"This IPY-THORPEX campaign would not have been possible without the expertise, resources and the dedication the Germans bring into the project", project manager Jon Egill Kristjansson said.

Members of the DLR flight department provide the maintenance of the equipment and the logistical support of the flight operations. This ensures that the plane is prepared and ready for take-off at any time and that all permissions are issued in time. This is important to prevent loss of scientifically important flights, for instance when a polar low develops within the Falcon's range.

Andreas Dörnbrack is the head of the German team. He has studied arctic weather phenomena for several years, and has extensive experience in planning and conducting campaigns like this.

"Andreas knows the science, he knows the aircraft and he knows the instruments. He is the liaison between the meteorologists planning the flights and the technical crew", project manager Jon Egill Kristjansson said.

Unique instrumentation - unique data
The DLR research aircraft Falcon is equipped with cutting-edge instrumentation. One Lidar, (an instrument similar to radar but operating with light) for wind measurements and another for aerosol and water vapor observations.

"During the IPY-THORPEX campaign, the Lidar scientists succeeded for the very first time to observe water vapor throughout the atmosphere from the surface up to the tropopause. The DLR Falcon is actually the only aircraft worldwide carrying this unique combination of instrumentation and technology.

"The technology on board the aircraft is the result of many years of development and investment of our institute. The combination of wind and water vapor Lidars is unique and the instruments are very precise, and thus gives us data which will provide a good base for analysis and research," Andreas Dörnbrack said.

In addition to the remote-sensing instruments, dropsondes are used to obtain data in regions where scientists expect a positive influence on the skill of the numerical weather prediction. During the campaign, the DLR scientists managed, for the first time, to send the dropsonde observations from the aircraft directly into the Global Telecommunications System of the weather services around the world.

Expensive technology
The costs related to research, development, maintenance and use of such technology are very high.

"A rough estimation of the costs related to the lidar-instrumentation in the Falcon aircraft is about 3.8 million euro", Dörnbrack said.

Hence, it becomes expensive to use the technology as well. One flight hour, including all expenses, cost about 50,000 NOK.

"We get many inquiries about use of the aircraft. Thus, we have to thoroughly consider the projects we get involved in order to secure that the use of the aircraft is in line with the interests of our institute. In this respect, the IPY-THORPEX project is perfect," Dörnbrack said.

For more information about the German team and the aircraft: http://www.pa.op.dlr.de/ipy_thorpex/