Highlights of the TAMDAR AERIbago Validation Experiment (TAVE) in Memphis, Tennessee

The TAMDAR AERIbago Validation Experiments (TAVE) were conducted by the University of Wisconsin's Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) from 22 February – 8 March and 16 May – 27 May 2005 in Memphis, TN. TAVE was an effort sponsored by NASA to understand the relative accuracy of a new aircraft instrument called the Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting (TAMDAR) system. The TAMDAR sensors were developed by Georgia Tech Research Institute and AirDat L.L.C. and are currently mounted on 64 Mesaba Airlines Saab 340 aircraft. The TAMDAR sensor measures pressure, humidity, wind speed, wind direction, temperature, icing and turbulence at altitudes below 25,000 feet, with the measurement location, time, and aircraft altitude provided by Global Positioning System technology. These sensors are in continuous operation throughout the entire aircraft flight, which provide valuable upper-air measurements at times and locations between the two normally scheduled National Weather Service radiosonde launches at 0000 and 1200 UTC. The SSEC/CIMSS Mobile Weather Laboratory, also known as the AERIbago, played a prominent role in this validation effort, as it carries a suite of instruments for measuring atmospheric temperature and water vapor profiles. The AERIbago was deployed at the Tennessee Air National Guard base near the end of one of the primary runways of Memphis International Airport. An overview of the experiments and some preliminary results will be presented.