1. NOAA P-3 Status for BAMEX
148 flight hours approved
20 May - 6 July
Chief Scientists:
Jorgensen: 20 May - 6 July, except May & June (maybe)
Ziegler: 20 May - 3 June
Smull: 2 June - 24 June
Doppler Scientists:
Cloud Physics Scientists:
Greg McFarquhar
Robert Rauber
Brian Jewett

2. Key P-3 Objectives NOAA P-3: NRL P-3:
Airborne Doppler radar mapping of 3-D flows
Cloud Physics observations from ~5°C to ~-15°C
Multiple snapshots of rear inflow system structure
Coordinated legs with NRL P-3 where possible (quad Doppler)
Straight-line flight tracks in bow-echo “rear” at 18,000 ft (~-15°C)
NRL P-3:
Airborne Doppler (ELDORA) radar mapping of convective line
Multiple snapshots
Coordinated legs with NOAA P-3 where possible (quad-Doppler)
Flight level as low as practical
Straight-line flight tracks best

3. Aircraft Hazards Dropsonde Jet NOAA P-3: Lightning strikes near 0°C!
Wind shear at base of anvil near top of rear inflow
Aircraft charging in ice
Icing in strong stratiform regions
NRL P-3:
Strong convection near leading edge - avoid in spite of no LF radar!
Tracks within ~5 na mi. of leading edge
Tornadic activity usually from the apex of the bow northward and in “tail end charlie” supercells.
Dropsonde Jet
Avoiding leading line convective cells

4. Airborne Doppler Scanning
ELDORA ~400 m
Pseudo-dual-Doppler Analysis: w from vertical divergence integration with echo top

5. Optimal range for Doppler Analysis
To minimize vertical velocity contamination on radial winds need to keep scanning angles < 45°
R should be > h-RA
Example:
h~10 na mi. (50kft)
RA ~ 5 na mi. (25kft)
R ~ 5 na mi.
H ~ 10 na mi. (50kft)
RA ~ 1 na mi. (5kft)
R ~ 9 na mi. RA

6. Squall Line Example - “Quad-Doppler”
Example from TOGA COARE [Jorgensen et al. 1997]
NOAA P-3
NOAA P-3

7. NOAA P-3 Flight Strategies
Basic Doppler survey module (twin legs) at 18,000 feet to facilitate switching to microphysics modules.
Complete survey in 45 min or less
Microphysics modules by NOAA P-3 will be attempted in suitable regions
Attempt at least 2 legs ~70 km system relative separation (~38 na. mi). Doppler coverage overlap of ~10 km
Where possible coordinate legs with NRL P-3

8. System Relative Tracks
Sys Rel (u=0)
u=20 knts
u=40 knts
u=60 knts
38 nm a

9. Microphysical Modules (NOAA P-3)
~ min flight pattern modules in well-developed stratiform rain regions
Lagrangian spirals
Descent rate ~ 1 m/s above 0°C, ~ 5 m/s below
Standard rate turn (~22° bank angle)
Wind is allowed to advect aircraft
Descend from ~-10°C (~6 km) through the melting level (~4 km) to as low as practical
Requires ~22-45 minutes depending on vertical extent
Perform several times
As an alternative, could fly Doppler legs at different altitudes
Either line parallel or line perpendicular oriented flight legs could be flown

10. NOAA P-3 mphysics options

11. Possible Flight Module Sequence
~50 na mi
42 min
33 min
45 min
~2 hrs
For 6 hour on-station time ~ 3 sequences of above

12. Flight Direction Strategies
Each aircraft has a Chief Scientist
Ops Director and Nowcaster at Ops Center
Must have reliable sat com for information exchange between these groups
messages
ftp of gif images
Voice (if necessary)
Ops Center to provide general guidance as to region to investigate, including suggesting end points of flight legs
Chief Scientists will fix flight legs to optimize best tracks for objectives

13. NOAA P-3 – Ops Center Comms
Global-Star, 9600 baud
PPP link,:ftp, B
Observation reports
Radar images A
Flight track guidance
Hourly nowcast & short-term forecasts
Satellite & radar images

14. Go/No Go Flight Decision
Proposal:
While at or above flight optimum flight utilization curve flight decisions will be relatively conservative (i.e., aircraft launch will be predicated on observing mesoscale organization and behavior)
100
% used
20 May
Project Days
6 July