Latest news with #P3Orion
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Science
- Yahoo
These two planes will be flying unusually low over L.A. Here's why NASA says not to worry
Look up in the sky! No, really, look. Are those planes supposed to be that low? But don't worry, says NASA, because the aircraft you are seeing are conducting research and studying atmospheric data. The planes will take flight over Southern California starting Sunday through Wednesday. The low-altitude atmospheric flights will be soaring between 1,000 and 10,000 feet, NASA announced in a news release. For comparison, most commercial flights reach between 31,000 to 42,000 feet. From the ground, the research will look peculiar as the pilots perform vertical spirals, circling over power plants, landfills and urban areas. NASA did not provide any specifics about the flight path, announcing that the aircraft will buzz over the Los Angeles Basin, Salton Sea and Central Valley. The flights are part of NASA's Student Airborne Research Program, or SARP, and will involve two aircraft. The P-3 Orion aircraft (N426NA) and a King Air B200 aircraft (N46L) will make their way across Southern California, but not in the same flight pattern. The P-3 is a modified four-engine turboprop plane used in various research projects, designed for endurance and range, according to NASA. Read more: Yes, that light show was from a SpaceX launch The flights will be used to conduct various studies and to sample atmospheric gasses and measure land and water surfaces. The information will be used as part of the student's research projects, to be presented at the end of the program. The data gathered in the program applies to ecology, weather, oceanography, soil science, biology and satellite calibration/validation research. The P-3 is typically stationed out of Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and has a science payload that can support a combined 40 hours of science flights on each U.S. coast, according to NASA. The King Air B200 will fly at the same time as the P-3, but will not perform the same maneuvers. NASA students will get real-world experience during their eight-week program as they assist in gathering data with scientific instruments on the aircraft, NASA said. 'Despite SARP being a learning experience for both the students and mentors alike, our P-3 is being flown and performing maneuvers in some of [the] most complex and restricted airspace in the country,' Brian Bernth, chief of flight operations at NASA Wallops said in a statement. The aircraft will also make what looks like missed landings at local airports and buzz by runways to collect air samples along the ground. In previous SARP flights over Southern California, the aircraft buzzed over Glendale and other locales. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA research planes to conduct low-altitude flights over Southern California
(FOX 5/KUSI) — Keep your eyes on the skies next week — but don't be alarmed. Southern Californians may notice research aircraft flying unusually low between June 29 and July 2 as part of a large-scale NASA atmospheric study, the agency announced Friday. NASA's Student Airborne Research Program (SARP), an eight-week summer internship for top undergraduate STEM students, will conduct low-altitude flights over several areas in California. This includes areas like the Los Angeles Basin, the Salton Sea, and parts of the Central Valley. The aircraft will be collecting vital air quality data using specialized equipment onboard. Two aircraft will be used in the mission: NASA's P-3 Orion, a four-engine turboprop flying out of Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, and a King Air B200, operated by Dynamic Aviation and contracted by NASA. Both will fly coordinated yet independent missions at altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 feet—far below typical commercial airliners. Fields of purple: This lavender festival is in Southern California Residents may see the planes performing vertical spirals, circling over power plants and landfills, and making low passes along runways to collect air samples close to the surface. As explained by NASA officials, the flights may also include 'missed approaches' at local airports—standard aviation maneuvers where aircraft descend as if to land, then climb away without touching down. 'The SARP flights have become mainstays of NASA's Airborne Science Program, as they expose highly competitive STEM students to real-world data gathering within a dynamic flight environment,' said Brian Bernth, NASA's chief of flight operations at Wallops. The mission is already underway on the East Coast, with flights taking place from June 22 to June 26 over Philadelphia, Baltimore and cities in Virginia, including Richmond and Hampton. 'Despite SARP being a learning experience for both the students and mentors alike, our P-3 is being flown and performing maneuvers in some of most complex and restricted airspace in the country,' said Bernth. 'Tight coordination and crew resource management is needed to ensure that these flights are executed with precision but also safely.' This year's flights are part of a broader effort to engage future scientists and engineers in the field of earth science while simultaneously collecting critical data for environmental research. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Low-flying airplanes over Hopewell and two other Virginia cities conducting research
Don't be alarmed if you see two propellor planes flying unusual over the skies of Hopewell over the next few days. They are supposed to be doing that. It's part of research training conducted by NASA from June 22-26, the agency announced June 20. The two aircraft will take off from NASA's facility at Wallops Island on Virginia's Eastern Shore and conduct various maneuvers such as vertical spirals and flybys at altitudes between 1,000-10,000 feet, lower than most commercial airlines fly. The planes will fly over such areas as power plants, landfills and urban centers. They will simulate missed approaches at airports and do flybys near runways to collect data on air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions. In Virginia, the planes — a P-3 Orion and a King Air B200 — will fly over Hopewell, Richmond and Hampton. Similar flights will take place in Baltimore and Philadelphia. The following week, June 29-July 2, NASA will do the same flights over selected spots on the West Coast. The flights are part of NASA's Student Airborne Research Program, an eight-week summer internship program where undergraduate students get hands-on experience in every aspect of a scientific campaign. According to the NASA announcement, students 'will assist in the operation of the science instruments on the aircraft to collect atmospheric data.' 'The SARP flights have become mainstays of NASA's Airborne Science Program, as they expose highly competitive STEM students to real-world data gathering within a dynamic flight environment,' Brian Bernth, chief of flight operations at NASA Wallops, said in a statement accompanying the announcement. 'Despite SARP being a learning experience for both the students and mentors alike, our P-3 is being flown and performing maneuvers in some of most complex and restricted airspace in the country. Tight coordination and crew resource management are needed to ensure that these flights are executed with precision but also safely.' For more information about the SARP, visit the NASA website. This article originally appeared on The Progress-Index: Planes will fly low over Hopewell as part of a student research program
