23Aug2010 14Z Daily GRIP Telecon

23Aug2010 14Z Daily GRIP Telecon

Global Hawk Report

• Aircraft – green 
  • Monday – Combined System Test currently in operation
  • Tuesday –  Low altitude Range Test
  • Wednesday – High altitude drop test in Range
  • Friday – possible science flight
• Droposonde – red
  • installed;
  • Solved intermittent IR comm problems (firmware fix)
  • Programming a new set of instructions
  • CST now schedule for Monday and Low-Altitude test Tuesday and High-Altitude test on Thursday
  • Phil Hall still working COA dropsonde – still do not final disposition but we do have international waters permission.  Paperwork filed on Friday.
• HAMSR – green.
• LIP - green
• HIWRAP – yellow
  • but can still fly; Need more time on the aircraft to debug .  Software / hardware (bad board or connector) problems.

Plan for a science flight either Thursday or Friday – dropsonde test during the return.  Could still do a high altitude drop on Thursday and fly science on Friday.

Hurricane Frank in the EPac is a possible target

WB-57 Report

• Aircraft – green  
• HIRAD - green
  • HIRAD did not ship this morning due to HIRAD software revisions related to the REVEAL data stream still being underway.  It may ship this afternoon, in which case there may be no delay in the test flight.  If it does not ship until tomorrow, there will be a one-day slip in the test flight.
  • Arrival at JSC is either Wednesday or Thursday depending upon above
  • Checkout flight on either Friday or Saturday
  • Calm waters over a buoy at different altitudes
  • Fly precipitation
• NAST-I delayed until next week.
  • After the telecon, Tim reported that NAST-I is also delayed, and it will not be at JSC until probably next week.  So it will not be onboard for the test flight Thursday or Friday.  The piggybacking ground rules for NAST-I are such that it will not impact HIRAD.  No separate test flights will be done for NAST-I.
• Friday, 27Aug is first science
• AMPR arrives on 7Sept
• WB-57 Suitcase flights will be out of MacDill AFB, Tampa FL

DC8 Report

• Aircraft– green. 
• LASE – green.
• LARGE – green.
• APR2 – green.
  • Minor problem: cross-pol Ku is having problems. Will need in flight data to verify if this can be cleared by software or not.  Still able to fly
• DAWN – yellow.
  • insulation fix completed.  Will test on first flight opportunity.
  • LaRC personnel working on alternative solutions (adding a fan and heat source in the can – no de-integration required)
• Microphysics – green
  • all but CSI are green.  CSI awaiting pylon remanufacture at least another week.  However, inspection needs to be completed before authorized to fly.  Shetter-doubtful that the authorization will be completed during GRIP
• MMS – green.
• Dropsonde – green.

Monday – Gulf flight canceled

Tuesday: Pre-Genesis Survey - planning a broad survey of the Gulf disturbance @ 14Z for approx 8hrs.  Lawnmower legs perpendicular to the front.  Underfly TRMM PR.  Dropsondes and a microphysics module at the end.  Plane will be on the west side of the A-train 19Z overpass within AMSR-E and other wide swath instruments

Secondary objective would be precip, microphysics and DAWN test flight

Alert for 24Aug 2010 @ 14Z  for 8hr flight