SOS 1999 Field Campaign

Lockheed WP-3D Orion: NOAA Aircraft Operations Center / NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory

Endurance: 10 hrs
Ceiling: 7.6 km
Payload: >2700 kg
Research Speed: 100-150 m/s


Aircraft Instrument Package for the NOAA WP-3D Orion

ParameterTime ResolutionMethodDet. Limit
Ozone (O3) 10 s UV Absorption 1 ppb
Fast O3 (FO3) 1 s NO/O3 Chemiluminescence 0.2 ppb
Fast CO (FCO) 1 s VUV Resonance Fluorescence 1 ppb
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) < 1 s NDIR 0.2 ppm
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 2 s UV Pulsed Fluorescence 1 ppb
Nitric Oxide (NO) 1 s NO/O3 Chemiluminescence 30 ppt
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) 3 s Photolysis, NO/O3 Chem. 100 ppt
Total Nitrogen Oxides (NOy) 1 s Au Converter, NO/O3 Chem. 50 ppt
PAN 1 s / every 6 min Dir. Injection, GC/ECD < 5 ppt
PPN 1 s / every 6 min Dir. Injection, GC/ECD < 5 ppt
MPAN 1 s /every 6 min Dir. Injection, GC/ECD < 5 ppt
Nitric Acid (HNO3) 1 s C I Mass Spectrometry 10 ppt
NH3 5 s C I Mass Spectrometry 50 ppt
In-situ VOCs 1 min./every 15 min Cryo Collection, GC/FID < 10 ppt
Canister VOCs < 1 min. Canister Sampling, GC/MS < 10 ppt
CH2O Liquid Chromatography
Peroxides (incl. H2O2) 1 min Dual Enzymatic / Fluorimeter 30 ppt
Aerosol size distribution 1 s NMASS 5 - 90 nm
Aerosol size distribution 1 s ERAST 70 - 1000 nm
Total Radiation 1 s Eppley Pyranometers - Zenith & Nadir 0.28 - 2.8 µ
UV Radiation ~10 s Spectral Radiometer - Zenith & Nadir 295 - 480 nm
Visible Radiation Visible Absorption Spectrometer 420 - 700 nm
Water Vapor (H2O) 1 s Lyman Alpha Absorption
Air Temperature 1 s Platinum Thermistor
Dewpoint/Frostpoint < 3 s Chilled Mirror
Wind Speed 1 s Derived from INE
Wind Direction 1 s Derived from INE
Altitude 1 s Barometric
Position 1 s GPS, INE
Air Speed 1 s Barometric
Biometer 3-wavelength IR Absorption
Atmospheric Reflectivity C & X Band Radars


Grumman G-1: DOE Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Endurance: 6 hrs
Ceiling: 3.5 km
Payload: 1300 kg
Research Speed: 100 m/s


Aircraft Instrument Package for the DOE Grumman G-1

ParameterTime ResolutionMethodDet. Limit
Ozone (O3) 10 s UV Absorption 25 ppb
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 20 s NDIR 20 - 25 ppb
Fast CO (FCO) 5 s VUV Resonance Fluorescence 5 ppb
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 2 s UV Pulsed Fluorescence 200 - 300 ppt
Nitric Oxide (NO) < 10 s NO/O3 Chemiluminescence 20 ppt
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) < 10 s Photolysis NO/O3 Chem. 50 ppt
Nitrogen Dioxide (optional) < 10 s Luminol Chemiluminescence 0.015 ppbv
Total Nitrogen Oxides (NOy) < 10 s Mo Converter. NO/O3 Chem. 300 - 400 ppt
PAN 1 sample/7 min Cyrogenic GC 15 ppt
CH2O (optional) Continuous (1min delay) Fluorescence 100 ppt
PAN 4 s Tandem Mass Spectrometry 400 ppt
HNO2 4 s Tandem Mass Spectrometry 400 ppt
HNO3 4 s Tandem Mass Spectrometry 400 ppt
NH3 (optional) 4 s Tandem Mass Spectrometry ~2 ppb
Formic/Acid acids (optional) 4 s Tandem Mass Spectrometry 100 ppt
Canister VOCs Canister Sampling, GC/FID 0.1 ppbv
bscat 1 s Nephelometer 0-103/Mm
Aerosol size distribution 1 s PCASP (0.17 - 3 µm)
Aerosol size distribution 1 s FSSP (2 - 47 µm)
Particle Number 1 s CNC (two) (> 7 nm, > 3 nm)
UV Radiation 1 s Eppley Pyranometer (295 - 385 nm)
Short-wave Irradiance 1 s Eppley PSP (285 - 2800 nm)
Long-wave Irradiance 1 s Eppley PIR (4 - 50 microns)
Water Vapor (H2O) 1 s Lyman Alpha Absorption ±0.1 g m-3(est.)
Air Temperature 1 s Platinum Resistance ±0.5 ºC
Dewpoint/Frostpoint 1 s Chilled Mirror D.P. ±0.2 ºC, F.P. ±0.4 ºC
Wind Components (u-,v-,w-) 1 s Gust Probe < 0.5 m s-1
Altitude 1 s Barometric < 1 mb
Position 1 s GPS < 3 m
Air Speed 0.1 s Barometric < 20 cm s-1


Bell 205 Helicopter: TVA Environmental Research Center

Endurance: 2 hrs
Ceiling: 2.5 km
Payload: 500 kg
Research Speed: 40-50 m/s


Aircraft Instrument Package for the TVA Bell 205 Helicopter

ParameterTime ResolutionMethodDet. Limit
Ozone (O3) 1 s NO Chemiluminescence 2 ppb
Carbon Monoxide (CO) NDIR or HgO reduction
Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) 5 s UV Pulsed Fluorescence 0.5 ppb
Nitric Oxide (NO) 1 s NO/O3 Chemiluminescence 1 ppb
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) 5 s Photolysis, NO/O3 Chem. 1 ppb
Total Nitrogen Oxides (NOy) 1 s Au Converter, NO/O3 Chem. 1 ppb
NOy* 1 s NOy detection + Nylasorb Filter 1 ppb
Canister VOCs 1 min Canister Sampling, GC/FID
bscat 5 s Nephelometer < 10-6 m-1
Aerosol Size Distribution 1 s PCASP (0.17 - 3µm)
Particle Composition variable Filter Pack, IC analysis
Particle Composition by Size variable Anderson Cascade Impactor
Air Temperature 5 s Platinum Thermistor
Dewpoint 5 s Capacitance Sensor
Altitude 5 s Barometric
Position 5 s GPS
Air Speed 5 s Pitot- Static Pressure 2 m/s
Heading 5 s Flux Gate Compass 0.5 deg.


deHavilland Caribou: Private vendor / NOAA Environmental Technology Laboratory

Endurance: 4.5 hrs
Ceiling: 3.5 km
Payload: <2700 kg
Research Speed: 65-100 m/s


Aircraft Instrument Package for the deHavilland Caribou

ParameterTime ResolutionVertical ResolutionMethodDet. Limit
Ozone3 - 8 s90 mDIAL Lidar4 - 10 ppb
Aerosol Backscatter3 - 8 s15 mDIAL Lidar5 x 10-6 m-1sr-1
Surface Temperature1 sNAIR Radiometer0.2 ºC


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