NASA aircraft to fly low over DC, Baltimore collecting atmospheric data
WASHINGTON - Don't be surprised if you see a NASA aircraft low in the skies over Washington, D.C. and Baltimore this month.
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Officials say a four-engine turboprop P-3 aircraft that's based at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia will fly five times between July 5 and July 16 collecting atmospheric data.
NASA says each flight will include one low-level pass at 1,000 feet over the Interstate 95 corridor. Each flight will also include two spiral tracks, ascending and descending, over Baltimore, and one spiral track over Greenbelt, Maryland.
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NASA officials says additional passes during each flight will include a 1,000-foot pass over the Chesapeake Bay and one spiral track over Hampton, Virginia.
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You can the plane in real-time online at NASA Airborne Science Program Tracker. Look for the plane icon labeled NASA P-3 (N426NA).
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Flight officials will post updates on the Wallops Facebook and Twitter sites. The day before each flight, Wallops will post the estimated time the P-3 aircraft will fly over the I-95 corridor and Hampton.
NASA says the aircraft will carry instruments collecting atmospheric data over variable surface types such as urban, rural, vegetation and water to support a variety of scientific projects.