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

Date: 7 September 2000

UW Flight Number: 1834

Goals of Flight:

  1. Sample large (1,000 ha) prescribed fire west of Kruger National Park at 24 deg 23' south/31 deg 15' 18" east (the Timbavati Game Park fire).

  2. BRDF measurements over Mopane trees at 23 deg 44' south/31 deg 36' east.

  3. Sample Phalaborwa Copper Mine (23 deg 44' south/31 deg 36' east).

Period of Flight (engines on to engines off: UTC): 0755-1220

Locations:

Kruger National Park, Phalaborwa, and Mopane trees.

Weather Conditions:

South Atlantic high bringing cleaner air to Pietersburg (conditionally unstable and dry).

Accomplishments:

  1. Done - largest fire sampled in Safari 2000. Very good measurements with relatively clean background.

  2. Done -two sets of five circles for BRDF measurements in two locations.

  3. Done briefly (two penetrations) on way to Mopane site.

Additional Comments:

Late take off (about an hour) due to failure of fuel pump on Gateway fuel truck.

Main Instrument Malfunctions:

  1. FSSP-30

  2. Cambridge dew point too high - dirt?

  3. PVM noisy until zeroed.

    See also Squawk list.

Flight Scientist: Peter Hobbs

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

Activity

0806

Take off.

0806-0831

Climb to 11,600 ft.

0816-0831

Transit at 11,600 ft.

~0820

Fire ignition.

0831-0836

Descend to fire.

0836

Start study of fire plume.

0843

1st pass across plume near fire head (1st bag).

2nd pass across plume 3 nautical miles downwind.

3rd pass across plume 5 nautical miles downwind.

4th pass across plume near fire head (2nd bag).

5th pass in upper 1/3 of plume about 5 nautical miles downwind.

6th pass across plume center at 5 nautical miles (3rd bag)

7th pass in upper filaments of smoke, separated from main plume at 3,000 ft agl and 10 nautical miles downwind.

8th pass in upper filaments of smoke, separated from main plume at 3,000 ft agl and 10 nautical miles downwind.

9th pass at 5 nautical miles through main plume (4th bag - 2nd at 5 nautical miles).

Run from fire head along length of plume out to about 23 nautical miles downwind (physical measurements only).

10th pass across plume at 500 ft (physical measurements) at 18 nautical miles downwind.

11th pass across plume at 500 ft (5th bag at 18 nautical miles downwind).

12th pass below main smoke plume at 18 nautical miles downwind.

13th pass above main smoke plume at 18 nautical miles downwind.

14th pass at 18 nautical miles downwind at 500 ft (main smoke) 6th bag - 2nd at 18 nautical miles downwind, follow smoke downwind along plume length as we headed north to Mopane site.

Two penetrations of plume from Phalaborwa copper plant at 2 distances downwind.

1105-1120

1st group of five circles for BRDF measurements over Mopane trees.

1113

Pilot's wind 200 mag/17 kts.

1122-1135

2nd group of five circles for BRDF measurements over Mopane trees.

1135

Head back to Pietersburg.

1214

Land.

END