An atmospheric physicist from the University of the Philippines-Diliman (UPD) College of Science-Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology took a flight with Filipino and American researchers as part of the Airborne and Satellite Investigation of Asian Air Quality (ASIA-AQ) project.
Dr. Gerry Bagtasa boarded the NASA817 flight last Sunday, Feb. 11, with fellow scientists from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Manila Observatory, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).
NASA817, or specifically the NASA DC-8 plane, was an airborne science laboratory based in the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California. It is flown to other parts of the world to gather data to support the research and experiments undertaken by the global scientific community.
The objective of this series of flights was to assess the air quality of multiple Asian cities by utilizing satellite remote sensors and air quality models. With the equipment of the modified Douglas DC-8 jetliner, they detected various pollutants not usually measured above the ground.
“The purpose is to improve our understanding of the dynamics of air pollution in the region,” Dr. Bagtasa said. With the Filipino team, they were able to help plan the flights by providing air quality and weather forecasts.
They also provided insights into local weather patterns drawing from recent publications of participating scientists and their expertise in contextualizing the data being collected.
‘A brutal flight’
NASA817 flew four times over the Philippines on Feb. 6, 7, 11, and 13. For each flight, there were a few available seats for observers. Dr. Bagtasa, the Manila Observatory, DENR scientists joined different flights.
The plane constantly changed altitudes from 1000- to 10,000-feet, then back again, to gather more data at different levels of elevation throughout the region. Dr. Bagtasa described the flight experience as quite ‘brutal’ but also ‘exciting.’
“In almost any airplane ride, we encounter some brief bumpy to very bumpy, turbulent moments, right? Imagine that happening for eight hours—the flight was brutal. I guess mainly due to the low-altitude nature of the flight,” he commented.
“And to make it more exciting, I experienced the hardest of hard turns and rolls in an airplane during the flight,” the UPD physicist added. He also mentioned that most researchers onboard had to wear some transdermal patch behind their ears to deal with motion sickness, which he did not do.
“I was in the backmost seat. After around five to six hours into the flight, considering that I’ve been on probably less than 100 flights in my lifetime, it was my first time to throw up in a plane ride,” Dr. Bagtasa recalled.
Despite the bumpy ride, the flights are crucial to the ASIA-AQ campaign. NASA’s project presents an avenue for international cooperation, partnering with local scientists, researchers, and experts to implement a unified strategy across various Asian nations in addressing not only regional air quality concerns, but also gaining a broader understanding of the interpretation of satellite data and air quality modeling.
Dr. Bagtasa and the Manila Observatory partnered with the DENR to join the flights to provide their local knowledge on air pollution in the country. While the data gathered on these trips are still being processed and have yet to be published, NASA817 will now move on to South Korea, taking measurements in Taiwan on the way. After Seoul, it will then fly to Malaysia and Thailand. After the ASIA-AQ campaign, the NASA DC8 will be retired.