Transfer flight from Mainz to Lübeck

We started in Mainz at 9:40 equipped with the photochemistry layout. After a short tank stop in Hildesheim we reached Lübeck at 18:00. All instrument worked fine during the flight.

Unfortunately the wind got stronger and instruments had to be built out in Lübeck airport to lighten the airship. The transfer flight will continue on Saturday or Sunday when the wind has weakened and instruments are built in again.

The Zeppelin in the air connected to the mast truck in Lübeck airport

The Zeppelin started its Journey to Finland

Today at 9:00 the Zeppelin started its journey to Finland. We expect the Zeppelin to arrive in Mainz at about 3 pm. The instruments work fine, and the weather conditions are also fine.

  

The first test flight before the northbound PEGASOS campaign has taken place yesterday.

Preliminary data from this flight helps to get the scientists acquainted with the optimal way to run the instruments during the upcoming field campaign.

Scientists and ZLT coworkers worked hard to make this flight happen.

Everyone was excited to see the Zeppelin take off with the
scientific equipment for the first time in 2013.

The most current weather forecast makes a second test flight on Sunday highly likely. Afterwards, the photochemistry cabin layout is going to be installed, so that the trip north can start on Monday without any delays.

Zeppelin Transfer to Finland

In the next week the Zeppelin will start its transfer to Finland. The aim is to reach Skavsta in Sweden as fast as possible. Stops are planned in Mainz – Finthen, Hildesheim, Lübeck-Blankensee and Ljungbyhed in Sweden, where the airship stays overnight fixed to a mast truck .

The exact time schedule and flight route will of course depend on the weather. The Zeppelin will be equipped with the photochemistry layout.

The scientists who run the instrument on the Zeppelin will follow the Zeppelin by car to calibrate their instruments when the airship is on the airfield.

 

Zeppelin transfer to Finland. 

Topplatform installed

Today the topplatform has been mounted on top of the Zeppelin.

 

The top platform was lifted by a crane under the roof of the hangar.
 

The Pegasos Zeppelin was placed under the crane.
 



 The topplatform was carefully lowered onto the top of the Zeppelin.

The PEGASOS Zeppelin Campaign in 2013 has started

From mid-April, the Zeppelin NT will once again be on a mission for climate research – this time travelling as far as Finland. Scientists are starting the second part of their measurement campaign within the pan-EU project PEGASOS, which aims to investigate relationships between atmospheric chemistry and climate change. 

 

In the last 5 days the scientists arrived in Friedrichshafen to install their instruments in the Zeppelin. The cabin layout with the SOA package is prepared for the first test flights around Friedrichshafen. At present, the PEGASOS Zeppelin is in the Hangar together with a second airship. All racks for the SOA package are installed in the Zeppelin. Only the top platform needs to be put onto the Zeppelin.

 






The Top platform is set up in the hangar.



2nd part of SOA flights on the 1st, 3rd and 4th of July:

1^st of July:

On Sunday 1^st, the Zeppelin equipped with the CL5 – SOA layout, started the flight with a height profile in Ozzano. Afterwards it continued to Monte Cimone, a mountain with a measurement site in the Apennines. Since some of the instruments there are also characterizing aerosols, this flight permitted to get a better insight into aerosol properties at different heights for this mountain site. To reach the mountains, we first crossed Bologna and then followed a valley in the west of the city. In this way we could measure the transition of air masses coming from rural and urban sites. During the morning hours the wind was mostly coming from the Monte Cimone, which is one of the highest peaks in this part of the Apennines but later on the wind basically stopped. While following the valley, the Zeppelin mostly flew at low heights of about 500ft. At the same time, the measurement vehicle MOSQUITA followed the Zeppelin’s path on the ground. 

3^rd of July:

On this day a longer flight was chosen towards Bosco Fontana. This is a protected forest region north of Bologna, very close to Mantova. The forest consists of broad-leaved trees, which is the common local tree type for this region. This target was chosen to support measurements that are taking place there within the scope of the Èclaire project. This is an EU funded project that investigates climate change and pollution impacts for European ecosystems. 

 

Our objective was to start the flight at 6a.m with CL5-SOA layout, reach Bosco Fontana and circle around this area at different height levels. Although the transfer flight towards the forest turned out to be trickier due to strong head winds, we managed to do three profiles at three different heights just above the forest. On this specific day the overall outside temperature was of only 31°C, compared to the almost 40°C of the previous days, which allowed us to reach each time the maximum height of 2000ft without having to release any helium. On all three occasions we reached above the planetary boundary layer, which was clearly visible in the measured particle concentrations. While doing these circles, the MOSQUITA followed us on the ground.

On the way back to Ozzano airport we basically followed the Po River towards the south, passing several industries. Finally the Zeppelin landed at 11:35 a.m. 

4^th of July:

On this day the flight to Monte Cimone with CL5- SOA was repeated since there had been some problems at the ground site on the previous flight. At 6a.m. the Zeppelin was headed to Bologna, crossed the industrial zone and flew into the valley that starts west from the city. Again the MOSQUITA could follow the Zeppelin path very well through the valley. During this 5 hour flight, the Zeppelin went back and forth between industrial zone and mountain site to detect differences in air masses coming from the rural and urban sites.