Friday, August 19, 2016
All FOUR legs of the SMAPVEX-16 campaign were successfully completed. August 16 was the end of a second two-week campaign undertaken in Iowa. With this flight, the PALS
instrument has flown nearly 27 flights for SMAPVEX-16 – more than any previous SMAPVEX campaign. The campaigns were spread over a period of three months and two Cal/Val sites in Carman, Manitoba and Ames, IA.
Summary of the 2nd Iowan campaign: We flew a total of six site overpass flights over Ames, IA with a calibration maneuver over the Mississippi after every flight. There were no flight-scrubs. There was nearly a week’s gap between the first three flights and last three flights due to overpass schedules and optimal ground conditions.