T-28 Participation in VORTEX, 1995

The T-28 was deployed for three weeks each at Norman, Ok (May, '95) and Ft. Collins, Col (June, '95). Its mission was to penetrate convective clouds and provide in situ observations of the precipitation particle population in regions simultaneously being scanned by multi-parameter radar.

In Oklahoma the operations were in loose coordination with the Verification of Rotation in Tornadoes Experiment (VORTEX), which involved a fleet instrumented vehicles, mobile balloon launchers, and mobile surface and airborne radars. This assemblage was mobilized to intercept tornadic storms in the broad region from southern Kansas to northern Texas. The T-28, however, restricted its activities to within approximately 50 nautical miles of the radar at Cimarron, Ok.

In Colorado the T-28 performed similar service. Flights were confined to an area centered at the CSU-CHILL radar, located northeast of Greeley.

The standard package of instruments provided for the determination of temperature, vertical wind, electric fields, water content, etc. The T-28 carried a PMS 2D-P optical probe in Oklahoma and an HVPS probe in Colorado.

Norman, Oklahoma

• Flight 654 - 5/03/95 17:00 - 18:15
• Flight 655 - 5/05/95 15:45 - 17:15
• Flight 656 - 5/07/95 11:15 - 12:40
• Flight 658 - 5/17/95 15:30 - 17:20
• Flight 660 - 5/21/95 08:45 - 10:20
• Flight 661 - 5/23/95 15:40 - 17:00

Ft. Collins, Colorado

• Flight 665 - 6/12/95 15:10 - 16:00
• Flight 666 - 6/17/95 17:15 - 18:30
• Flight 667 - 6/20/95 16:00 - 17:15
• Flight 668 - 6/22/95 17:10 - 18:10
• Flight 670 - 6/27/95 15:00 - 16:30
• Flight 671 - 6/28/95 18:00 - 19:30

The report from this field project is now available in PDF format, which requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this program, you can download it at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep.html.