MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS)

Overfly western site along a southwest heading coincident with TERRA overpass (1615 UTC) along with WB-57, Citation, Proteus,Twin Otter, and P-3. Continue to overfly anvils/cores along western coast with direction from NPOL. Sea breeze expected over the western coast with relatively light NE winds aloft.

After TERRA legs, ER-2 was directed to work along the central axis of the peninsula. Ended mission on series of southwest-northeast legs across Gulf of Mexico just north of the Florida Keys.

The ER-2 flaps were non-functional during descent causing the landing to be fast & hard.

AQUA Overpass @ 1922 (UTC); VZA = 60° (relative to western site)
TERRA Overpass @ 1615 (UTC); VZA = 6.5° (relative to western site)

Western Site: PARSL, Everglades National Park, Gulf Coast Visitor's Center
Location: 25° 50.0´ N , 81° 23.´4 W (25.83°, -81.39°)

Eastern Site: Kendall-Tamiami Airport
Location: 25° 39.3´ N, 80° 25.9´ W (25.66°, -80.43°)

• CoSSIR: Failed at or near start.
• CPL: Failed at or near start.
• CRS: Operated after recycling power; good data.
• EDOP: Operated; good data.
• JLH: Not installed.
• MAS: Operated; good data. ~8% of scans failed to take data (generally towards end of flight), attributed to humidity, moisture from evening/morning rains affecting data system.
• MMS: Operated; good data.
• MTP: Operated; good data.
• RAMS: Operated; good data.
• SSFR: Operated; good data.
• Vaisala Dropsonde: 4 dropped; good data.
  
  

• Takeoff times (UTC): WB-57 (1530), Proteus (1415), Citation (1400)
• WB-57: Cloud top in situ sampling in anvil or cirrus along ER-2 TERRA overpass track, with coincident coordination over the western ground site. Fly under ER-2 legs as much as possible during redirected parts of mission. Problems opening the hangar doors caused a delay in takeoff; barely made the TERRA overpass at the western site.
• Proteus: Fly along ER-2 leg during TERRA overpass, with coincident coordination over the ground site. Fly along ER-2 legs as much as possible during redirected parts of mission; reported coincidence with ER-2 for much of flight. Noted that WB-57 was offset from ER-2/Proteus by about 5 miles to the right of the flight track direction (not intentional).
• Citation: In situ sampling of cloud during TERRA/ER-2/WB-57 leg in vicinity of ground site if possible. Attempt to sample upper parts of cloud for remote sensing validation; reported cloud sampling for 2 1/2 hours (starting at approximately 1915 UTC).
• Twin Otter: Underfly all aircraft during the TERRA leg for radiation measurements with coincidence over ground site; successfully positioned under anvil while underflying ER-2 for radiometer measurements.