KA-20251009a

KA-20251009a#

cirrus multi ec_under

Crew#

Job

Name

PI

Tim Carlsen

Instrument operator

Sorin Ghemulet

Instrument operator

Robert Oscar David

EarthCARE target scenarios

Cirrus: Thin cirrus clouds.
Complex multi-layer scenes: Multiple layers of thin cirrus clouds at different altitudes.

Flight summary

During the research flight on 9th October 2025, we targeted cirrus clouds between 6.7 and 7.9 km altitude underneath EarthCARE (orbit #7758C). We sampled in cirrus clouds at temperatures between -24°C and -32°C. Multiple layers of thin cirrus made it challenging to stay in cloud, and we had numerous altitude changes to sample ice crystals. Directly after the correlative observations under EC, we performed two spirals and sampled similar clouds over the ground-based ACTRIS site at Pallas.

Track#

../_images/KA-20251009a_7758D.png

Flight track for KA-20251009a.#

Flight path (dashed line) superimposed on the MSI-RGR-1C product on 9th October 2025. The ATLID ground track is shown in yellow, while the EC leg (for correlative observations) is shown as a continuous line.

Conditions#

The conditions during the EC overpass were quite challenging, as we sampled in multiple layers of thin cirrus clouds, so constant altitude changes were necessary to stay in-cloud. Similar conditions also prevailed over the Pallas site, but we still sampled ice crystals in several cirrus layers.

Flight video#

Video cutting and editing in progress…

Events#

Time (UTC)

Comment

12:12

Takeoff Kiruna

13:10

Start ec_leg

13:25

EarthCARE overpass (orbit #7758C)

13:53

End ec_leg

14:04

Start spiral over Pallas ground-site

14:33

Stop spiral over Pallas ground-sites

15:06

Landing Kiruna

Execution#

  • Takeoff KRN: 12:12 UTC (14:12 LT)

  • 12:16 UTC: anti-ice on

  • 12:26 UTC: all cameras on (for a while now)

  • 12:41 UTC: ETA WP1 12:52 @FL270

  • 12:51 UTC: WP1, entering hold

  • 13:00 UTC: one more holding pattern

  • 13:10 UTC: WP1, Start ec_leg

  • 13:11 UTC: WPA

  • 13:13 UTC: descend to FL260 to get more in cloud

  • 13:16 UTC: WPB

  • 13:19 UTC: go down to FL240 when turn @WP2

  • 13:21 UTC: WP2

  • 13:25 UTC: ec_meet

  • 13:30 UTC: request FL220

  • 13:40 UTC: turn a bit earlier already back to WP2, difficult, only thin layers above and below, seen some falling crystals from time to time

  • 13:53 UTC: WP2

  • 14:04 UTC: WP3E, start spiral over Pallas

  • 14:13 UTC: start climb again

  • 14:21 UTC: one more round at FL270

  • 14:32 UTC: one last Pallas overpass, direct hit

  • 14:33 UTC: end spiral, going home

  • 14:52 UTC: Hawkeye off

  • Landing KRN: 15:06 UTC (17:06 LT)

Impressions#

  • 12:15 UTC: TAS163, 3°C, FL060

  • 12:16 UTC: went through clear low cloud layer, well separated

  • 12:18 UTC: snowing

  • 12:20 UTC: TAS182, -8°C, FL130

  • 12:21 UTC: TAS185, -10°C, FL140

  • 12:23 UTC: Sun on right, TAS194, -15°C, FL170

  • 12:26 UTC: TAS198, -23°C, FL200, some ice in 2DS-H

  • 12:28 UTC: above cloud mostly now, some thin cirrus above us, little ice

  • 12:36 UTC: TAS219, -35°C, FL270

  • 12:41 UTC: TAS227, -35°C, FL270

  • 12:46 UTC: ice again, falling from above

  • 12:48 UTC: TAS228, -35°C, FL270

  • 12:49 UTC: halo circle looks great to the right

  • 12:51 UTC: big Bullet rosettes (B-Rs), TAS230, -34°C, FL270

  • 12:55 UTC: big B-Rs

  • 12:56 UTC: photo towards EC track to the right

  • 13:00 UTC: 2DS sees ice

  • 13:07 UTC: TAS227

  • 13:10 UTC: TAS230, FL270, not in cloud yet

  • 13:14 UTC: TAS244, -32°C, FL260, a little ice

  • 13:15 UTC: TAS230, -32°C, FL260, more ice now

  • 13:17 UTC: 2DS-H and 2DS-V some crystlas, nothing on FCDP

  • 13:18 UTC: TAS227, -32°C, FL260

  • 13:22 UTC: TAS230, -29°C, FL250

  • 13:23 UTC: TAS229, -28°C, FL240, alt capture

  • 13:25 UTC: ec_meet, no crystals

  • 13:27 UTC: some ice in 2DS-H, TAS228

  • 13:29 UTC: difficult, just thin layers around, no crystals

  • 13:30 UTC: TAS240, -27°C, FL240, starting descend, now crystals

  • 13:31 UTC: TAS230, -25°C, FL230

  • 13:32 UTC: TAS225, -24°C, FL220, alt capture

  • 13:35 UTC: TAS227, some crystals, FL220

  • 13:37 UTC: TAS219, no crystals right now, FL220

  • 13:44 UTC: TAS214, -25°C, FL220, some crystals again, back on track now

  • 13:49 UTC: TAS220

  • 13:50 UTC: start going up, -24°C

  • 13:53 UTC: WP2, TAS209, -30°C, FL250

  • 13:55 UTC: TAS213, -32°C, FL260

  • 13:56 UTC: TAS221, -35°C, FL270

  • 14:00 UTC: TAS230, -35°C, FL270

  • 14:01 UTC: some ice now, halo to the left

  • 14:02 UTC: big B-Rs

  • 14:04 UTC: TAS236, -33°C, FL258, see crystals

  • 14:05 UTC: TAS230, -31°C, FL250

  • 14:06 UTC: TAS237, -29°C, FL240

  • 14:07 UTC: TAS226, -28°C, FL230

  • 14:08 UTC: TAS225, -25°C, FL220, strong crosswinds, 60-80 kt, only a few crystals

  • 14:12 UTC: TAS222, -25°C, FL220

  • 14:14 UTC: more crystals now, TAS211, -27°C, FL230

  • 14:16 UTC: TAS209, -29°C, FL240, 70kt crosswind

  • 14:18 UTC: TAS216, -31°C, FL250, few crystals, halo to the front left

  • 14:10 UTC: TAS217, -33°C, FL260, not really anything on probes

  • 14:20 UTC: -34°C

  • 14:22 UTC: TAS220, -35°C, FL270

  • 14:29 UTC: TAS229, -35°C, FL270

  • 14:44 UTC: TAS226, -22°C, FL190, entering ‘the Soup’, but nothing on probes

Instrument status & quicklooks#

Instrument

Operational

Comment

FCDP

✅

None

2D-S

✅

None

CPI

❌

camera connection issue

CAS-DPOL

❌

CAPS computer failure

CIP

❌

CAPS computer failure

LWC Hotwire

❌

CAPS computer failure

Gopros

✅

None
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