King Air Research Aircraft to Be Featured At Cheyenne Frontier Days

man in small area of airplane surrounded by electronic equipment
UW Department of Atmospheric Science Senior Engineer Nick Mahon adjusts controls in the interior of the King Air research aircraft. (UW Photo)

The University of Wyoming’s Department of Atmospheric Science will offer an opportunity to learn more about the role it has in the state at the 2017 edition of Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD).

UW’s research aircraft, King Air, along with other observing facilities supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), will be on display at the Wyoming National Guard open house. The event will be Wednesday, July 26, from 10:45 a.m.-3 p.m., at the 153rd Airlift Wing of the Wyoming Air National Guard, located at 217 Dell Range Blvd.

The King Air research aircraft (tail number N2UW) is a specially instrumented Textron Beechcraft King Air 200T twin engine turbo-prop modified specifically to conduct atmospheric research. Typical missions, which can fly up to altitudes of 28,000 feet, include studies of boundary layer structure, air-sea interactions, cloud and aerosol physics, troposphere profiling and atmospheric chemistry. About 50 percent of the research conducted with King Air is related to cloud physics. Another 30 percent focuses on aerosols and air quality, and 20 percent of the aircraft’s research hours are spent on the exchange of energy between the surface of the Earth and its lower atmosphere.

Housed in the University’s Donald L. Veal Research Flight Center, Wyoming King Air is the only NSF-supported aircraft facility owned by a university. The Department of Atmospheric Science has operated aircraft for atmospheric research for more than 50 years, and King Air is the third aircraft in the series.

“We welcome the opportunity to reach out to the Wyoming community at Cheyenne Frontier Days,” says Al Rodi, UW professor of atmospheric science and director of the Flight Center. “We are proud of the support we’ve had from Wyoming and the university over several decades in developing this facility, and are looking forward to showing folks what we do, and how it ties into state interests such as water, energy development and regional environment.”

man standing in front of airplane
Jeff French, a UW assistant professor of atmospheric science, poses with the King Air research aircraft in the background. (UW Photo)

In addition to King Air, NSF-supported atmospheric science research facilities on hand will include the NSF/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) C-130 aircraft equipped with LIDAR and cloud-sensing radar; and the Center for Severe Weather Research Doppler on Wheels truck-mounted weather radar. These facilities are used to research a wide range of atmospheric phenomena from severe weather to drought to air quality. As part of the display, staff from each facility will be on hand to answer questions and distribute information to interested attendees.

Only shuttle bus traffic will be allowed on the base due to security and parking restrictions. Shuttle buses will leave continuously from the north side between Dillard’s and Sears at Cheyenne’s Frontier Mall, located at 1400 Dell Range Blvd., beginning at 10:45 a.m., and from CFD Park. The last bus to the open house will leave at 2:45 p.m. Pedestrian foot traffic also will be allowed at the main gate. Vendors will sell food and beverages on base during the open house.

The event takes place following the traditional United States Air Force Thunderbirds flyover at 9:30 a.m. The U.S. Navy parachute team, “The Leap Frogs,” also is scheduled to perform at the event at 1:30 p.m. Event organizers expect 2,500 attendees.

All visitors must bring a valid ID. No weapons, including pocket knives, coolers or containers will be allowed on the base. Security personnel may search all bags.

 

 

Contact Us

Institutional Communications
Bureau of Mines Building, Room 137
Laramie, WY 82071
Phone: (307) 766-2929
Email: cbaldwin@uwyo.edu


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