Some C130 pictures

I did not have much time to take (good) pictures during and before the test flight, but here are a few anyway:

My seat!

My professor in the seat next to mine to train me during the flight. That little laptop is what we use to operate and 'check' the instruments. The actual data is stored in a much larger central computer on the plane. During normal operations, another person will be sitting in the seat next to mine (haven't met him yet), to operate the UWYO LIDAR.

This is the instrument rack that I'm responsible for. On top there is a CN counter (counts particles in the atmosphere), then a CCN counter (counts cloud condensation nuclei - the particles that clouds form on - in the atmosphere), then a UFN (a ultrafine particle counter), and a pump on the bottom to obtain flow through the system. Another person from our team will also be on the plane to operate the UWYO cloud radar, and LIDAR. I'm sure I will tell you more about the instruments as we get further into the project ;)

Another shot of the outside of the plane, right before take off.

Pilots doing their final safety inspections

Below the tip of the left wing, UWYO has an FSSP (Forward Scattering Spectrometer Probe - an optical probe that measures cloud water content and number concentration, and cloud droplet size; size 1-45 um), and a PCASP (Passive Cavity Aerosol Spectrometer Probe - again to measure aerosol particles in the (dry) atmosphere ; size 0.1-3 um)

I learned a LOT during the test flight, about operating the instruments, and what to look out for during ascent and descent of the aircraft. We flew around for about 3 hrs, basically going from Boulder over highway 287 towards Wyoming, then to the west over I-80. Then we found a cloud that we flew in and out of (saw-tooth pattern \/\/\/ - barf!) for a while, and then through the boundary layer of the atmosphere back to Boulder via Laramie and Cheyenne. Another thing I learned? That flying through the boundary layer for 2+ hrs is definately very, very much worse than my morning sickness during the first trimester EVER was. I sat there with a sic sac in my lap the entire time, focusing on the fact that I could make it to the end (!), I don't have to lose my lunch! It doesnt help either that the plane barely has any windows, only this tiny little round one you see in the picture. My professor ensured me though that the type of clouds we will be flying through in Chile will not be as turbulent, and neither will the layers of the atmopshere that we will be flying through there. Lets hope so, because I would definately have filled up my sic sac if that flight was 9 hours long!

First flight tomorrow!

Wohoo - yet another email:

"Test flight tf02 will go tomorrow (Wed 10/1) at 1400 MDT. Power and access in the hangar from 0730 MDT until 1130 when the aircraft will be moved to the ramp. Pre-flight from 1200 until takeoff. We will be targeting clouds. Based on the local conditions that means we'll have to go some distance to find anything worth working. We will file IFR and complete any high altitude work in route to our target. Rob will be asking all groups for specific flight request that we can fit into the flight. Plan for a duration of 2 hours. For observer seats, Wyoming and RAF Chemistry will each get an extra seat for training*. CSU has just informed me they have a system failure and will not fly tomorrow. That leaves 1 seat available. Let me know who might be interested."

* That's me!

I think I feel a little offended:

I just got this email in my work-inbox:

"Hi all,

With help from [person Y] I've been able to confirm our hotel reservations in Arica. Please note that some of you have been issued new identities for this project. These are listed below along with your reservation #'s :

>> Mr. [X1] 682845
>> Mr. [X2] 682799
>> Mr. [X3] 682829
>> Mr. [X4] 682810
>> Mr. [X5] 682802
>> Mr. [X6] 682837
>> Mr. Mwiweer 682853

Given how much effort it took to confirm these reservations, there's no way I'm going to ask them to restore your original identities. "

Note that I changed my male coworkers' names to X1-X6 to keep them anonymous - just trust me that their names were only violated in a very very minor way - however check out mine! ??

NCAR C-130 safety training

Monday I went to the airport in Boulder for safety training on the NSF/NCAR (National Science Foundation / National Center for Atmospheric Research) C-130 aircraft that I will be flying on during our project in Chile, starting October 12th.
It was quite a fun day, we learned all about the flight operations, escape holes, and the wetsuits we have to put on in case we have to make an emergency water landing (which of course won't happen ;) ), and got to meet the 4 pilots that will be coming with us. We had to sign some paperwork saying we are in good health etc., and that they are not responsible if we get injured in any way. This actually posed a little problem, because in the list of health requirements, it stated that you cannot be pregnant beyond 20 weeks (Much earlier than commercial aircraft, because these research aircraft tend to fly through clouds for scientific purposes, which means turbulence! - however the type of clouds that we fly through during our project are not the true convective type clouds, so....?). Oops! In chile I will be in my 17th-23rd week, so that could be a problem. I went to the head of flight operations to ask about this, and he said he didn't really know, because they have never had a pregnant woman on board before! Wohoo! Always fun to be the first. :) - anyhow, I will make sure to chat this over with my doctor, and hopefully the NCAR safety people won't ban me after 20 weeks.

After all the safety stuff we went inside the plane, which is only a rough empty tube (no fancy interior or overhead compartments), showing all wiring and tubing, and inside are just a few (maybe 8 or 10?) seats for the scientists, and all the instruments. Sampling of the air is through inlets that come through the body of the plane, and some of the instruments are in pods underneath the wings. My professor took me in to show me what 'my seat' will be, right in front of a rack of instruments (4 of them - more will follow about those) that I will be responsible for. We will fly about every other day (both day and night flights), and each flight will be about 9 hours long (more about that to follow as well). No in flight service of course, so this pregnant lady will have to figure out how to make sure she gets enough food during those 9 hours! :) We will be allowed to move about the cabin, and even go up front to hang with the pilots in the cockpit. For restrooms they have one *wonderful* porta-potty in the back :( - so yes, I will also bring my clorox wipes.

That afternoon they had another test flight, however I had to race back to Laramie to substitute guest lecture a 4pm undergraduate Earth System Science class on air pollution - a whole story in itself - basically, I had just been given the slideshow on a memory stick that morning, with no way at all to prepare for the presentation. In the end everything went well, I was able to answer the students' questions, and I actually enjoyed teaching!


This is a pricture of the aircraft. I will make sure to take my camera with me next time we go to Boulder for a test flight (this thursday?) to take some pictures of the air sample inlets, the instruments underneath the wings, and 'my seat' :).

More about our whole 6 week project in Arica, Chile will follow at some point too.

Voor mijn zus :)

Ode aan mijn mooie, lieve zusje:
:)



Deze vind ik zo leuk!


Altijd lol samen :)


Van de zomer gaan we weer samen hollen!


Gek he - bijna de enige foto die ik van ons tweeen heb - daar moet nodig wat aan gedaan worden volgende zomer. Misschien zijn er nog leuke foto's van wadlopen van deze zomer?


Ahh - schoonheid op het strand


Griekse godin :)


Ik zat echt mijn computer af te speuren naar foto's samen - maar kon er bijna geen vinden :( - daar moeten we nodig wat aan doen de volgende keer!!
Hele dikke knuffel!
Zus

Honest?

If I had the guts to be honest:

Professor: Why didn't you finish making that plot yet?
Wiesje: Because instead of working on it last evening, I was sewing baby blankets?? ...... :)

Ahh visits to the women's clinic....

* first, my morning appointment is canceled because the doc has a delivery to attend to - understandable - only about 1 hr of work time wasted
* come back in the afternoon for re-scheduled appointment
* wait for 1 hr and 15 mins for the doctor to finally show up
* then get rushed in and out of your appointment in about 5 minutes, where the doctor has no clue what is in your chart or what is going on with your case
* lose yet another 2 hrs or so of work
* and of course pay rediculous amount for said appointment
* but, you get to hear the heartbeat of your little one - PRICELESS!