12 June 2002 FLT 781

Research Flight from Greeley (GXY)

Pilot: Charlie Summers

T.O. 0039 UT

T. D. 0147 UT

At around 1800 MDT on June 11, 2002 (00 Z on the 12^th) we decide to target a weak line of Cu Cong extending NEwd from Jefferson County Airport. The initial point will be 140^o/40 nmi from GXY. Individual cells are moving NEwd with peak reflectivities around 35 dBZ. By 1830 MDT bases ~14 kft and tops greater than 30 kft. The more vigorous cells have precip to the ground. There is much more development in a line further south extending off the Palmer Divide.

The flight outbound went a little differently than planned. ATC held Charlie to 12 kft so he passed under the cells in the original target line. He continued S and went out of communication range with ops at the CHILL radar. With guidance from ATC he continued S and looped through a thunderstorm near DIA at 18 kft, went beyond range of CHILL, then turned and passed through some weaker cells as he headed back to GXY. The storm over DIA was downwind of major fires SW of DEN. The aircraft did not pass through any strong updrafts, but where there was cloud water, the cloud droplet spectra looked like typical High Plains spectra and did not appear to have been influenced by the presence of smoke.