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It's official: The venerable Electra aircraft has retired to
Arizona. After flying research missions for decades across
much of the world, the four-engine turboprop took off from
ATD's Research Aviation Facility (RAF) at Jeffco for the
last time on the morning of 16 August, bound for a storage
facility in Arizona. The plane, built in 1962 and operated
as an NSF/NCAR community aircraft since 1974, played a role
in numerous research projects, carrying such critical
instruments as the Electra Doppler radar, or ELDORA (which
will soon be mounted on a P-3 operated by the Navy for NSF
through the Naval Research Laboratory). "The Electra,
through the efforts of NCAR staff and community scientists,
was a major factor in the success of many diverse scientific
programs and scientific careers," says Jeff Stith, RAF
manager. He adds that RAF is looking forward to maintaining
the Electra's "proud tradition" with the remaining NSF/NCAR
plane, a C-130, as well as the proposed High-Altitude
Integrated Airborne Platform for Environmental Research
(HIAPER). This fall, Staff Notes Monthly will take an
in-depth look at the history of the Electra, interviewing
the pilots, mechanics, and scientists who worked most
closely with the plane. (Photo by Carlye Calvin)
Unless otherwise noted all images are copyrighted by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research / National Center for Atmospheric Research / National Science Foundation.
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