:

Goals 1) through 3) all done very well (extended south-to-north low-level pass to some distance north of Mongu).

Main Instrument Malfunctions:

See Squawk list.

Flight Scientist: Peter Hobbs

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

Activity

0711

Take off.

0711-0721

Climb to 12,600 ft.

0722-0746

Transit to just south of Senanga at 12,600 ft.

0746-0756

Descend to 500 ft agl over Senanga.

0756-0813

Run north at 500 ft agl through Mongu airport.

0813-0817

Descend to 100 ft agl just north of Mongu and run north.

0817-0821

Climb to 1,000 ft, run north.

0821-0824

Turned back to southerly heading about 20 miles north of Mongu (climb to 2,000 ft).

0824-0835

Head south at 2,000 ft to Mongu Tower (tower identified near road crossing).

~0847-0856

First five turns for BRDF measurements drifting over tower (strong wind).

0856-0908

Second five turns for BRDF measurements (repeat of 1st 5 turns in terms of location).

ER-2 overhead - confirmed.

0912-0917

To Mongu Airport then 5 min level run at 500 ft agl over airport.

0917-0933

Climb from 500 ft to ~15,000 ft msl.

0933-0938(?)

5 min. level run over Mongu Airport at ~15,000 ft.

Spiral down over airport to 9,000 ft level.

Level run at 9,000 ft over airport for 5 minutes.

0952-0957

Descend to 5,000 ft level run at 5,000 ft over airport.

0957-1015

Start return to Kasane, but climb to 17,000 ft msl on leaving Mongu airport.

1015

Descend to lower altitude and return to Kasane.

END