Flight Number: 970112H1 Page 1 of
Date: January 12, 1997 Aircraft ID: 42 Scientist: Jorgensen
Event Log
Time Approx. Location Event & Comments
(UTC) (Lat, Lon)
11:50:20 52.694 -8.926 Engine Start
11:55:56 Block out
12:04:40 Take off
12:07:44 52.647 -9.107 Broken clouds base ~1300 m sun is shining through!!
12:15:35 METMAN reports trouble with LORAN signals
12:17:43 52.407 -9.810 Radar recorders up and running - both radars working
great
12:41:31 51.783 -11.589 Some radar returns on LF at 175 na mi ahead - probably
prefrontal rainbands oriented NE-SW from about 55N 13W
to about 52N 16W
12:55:54 Scatterometer finally came up
13:00:40 51.254 -13.018 ~30 dBZ contours in that rainband north of our
position. Pretty respectable given the range ~180 na
mi!
13:08:29 51.024 -13.574 at buoy - turn to west and descend to 5,000 ft
13:17:38 51.043 -14.423 at 5kft just about the stratocumulus layer
13:23:29 51.041 -14.927 Strongest part of line appears to be near 51 10 and 18
30, 30-35 dBZ
13:34:55 51.053 -15.927 rainband now about 100 nm to our NW
13:49:05 51.045 -17.175 rainband edge now about 50 km ahead - not showing much
on the nose radar max dBZ about 30 on LF. Leading
edge is sharp on the east side and rather diffuse on
the west side. Oriented NE-SW.
13:57:35 51.021 -17.917 TA beginning to see some echo above
14:04:15 51.009 -18.482 At IP turning to track NW. IP is near center of band
max dBZ is about 35. Band is very stratiform and only
about 5 km deep
14:08:09 51.192 -18.753 Very smooth going through the band
14:09:18 51.247 -18.834 Small embedded convective looking cells on the TA
14:10:52 secondary band perhaps 10 mi behind - much weaker
reflectivities
14:17:30 51.621 -19.400 Can see sea sfc below - much calmer seas that in front
of the band
14:21:44 51.805 -19.669 Contact with 308D - described line and suggested
turning just short of IP and proceeding NW parallel to
the line.
14:30:13 52.051 -19.599 End of leg turn to track back to the line trk 090
14:39:32 308 due at IP and 1452 we'll get there 1508 or so
14:39:40 Some turbulence going through secondary band (front?)
- 308D will turn short of band and proceed NE. We'll
turn back west at the IP and proceed up the back side.
14:43:54 52.020 -18.034 At end of leg turn to track south back to IP
14:50:02 First line for 308D based on LF radar is: 50 56 18 18W
trk 025 52 32N 17 20W
14:52:12 2nd 308D line: 52 40 18W 51N 19W
14:52:20 51.648 -18.181 we will focus on secondary band, 308 on primary band
15:00:57 51.251 -18.387 Interesting sloping convergence signature on the
westernmost band
15:03 1517 is the eta for 308D to the end of their first leg
15:03 At the IP again, turn west to get into the slot
between the bands
15:10:56 50.998 -18.944 At the SE corner point - turn to track 020 in the slot
between the bands
15:17:59 51.454 -18.740 only light precip at flight level 30-35 dBZ evident in
the east band
15:22:39 51.768 -18.559 Bands seem to get weaker as we go northeast
15:30:30 52.273 -18.262 Should have passed directly over the Electra on a
reciprocol track
15:36:23 52.667 -18.032 End of leg turn to NW
15:39:57 52.740 -18.327 Shift box 50 nm to the NE as line appears to die south
of 51 45N 18 30W
15:43:06 52.797 -18.600 at NW point turn to track 200 to the SW
15:58:53 52.023 -19.157 end of leg turn to 120 and climb to 9kft. Very little
precip at this end of the box
16:02:26 Will extend this cross band leg an additional 10 miles
to account for band motion to the east
16:08:28 51.717 -18.271 at new SE corner, turn to track 020 in between the two
bands at 9kft
16:13:16 52.046 -18.000 nice LF presentation of the easternmost band
16:23:35 52.854 -17.480 large aggregates on the PMS display (>3-4 mm),
occasional stellar shapes
16:29:22 53.307 -17.180 end of the leg - turn to track nw about 20 miles
16:34:55 53.469 -17.685 end of cross band run turn to track to the SW
16:44:43 cutting off box at 52 30N and shift it 50 miles
farther to the north
16:52:38 52.531 -18.240 end of leg descend to 5kft and track back to east
16:56:15 52.447 -17.874 at 5kft trk 103
17:00:09 52.399 -17.403 at SE turn point turn to trk 022
17:08:09 52.891 -17.092 bands now looking pretty diffuse - band motion
eastward at ~10 mi/hr
17:13:13 53.226 -16.875 308D tracking farther NE along rainband - we'll follow
17:19:53 53.676 -16.579 308D turning NW at 53.96 - they report end of the line
and we're going to follow
17:24:25 53.977 -16.380 end of the north run - turn to track 17 miles NW
17:28:28 Radar data system crashed
17:28:51 54.064 -16.775 end of the NW track - turn to track back to the SW trk
- 204
17:35:38 308D is interested in some small band near 53.33 16.45
- we'll provide larger scale data surrounding that
point
17:59:30 52.532 -17.880 end of southbound leg - turning to 097 for SE cross
band track
18:11:43 52.809 -16.896 METMAN still tracking north to 55N 21 40W and from
there back to Lyname using up all their LORAN sondes -
end of eastbound track - turn to NE
end of cross band leg - turn to track 020 back to NE
18:24:26 53.662 -16.434 308D on last leg ETA to Shannon 1920
18:32:41 we will continue to track northward along 020 to at
least 56N to map extent of the frontal band
18:33:54 54.298 -16.054 Band weakens north of here
18:58:41 55.995 -15.025 end of leg turn to track to 54N 16W
19:08:21 55.573 -15.169 radar shows clear of precip
19:40:40 53.952 -15.806 at end of pattern - ferry back to Shannon - light
stratiform precip evident on the TA
20:22:16 Radar system secured
20:46:29 52.715 -8.897 land
20:52:19 52.695 -8.925 Block In