Synthesis for May 28, 2001

Summary for May 28, 2001

Investigator: (Monte Bateman)

Research flight 1806 to 2201 UTC

One case: anvil attached to core initially producing lightning then decaying with time;

May be and excellent case but may be hampered by problems with drift in the Applanix data the last hour of the flight.

High priority

Several passes through an attached anvil cloud above KSC from a core near TCO. The anvil moved east over the ocean. Strong Efields were recorded between 19:20 and 19:27 UTC. Between 20:23 UTC and the end of flight passes were made through decaying anvil in roughly E-W directions. Cell was moving out to the ocean. Weak Efields were recorded between 19:35 UTC to 20:30, then intervals of stronger Efields between:
20:32 - 20:41 UTC and
20:45 - 20:55 UTC and
20:59 - 21:03 UTC and
21:06 - 21:11 UTC and
21:12 - 21:15 UTC and
21:23 - 21:26 UTC and
21:29 - 21:21:31 UTC)

due apparently to the plane being in the higher reflectivity remnants of the storm/anvil.

Monte Bateman's summary:

Several cells developed west of and then moved over KSC. We made several passes through the anvil cloud over the KSC FM network. We were able to follow the cloud out east over the ocean, and were able to get clearance to go high enough to get over the anvil and follow it down.