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ER-2 Operations Addendum

SPECIAL ADDENDUM FOR ER-2 Operations PLANNING FOR NASA'S FY 2003

AIRBORNE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS PROGRAM

April 5, 2002

Recently, questions have arisen concerning what constraints are currently in place for ER-2 flight operations, as well as the impact of those constraints on future Airborne Science missions. The few constraints we have placed on ER-2 Operations are driven by safety issues, such as terrain being over flown, pilot fatigue, or the capabilities of the aircraft.

Capabilities
  1. The ER-2 has accommodated ~20 instruments and can carry a payload weight of 2850 lbs/1292 kgs. (Limitations may occur due to aircraft weight and balance requirements.)
  2. The ER-2 has demonstrated the ability to collect science data between 20,000 ft/6 km to above 70,000 ft/21km.
  3. Range for an eight-hour flight is approximately 3,000 nautical miles/5,600 km.
  4. Flights have flown over hazardous terrain, hurricanes and typhoons, large areas of thunderstorms, and austere Air Traffic Control regions such as Africa and Russia.
  5. The ER-2 has operated from ~40 locations over the past 20 years, 15 of those were overseas.
Operations Constraints
  1. The nominal flight duration is up to 6.5 hours with an 8-hour maximum possible. This 8-hour limit is driven by a 12-hour pilot duty day, which typically begins 3.5 hours prior to takeoff. Ferry flights longer than 8 hours can be accomplished with the approval of the Dryden Flight Ops management.
  2. Flying the ER-2 below 60,000 ft/18km has evolved over the past 10 years due to more experience in that region and the installation of a new ER-2 engine that has greater safety margins. The limits outlined below are now effective for flights below 52,000 ft/16 km:
  3. a. Maximum duration for flights below 52,000 ft/16 km is 6.5 hours.
    b. Generally, flights in U.S. airspace will be constrained to no lower than 20,000 ft. This constraint is driven by limited ER-2 visibility, the need to see and avoid uncontrolled air traffic if flying below 18,000 ft, and Air Traffic Control (ATC) of all traffic above 18,000 ft. Exceptions to this constraint are possible in special use airspace and other low air traffic density environments. Requests for flights between 20,000 and 52,000 ft will require a feasibility evaluation by ER-2 flight operations.
    c. Vertical Profiles (also known as dip maneuvers) or descents to various altitudes followed by an immediate climb have been accomplished over a wide variety of locations. Previous restraints concerning issues such as distances from land and time of day have been eliminated. The number of profiles and minimum altitude of the descents is dependent on location of the profile and environmental factors, which will be evaluated for each mission.
Weather Constraints
  1. ER-2 cloud ceiling and visibility minimums are the same as for other aircraft without automated landing systems and are determined by airfield factors and local terrain. The lowest possible ER-2 landing conditions are clouds no lower than 200 ft above ground level and at least .5 mile visibility. Minimums for the day may be raised by the pilot based on any combination of weather factors influencing the operation.
  2. The maximum runway crosswind for ER-2 airframe is 15 knots which can be reduced if the runway has reduced surface friction. The maximum surface wind for ER-2 operations is 30 knots.
 
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