Different color C130 flying into Buckley

[Ridge]

Not the most fuel efficient aircraft to use to test air quality. Kind of like using a mac truck to spread the word about car pooling. Wonder if they are shutting down an engine or two at times?

It probably it has to do with the payload. That thing is probably packed to the gills with all sorts of metering equipment. And NOAA still likes to use magnetic tapes for data storage.

[Hoser]

Not the most fuel efficient aircraft to use to test air quality. Kind of like using a mac truck to spread the word about car pooling. Wonder if they are shutting down an engine or two at times?

The NOAA Hurk has lots of stuff in the back. And lots of probes to measure lots of stuff.

All that crap wont fit in a King Air...

[spqrzilla]

http://www.zapatopi.net/afdb

[cstone]

Snowflake. They also have a G5 and a P3.

Went to the open house last weekend. Not a J model, but much nicer than most of the AF Hercs I've been inside.

[Big E3]

It probably it has to do with the payload. That thing is probably packed to the gills with all sorts of metering equipment. And NOAA still likes to use magnetic tapes for data storage.

Is it the same data storage system the IRS uses?

[ben4372]

Not the most fuel efficient aircraft to use to test air quality. Kind of like using a mac truck to spread the word about car pooling. Wonder if they are shutting down an engine or two at times?

I've seen a ton of these sampling planes and most have streams of exhaust smoke coming from the engines. Are these planes diesel? How is this exhaust effecting the numbers, I thought I heard the sensor was in the tail. . And finally it seems like they are just racking up hours. I see them constantly over Wheat Ridge and Golden. Like 20 plus sightings on one day, and multiple day a week.

[Jrk2262]

Thanks for answering the question. That first picture of the NSF plane is it. They are flying really low. Love the link about the foil beanie!

[Ridge]

I've seen a ton of these sampling planes and most have streams of exhaust smoke coming from the engines. Are these planes diesel? How is this exhaust effecting the numbers, I thought I heard the sensor was in the tail. . And finally it seems like they are just racking up hours. I see them constantly over Wheat Ridge and Golden. Like 20 plus sightings on one day, and multiple day a week.

The onboard meters are usually in the nose and leading edge of the wings. The engines are turbo-prop engines that run on JP-8 jet fuel, basically kerosene.

Since they are studying pollutants in the air, it makes sense to take multiple measurements at various hours so they can see how traffic and business effects the emissions.

[sniper7]

Any time you see dark exhaust or white trails coming from the back of heavy aircraft I would get inside quickly. It is a chemical ingredient added to fuel which is a mind controlling agent...or so people have been told.

[brutal]

Any time you see dark exhaust or white trails coming from the back of heavy aircraft I would get inside quickly. It is the occupants blowing massive mmj shotguns which is a mind controlling agent...or so people have been told.

FIFY