IPHEx IOP May 1-15 June 2014 Flight objectives, logistics, and mission situational awareness

1. IPHEx IOP May 1-15 June 2014 Flight objectives, logistics, and mission situational awareness V 4/08/2014

2. Useful web sites IHPEX Ops Portal GHRC Field operations portal, planning docs, data uploads etc. https://fcportal.nsstc.nasa.gov/iphex/user IPHEX Science Site Duke http://iphex.pratt.duke.edu/ IPHEx Mission Tool Suite Airborne Sciences (used for realtime aircraft tracking , flying missions, situational awareness, Xchat between platforms including ground radars and mission ops) http://mts.nasa.gov/home

3. Overarching NASA GPM Ground Validation (GV) Objectives • Direct GV: Determine/Assess uncertainties in ground/GPM satellite QPE • Physical GV: Physical process studies to test/refine/advance GPM physical retrieval algorithms and reduce estimation uncertainty. • Integrated Hydrologic GV: Above + Propagation of ground/GPM satellite estimation uncertainties in water cycle/hydrologic applications 1st GPM Post-Launch Campaign

4. IPHEx GPM Airborne Case Scorecard – ER 2 (~80 hrs), Citation (~40 hrs) ACE Ocean modules Similar to GPM

5. Draft Case Type Scorecard for Day-1 (spreadsheet contains one 31-day worksheet that can be used for each period) Mission Scientists should fill in for ER-2 and Citation columns; Ground Instrument Scientist should fill in for NPOL/D3R/NOXP columns. Transit flight science cases in and out for ER-2 can be categorized using above types as well.

6. Planning Topics/FAQs 04/03/14 • Instrument locations and logistics (also see Ops Portal) • Aircraft: • ER-2: Warner Robbins AFB, Georgia; Contact Chris Miller for access to base; locations for lodging etc. • Citation: Asheville Airport NC, Landmark Aviation; Mike Poellot and Wayne Schindler coordinate Landmark Access. • Integration particulars (install, data transfer, test flights); 9 April CRS; 14 April HIWRAP/EXRAD, 21 April AMPR/CoSMIR, 25 April test flight • Ground • Surface: Disdro/gauge array- Duke/WFF/NOAA manage (most instruments in place; 2DVD placement remaining; some comms remaining) • NPOL- Green Creek (35.20° N , 81.96° W) Position may adjust slightly (e.g., O[100m]) on setup • NOXP- Pigeon Ridge (35.56o N, 82.91° W ) Position may adjust slightly on setup • Personnel and Operations (schedule in progress; Google Docs) • How many days before campaign starts do people need to be in place ready to go? 2 - 5 days. Forecasts should begin third week in April • Ops center location: • Citation: Hangar at Landmark Aviation, Asheville Airport; Phone TBC • Offices leased at Landmark Aviation Asheville, Airport. Badges required; IPHEx Mission Science name list sent and these badges to be paid by GPM Project; For all others, access night/day for all participants when entering with a badged person is fine; Marty Kretchman (Landmark Aviation owner). • IT/internet/phone needs? 10 GB/s requested and available. Commercial phone will be provided in ops center and UND office. 3 Computers for ops. • Furniture? Being rented. • ER-2: Warner-Robbins AFB logistics (badging/access/ops: Contact Chris Miller for getting access to WR. • OPS: Support/updates • Ground-based flight operations tool: Airborne Sciences Mission Tool Suite (MTS) for flight tracks and flight ops. Aaron Duley, ARC is contact. • Current Radar: 88D feeds for regional radars are in MTS; has real time tracks updated with real-time neighborhood NEXRAD composite and real time lightning, satellite etc.- Issues/changes/additions? Gibson-Ridge 88D radar analysis software on ops machines as well. MTS still in build- but looking good. • Current Radio: DRFC HF/VHF. Back up WFF/GPM. Identify radio location on building (Marty Kretchman, Landmark Aviation host is helping with this) • Radio comms: Current UND frequency planned 125.8 MHz, backup 123.45 MHz. HF radio being rented. Need to confirm ER-2 VHF frequency • ER-2 data down using Inmarsat for data transfer 25 K limit; Instrument products (AMPR KMZ; housekeeping for others) • Gibson-Ridge radar display/analysis licenses for 3 computers being purchased (solid real time radar analysis tool for ops- can use in addition to MTS): • Flight Ops Personnel/Communications model: • Mission Ops: Always at least 2 Mission Scientists (MS), one flight coordinator (Jan N.), and one forecaster, on duty in Asheville at Landmark Aviation Ops center. One forecaster will also support remote from NC State. Mission Science makes go/no go decisions on aircraft ops and interfaces with ground instrument teams to ensure ground data collections continue as required. • Flight Coordination: Jan N. stationed with two or more MS during ops. MS provides track request based on science and radar to Jan; Jan provides feedback on any safety or other concern- Jan uses his MTS and radio (UND)/phone (ER-2) to relay tracks in appropriate coordinates to aircraft (both). • Chris Miller (first half)/Chuck Irving (second half) serve as ER-2 mission management contacts at WRB. • Communications from Ops to ground radars (NPOL/D3R, NOXP): Comms from Ops. Center to NPOL(D3R) and NOXP. • Current: Radars will have mission cell phones. However, MTS X-Chat or Skype may work better during ops for specific requests (e.g., RHI’s); MTS *should* run via web at NPOL to provide general sector ops guidance and there is a chat function on it as well. TBC on setup. • Communications from Ops to WRB (ER-2 site): MS and Aircraft Ops/Instrument staff at WRB communicate via Current- phone, MTS chat. • OPS: Limits for aircraft - ER-2 ops at 65 kft ; not a concern for the most part. Racetracks/bow ties/lines are best ops scenario for ER-2. For Citation, 35 dBZ has been used in the past but is not a hard fast rule as it depends on cloud structure in column. Offshore activity for UND requires 30 minute check in with FAA by VHF radio. Citation offshore- 200 nm (350 km) out from coast will equate to about 1.5 hours on station. Cf. attached ER-2 operating constraints with this document.

7. Planning Topics/FAQs (Continued) • ATC/Center Pattern conflicts: There are some. It is a busy airspace. Continue to clarify and work with Wayne /JAN with CLT and ATL. Need to confirm ops in Gulf Stream box (Citation/ER-2) for different FAA Centers involved (Chris/Wayne). Wayne/Jan travel to ATL/CLT in early/mid April. We will need to plan 2-3 days outward for offshore restricted airspace use. • Military SUA aircraft ops: Large amount of restricted airspace (RA) off coast (Hatteras and Pamlico MOA’s, plus a few others )- we will need to coordinate with military. We cannot operate in RA when military is (generally daylight hours, weekdays). We can transit through airspace to unrestricted (~200 km east of Carolina coast) or possibly operate at night when military is not flying. Coordination here via Wayne/Jan communications with centers. • Citation position data via REVEAL input to MTS. Need to test/verify. Citation should have Xchat capability but we will need to test this compared to radio comms as it is a new mode of operation for UND. • Daily reporting requirments • Daily mission status and operations reports are expected from Mission Science, Aircraft, Ground-Instrument teams. Protocol for MS inputs? OPEN- we need to standardize a template (prior to experiment) • Aircraft Mission Managers must input daily flight reports to SOFRS. • Portal sections will be available for forecast briefing material as well and should be entered/uploaded there. • Portal account signup with ITSC folks at the GHRC DAAC. Dashboard access for report submission and other functions will be set up and participants provided usernames and passwords to enter particular portions of portal (e.g., Mission Scientist, Forecaster, Platform or instrument scientist etc.). • Research Radar (s) Scanning: • NPOL/D3R: Near/far sector PPI volumes (45 or 90 degree wide azimuth coverage), and 15 Deg. wide RHI-sector for NPOL/D3R; near sector/RHI sector for D3R. Will adapt sequence of full/sector volume and then sector RHI for GPM Core overpass with precipitation. • NOXP will implement continuous full PPI volume (0.1 to 19.5 degrees) with 5-minute cycle– RHI possible, but PPI volume “bread and butter” scan for NOXP. • Situational: Radars will monitor for weather; NPOL 24/7 ops for ground and airborne ops; D3R/NOXP- event-targeted ground/air operations. MTS will be monitored by radar sites during flight operations so that radar scientist can adapt/coordinate scanning. Communications between Mission Ops and Radars can occur via either MTS Chat, Skype or phone (final configuration determined during setup; Radars will have cell phone comms either way. • Current: NPOL (D3R)/NOXP for Science- imagery possible for use to supplement flight ops. • Soundings: • 61 Total sondes available. Intensive 4-6/day launches planned from UNCA Asheville for big events; 3 soundings out on Piedmont for clear air flights. Must thread into ops decision. Still some work on coordination needed here. • Two DOE 3-channel Radiometers in Pigeon at Maggie Valley and Purchase Knob (T/RH/CLW profiles) • NOAA 915 + RASS in Catawba Watershed • Sondes currently not in GTS- but means to do so is being investigated; not critical for campaign, but useful. • Data and IT • GHRC Data/ops Portal • MTS products: Regional 88D radar composite radar reflectivity, lightning, GOES vis/IR, GPM Core overpasses, HRRR, • GPM Core overpass times and swaths; completed and available via multiple paths (MTS, LaRC, JAXA, GPM GV Tier-1 site) • Other participants: • SLAP lights for soil moisture will occur independently out of LaRC (Ed Kim GSFC/ coordinating with Ana Barros). • ACHIEVE W-band Radar (vertically pointing) and Aerosol instrumentation will be located with MWR, 2DVD and MRR at Maggie Valley • Personnel Lodging logistics • Asheville Airport: Room rate established at Fairfield Inn, Asheville Airport(12-15 rooms). Must CALL the hotel and ask for “Corporate NASA IPHEx rate”- equivalent to government rate (do not ask for “gov rate”). Otherwise, plentiful rooms in Asheville for ground instrument folks so worse case, participants take care of there. • UND Citation: Prior arrangement for lodging at Hampton Inn and Suites, Asheville Airport. • NPOL/D3R. Greenville-Spartenburg- plenty of hotels . Holiday Inn Express good according to Michael Watson. • Warner-Robbins: Currently using Candlewood Suites (contact Chris Miller)

8. Situational Awareness during Missions Part 1: Geography and assets

9. Broader Ops area with WSR-88D radar locations indicated. Shown are 1) Citation/ER-2 primary ops area in orange/pink box near Asheville; 2) ER-2 800 km and 1200 km range circles (red); 3) offshore target area for combined or ER-2 only ops. WSR-88D radar locations indicated by yellow push-pin markers. Over land we are targeting area (1) as a priority for coordination. Area (3) is a priority for offshore ops with Citation. For area (2; ER-2 range rings) this is a proposed broader region over which we could operate ER-2 with reasonable on station time assuming a 6-hour total mission. 800 km would give us roughly 3 hours on station and 1200 km would give us roughly 2 hours.

10. Another view. Land watershed flight ops box (larger box being worked) and ocean box shown (white box represents area outside of military SUA and within Citation range for ops). NOXP 75 km range ring (NOXP located in Pigeon; max range will be 111 km) in white, NPOL 25 km range rings (yellow) out to 125 km. 30 n mile CLT control zone in red. WRB ER-2 base indicated in GA.

11. Zoom from slide 1. Primary ops area. Pigeon is western basin in white outline- main instrumentation focus. Disdrometer ray extending from NPOL/D3R location is shown as colored squares. Catawba is upper northern basin. NOAA HMT Profilers/surface sites exist in southwest extension of Catawba(northeast of Asheville).

12. More detail. More, but not even close to all, surface instruments around/within Pigeon basin shown and NOAA sites in Catawba. Red bold line coming out of CLT is the Johns-Burls-Shine approach vector into CLT- we need to stay south west (hence aircraft ops box cutoff north of Pigeon basin- note this box may extend farther west than indicated). Flight lines along radar radials or along disdrometer lines are desired (as wx permits….fly the weather either way).

13. NASA Integrated Precipitation and Hydrology Experiment (IPHEx): Requested flight operations box (white- outside W122); Orange- larger area – for consideration if possible 35.63 N 74.93 W 35.38 N 70.68 W 35.10 N 72.69 W 34.44 N 71.96 W 31.99 N 77.00 W 31.99 N 80.67 W 31.70 N 75.55 W 31.70 N 75.55 W

14. Lat/Lons for key locations • Asheville Airport Ops Center 35.443 N 82.541 W • Warner-Robbins AFB ER-2 32.640 N 83.592 W • NPOL/D3R Radar 35.196 N 82.964 W • Pigeon NOXP Radar 35.564 N 82.910 W • Pigeon Maggie Valley Site 35.520 N 83.095 W • Pigeon Purchase Knob Site 35.586 N 83.072 W • Charlotte International Airport 35.215 N 80.958 W • KGSP WSR 88D 34.883 N 82.220 W • KMRX WSR 88D 36.169 N 83.402 W • KCLX WSR 88D 32.656 N 82.042 W • KRAX WSR 88D 35.666 N 78.490 W • KLTX WSR 88D 33.989 N 78.429 W • KMHX WSR 88D 34.776 N 76.876 W • KCAE WSR 88D 33.949 N 81.118 W

15. High Altitude and in the Column: GPM Airborne Assets in IPHEX GPM Core Satellite “Simulator” In Situ MIcrophysics • NASA ER-2: Satellite simulator • 80 flight hours • Base: Warner-Robbins AFB, Georgia • UND Citation • Microphysics • 60 flight hours • Base: TBD W. Petersen, walt.petersen@nasa.gov

16. IPHEx flight science requirements (Selected during daily science discussions) • Coordinated flights with ER-2, Citation • ER-2 flying straight and level along ~60-75 km legs (racetrack, dogbone, bowtie); extend legs to over land ahead of/behind precipitation when possible. • Citation flying in tight coordination with ER-2 with straight and level along ~25-40 km legs (primarily in ice from 27 kft to within, just below melting layer 10-12 kft), spirals minimized; 3-5 legs per profile. Emphasis on linear legs directly under ER-2 • Preferably along radials of radars, within 100 km range (NPOL/D3R, NOXP, NEXRAD) or parallel to GPM overpass tracks • Over campaign-focus hydrologic basins (e.g., Pigeon or Catawba), over disdrometer runs or along radar radials preferred as possible. • Over NC Coastal/Gulf Stream (GPM and ACE missions) • ER-2 only flights • Out of range of Citation ops (water, land) for GPM overpasses, Gulf Stream etc. • In lieu/exclusive of Citation if situation warrants- especially for overpasses. • Flying targets of interest, preferably along radials of radars of opportunity • Citation only flights (infrequent) • Microphysical profiling flights in targets of opportunity and focused over basins/terrain. • Preferably stacked legs as above along radials of radars, within 100 km range (NOXP, NPOL/D3R, NEXRAD) or parallel to GPM overpass tracks • Clear air/calibration flights for ER-2 • Calibration flights over water south of Wilmington, NC over buoys in clear air • Clear air land flights (fixed coords) for land surface modeling over designated areas of the Pigeon toward the southeast- shoot for clear and dry (low humidity) periods. • These *could* be combined into one mission if scheduling permits. • Land Surface module can also/should be used while dwelling on station awaiting precipitation.

17. Situational Awareness during Missions Part 2: Patterns, Timing, flight restrictions/information

18. ER-2 transit times and waypoints AVL 0:40 from WRB to AVL climb to 60kft (+0:12 to 65kft) 0:30 from AVL to 10 nm south South- port, NC WRB Dean Neeley Chris Miller 1:00 from 10 nm south Southport, NC to WRB

19. ER-2 Racetrack (60 km @ 65 kft) Citation Stacked Legs (30 km 12-24 kft) Mission Tool Suite (MTS) can easily set up these legs with respect to radars -- Jan can translate into pilot’s language for us as in MC3E

20. Example* Coordinated Flight Patterns • ER-2 Level racetrack legs (50-75 km length) • ER-2 FL650 (over Citation along radar radial) • Citation: ~5 alt- stack along radar radial; 25 km legs; just below melting level from ~FL120 (well above terrain) to FL250 *Note: Spirals *may* be very infrequently used if even allowed. Still TBD.

21. Example* Coordinated Flight Patterns ER2 UND BOWTIE FLIGHT PLAN • Developing/Isolated • Convection/Stratiform • i.e., if racetracks are too wide to cover precipitation • Citation stacked legs ~5 alt- stack along radar radial; 20-30 km legs; just below melting level from ~FL120 (well above terrain) to FL250 • ER-2 bowtie, 40-60 km • (FL650) Radar Plan view Vertical view *Note: Spirals *may* be very infrequently used if even allowed. Still TBD.

22. Clear Air Pattern (Fixed) Clear air land surface mission with predefined lawnmower pattern over Pigeon and Catawba plus adjacent Piedmont (~30 km width between legs; ~5 km swath overlap) Predefined waypoints

23. Radar & Microwave Radiometer Calibration Loop Buoy Calibration: • Fly over ocean buoys, straight and level • Clear conditions (minimal cloud) • Maintain at least 20-25km distance from coastline to avoid any land contamination at AMPR/CoSMIR maximum scan angles • Maneuver for nadir pointing radars: • Very slow +20 to -20 degree roll in vicinity but not over buoys. • Radars surface scatter is invariant to ocean winds at about 10 degrees incidence angle. • Buoys should be checked before flight since they are not always reporting. If GPM overpass occurs during clear period • Under fly GPM for 50-100 km over ocean with clear conditions. • Useful for all instruments Buoys of Interest (not all must be sampled in one flight) • 41033 32.270N 80.400W • 41004 32.501N 79.099W • 41013 33.436N 77.743W • 41037 33.988N 77.363W • 41036 34.207N 76.949W • 41109 34.484N 77.300W

24. Precipitation climatology Designed with the radar climatology of Booth and Parker (MS Thesis) Convection develops on the ridges early in the afternoon (15-18 UTC) and is likely isolated, relatively weak, provides some opportunity for in situ sampling. Drizzle? Convection grows upscale in the lee as it propagates to the east, convection gets better organized and produces stratiform rain that can be sampled into the late afternoon and evening. Along the coast, sea breeze convection and isolated thunderstorms develop in early and late afternoon, respectively. These cells may become organized, offering opportunities for sampling with Citation and ER-2. Offshore, there is an overnight/early morning maximum in convection. This can be sampled with ER-2 and possibly the Citation close to shore. Frontal systems from the west may organize precipitation and allow for larger sampling regions. A tropical system may enter the region, although it is somewhat unlikely in May-June. If it does, it will provide extensive precipitation coverage.

25. Orographic/Lee Region: Background is June Convective Climatology (15-21 UTC) CLIMO: Convection fires on ridges early afternoon (15-18 UTC), later in lee (18-21 UTC), propagates east Example ~25 km flight leg along NPOL, NOXP radial over Pigeon IGNORE BIG RED BOX.

26. Over Ocean: Background is June Convective Climatology (15-21 UTC) GPM Nadir Track CLIMO: Inferred convective maximum overnight, early morning offshore Example ~25 km coordinated flight leg along KLTX radial Military Airspace Example ER-2 (w/Citation) GPM overpass flight Could also be basis for clear air flight w/o precip

27. Duty Day and Crew Rest Aircrew duty time begins when a crewmember reports to his/her designated place of duty and ends when the aircraft is parked and shutdown. Aircrew rest begins at the end of all duties. Ground crew duty day begins when they leave hotel and ends when they return. • Maximum Duty Day • ER-2 Pilot and Mobile Pilot: 12 hours • ER-2 Ground Crew: 12 hours hours (14 *possible* on fly days but not desired) . The 14 hour fly day is allowed only if the OT has prior approval of supervisor, the crew will be on standby most of the day, and there is somewhere they can go that is climate controlled . • Crew duty day may be extended by approval of DFRC Center Director • Ground Crew Overtime (OT) Limitations • OT is limited by Fatigue Risk Management requirements as stated in document DCP-X-046. • Maximum hours worked is 60 total hours per person per week. This equates to a nominal 6 day work week with three 12 hour flight days and three 8 hour no-fly days. This limit may be exceeded with • OT must be approved in advance by Branch Chiefs • No more than 7 consecutive days without one day off • Minimum Crew Rest • ER-2 Pilot, Mobile Pilot: Crewmembers must have at least twelve hours off duty after completing all postflight activities prior to being required for a subsequent flight (either ground or flight duties) • ER-2 Ground Crew: The rest period between duty days must be a minimum of 10 hours starting from the end of duty

28. Flight Duration Parameters Fatigue associated with flight in pressure suits and at high cabin altitudes is very insidious and accelerated by less than ideal crew rest prior to flight. The following restrictions apply to high altitude pressure suit flights: • ER-2 Flights longer than 8.0 hours require concurrence of the mission pilot and designated flight monitor (mobile). The approval process requires a thorough review of the considerations below to ensure that mission safety is not jeopardized. • Pilots flying ER-2 missions of 9.0 hours or more will be given the following physiological recovery time: • First day after the flight – no duties. • Second day after the flight – no pressure suit flights • Pilots will make a judgment if any other constraints are applicable. These constraints would be based on factors such as: adequate crew rest, duties between flights, length, complexity and timing of flights, previous levels of flight activity, takeoff and recovery weather, mission justification, and personal issues. Generally, with one pilot deployed, consecutive ER-2 flight days are limited to 3 without additional pilot support.

29. ER-2 At Warner Robbins AFB GA. ER-2 No Fly- Local WX Constraints 25 knots maximum steady or 35 gusts regardless of direction (ejection seat limit) 15 knot maximum crosswind 1/4 mile minimum visibility Lightning within 5 NM - No taxi, seek shelter Robins noise abatement daily 2200L - 0600L – may/may not affect- being worked Conditions forecast to be out of limits at landing- no fly. Not clear about weather that is forecasted to come and go (TBC) ER-2 hangared at ANG

30. Citation Alternate Landing Locations (within 90 nautical miles of AVL)

31. Daily Ops Daily Weather and Ops Briefing (1400 UTC) 10:00 EDT Phone: 1-866-763-8998 Passcode 1336336 Visuals: Adobe Connect ; email invite Ops Portal: Plan of the day, forecasts, mission science summary, instrument status reports on GHRC IPHEx Portal. https://fcportal.nsstc.nasa.gov/iphex/user Airborne Sciences (SOFRS): Aircraft Mission Manager Reports due in SOFRS after each flight https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/sofrs Flight operations Mission Tool Suite: http://mts.nasa.gov/home Select IPHEX desktop Primary Contacts: Mission Scientist, Mission Manager, Forecaster, Instrument Contacts/Phones: (TBC; list provided before experiment begins

32. Notional Daily Ops Flow Schedule (starting from hour 0:00); Here, for example, there will be an ER-2 (Citation) take-off at 1400 (1430) LST for 6.5 (3.5) hour mission. Red- Key event for action, TO, Landing; GreenWx/Science; Black ER-2 Project Ops; Lt. Blue: ER-2 Crew; Lt. Purple: Schedule “slop”; NOTE THIS DEPENDS TOTALLY ON FLIGHT OPS CONDUCTED ON DAY-0- only the 10:00 AM EDT Weather brief is fixed.

33. Fly Decision for ER-2 a For precip missions where expected down time of UND is very short; i.e., implication is that UND aircraft or an “important” probe can be fixed quickly. Early in campaign (first 1-2 weeks TBC), unless the weather is *very* compelling (MS discretion) or GPM overpass with precip and in range; ER-2 NO FLY; After first two weeks, this section no longer applies- lines (b) and (c) below apply. b Mission Science discretion (evolves with campaign duration, nature of the problem, weather at hand, and overpass situation); c Ocean “alternate” for “ER-2-only” flights should be considered if HIWRAP, CoSMIR and AMPR are all up and weather situation/need warrants.

34. Situational Awareness during Missions Part 3: Satellite overpass coordination

35. GPM Groundtracks May 01 – June 15 2014 (But get specifics from Web- examples follow)

36. Example of Overpass Site for GPM GV : Tier-1 sites + IPHEX Click on IPHEX NPOL or OFFSHORE Links shown below on map http://gpm-gv.gsfc.nasa.gov/Tier1/

37. First you will see at the top a 31-Day forecast of overpasses (general guidance- TLE’s need to updated every few days really). Scrolling down the page you will then see updated overpass times computed with current TLEs, with images for next 5-days out. Click on specific image to magnify

38. Example overpass image (centered on NPOL radar site, IPHEX) In Image the time of closet point of the nadir track is shown and its azimuth from the NPOL radar. The text above has specific information including the lat/lon of closest point, range, bearing, and also the bearing of satellite movement (e.g., northeastward ~ 30 degrees on an ascending overpass, southeastward at ~150 degrees on a descending overpass) Note that the main overpass page has information on what is in the text. Also- note there is map link for the offshore box as well

39. Situational Awareness Missions Part 4: ER-2 Transit (potential GPM Overpass or other precipitation sampling consideration to/from WRB)

40. ER-2 Transit, May 1, 2014: California, Arizona, New Mexico 35 N 115 W 110 W

41. ER-2 Transit, May 1, 2014: New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas 35 N 95 W 100 W

42. ER-2 Transit, May 1, 2014: Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia 35 N 30 N 80 W 90 W

43. WX on Transit: ~1-hour to sample along transit route- can target GPM overpass if possible else other precip along path. Can be used with GPM Core overpass tool on Tier-1 site or LaRC site, then MTS to monitor. Overpass of region ~22:12 UTC Example 4/8/14 Forecast: GFS 08/0000 UTC VT 08/2100UTC Would suggest being over TN/MS around 2130 UTC MTS Radar and Vis