INDOEX C-130: FLIGHT 8, 4 March 1999 Objective: Gradient Flight, sample clouds to 9.5 South and collect radiation data on return leg. Mission Scientists: Heymsfield, Twohy UTC 03:05 Take-off 03:14 Begin cloud sampling, 1500ft 03:16 In and out of cells 03:18 Deep convective cloud immediately ahead 03:19 Getting into serious convection but perfectly smooth 03:22 Great clouds, deep convection 03:24 Deep convection to the side 03:28 Small clouds to the side 03:39 Cloud base lifted 03:41 Skimming cloud bottom, asked pilot to climb 03:44 Clouds thinning out, almost gone. 03:51-03:53 Nice puffy cumulus 04:04 Very nice cloud field 04:05 Climb to stay near center height of these clouds 04:08 Turn to go straight south on 72 degree latitude 04:32 Good convective cell ahead 04:34 Penetrate convective cell 04:49 Drop to 100 feet for 20 minutes 04:53 Air clearing up a lot 04:56 Winds 2 m s-l from west-entering clear air 04:59 CCN to 200 Talked with Rajeed, re: satellite photos. 3.2S to 4.5S low-level clouds. South of 4.5S only low-level clouds. South of 6S isolated clouds. 05:11 Climb to mid-cloud level 05:11-05:20 Small scattered cu 05:20 Coming up on more vigorous cloud 05:26 Very nice cu that we're heading to 05:33 Head to better, more vigorous cloud patch 05:38 Looks like wind vectors beginning to turn to southwest 05:40 Larger cells 05:40 Cloud base up a couple of hundred feet 05:54 Nice cells perpendicular to our track 06:00 Sample nice convective clouds 70 to 70 degree latitude. Cloud bands 06:07 Turn west to intercept 71W, then head straight south 06:35 Beginning to head south 06:57 Descended a few hundred feet to stay in cloud layer. Very thin clouds, about 100 m thick. 07:07 Headed up about 100 m to stay in cloud 07:34 Descended to catch lower cloud layer. Cirrus ahead 07:38 Bases much much lower 07:39 Much lower clouds 07:42 Start descent and turn; Ramanathan maneuver. 07:45 A bit of rain 07:46 Turn and descend for subcloud run 07:49 About 50 feet below cloud base for 5 min run 07:53 Descend for 100 foot about over surface run 07:53 Some whitecaps 08:00:30 Begin climb to 20K feet. 08:25:40 First sonde drop at 9.53S 08:35:30 MCR down temporarily but back up now 08:57 Start MCR turn-just before cirrus. Beneath us is very light trade cu. 09:01 Start 3 min leg THD6-5 deg New satellite time 09:40-09:50 GMT, but must be at least 72.5E and we will probably miss it. Also, there is cirrus ahead. 09:30 Start turn 30 deg to 72E; eng #2 leaking oil 09:36 Under cirrus shield now 10:05 Shutting down engine number 2 now 10:10 Descend to 17K ft for better engine performance 10:15 Failed sonde at 2S = send another. Also go to 2nd N2 bottle 1300 psi 10:24 Trouble with SABL/down temporarily 10:47 Heading under pretty thick cirrus 10:52 Lidars been up for about 10 min 11:00 3N sonde good 11:04 Turn to avoid clouds that may have icing potential 11:23 Mark seeing burst of ultrafine there is cirrus all around 11:29 In cloud at 17K, T=-4C 11:35 Just after start of descend Skipping last sonde since only at 13K ft, low on sondes 11:49 Landing on 3 engines Debriefing: Errol 3 band sondes, getting low on sondes Dettleff Nothing spectacular Shelley OK Mark Hot CN run@28tC Big change, clean air Ann Some probs with RH, pretty cean Olga Long samples, good flight Jim Lots of clean air Cindy Good, lots of clean clouds Andy Good Rick SABL sporadic Andrew Heymsfield MMM Division, NCAR 3450 Mitchell Lane Boulder, Colorado 80301 303-497-8943 (w) 303-497-8171 (fax)