The BAe 146 Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) is heading for the Azores this month as part of the Intercontinental Transport of Pollutants (ITOP) programme.
This follows the granting of the Type Certificate in May, followed by the hand-over of the Certificate of Airworth-iness. BAE Systems in turn handed over the aircraft to Directflight and ferried it to Cranfield for conversion to its ITOP role.
The project aims to track and investigate a mass of polluted air as it leaves the United States and travels across the Atlantic to Europe. A science team from six nations co-ordinates the ARA and four other research aircraft, together with ground stations and satellites. Together the team aims to measure chemical reactions within the air mass as it travels and to quantify the resulting pollutants delivered to Europe.
Measurements
Using sophisticated UK tracking models, US scientists measure the air mass off the US East Coast.
The ARA then intercepts the same air mass over the Azores, conducting similar measurements. A German team then conducts a further set of measurements over mainland Europe.
Directflight operates the ARA on behalf of the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements which is run jointly by the Natural Environment Research Council, Centre for Atmospheric Science and the Met Office.
MIKE MARTIN
Source: Flight Daily News
