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The report covers work done to investigate the low-frequency electric field characteristics of clear air turbulence. A description is given of the electric field sensing system designed and constructed by Honeywell and installed in five Northwest Airlines 720B passenger jets. The equipment was used to gather experimental data on the correlation of electric field activity with CAT, when encountered, during the scheduled flights of these aircraft in the period between October 1966 and June 1967 (a total flight time for all five CAT units of approximately 4300 hours). In this period, a total of 2,320 hours of recorded electric field data was obtained, during which 131 pilot-indicated encounters with CAT occurred. An investigation of the correlation of these encounters with the recorded data is presented, and the effects of various noise sources on system operation are discussed. The results of the data-taking program indicate that significant electrical activity occurred prior to and during 51.5 percent of those pilot-indicated CAT encounters exhibiting g-activity greater than plus or minus .05 g. Meteorological analyses of weather conditions in the vicinity of the encounters, useful in differentiating between the types of CAT encountered and in substantiating pilot-indicated events, could not be performed within the scope of the program. (Author)

Dispersal of jet aircraft exhaust emissions near airports and of smoke trails in upper atmosphere, assessing pollutant levels near large urban airports

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