Mission #3 P-3 Flight Log David J. Raymond P-3 radar illuminates C-130 to 4 N. 1349 - C130 launches. 1410 P3 launches. High overcast at airport, some convection over ocean. 1413 - Just offshore, heading into deep convective mass. 1417 - Heading S through active area. 1418 - At 6000 ft. 1421 - Verify FSSP working. LF radar working. Tail radar not yet working. 142845 - Going thru low reflectivity cloud with lots of bumps. 142929 - Into clear. Still a few clouds ahead reaching our elevation. 1431 - Verify tail radar working. Tops here to about 8 km. 1433 - In clear, widely scattered towering cu. 1440 - Isolated towering cu, otherwise mostly clear. No whitecaps. Some cells on radar 200-350 km SE. 144952 - Still some distance from towering cu, and theta-e increases. 145529 - Some tops n this region to 10 km on radar. Winds still light and variable. Still scattered towering cu. 1501 - Unlike previous flights, there are no fields of small cu here. 1503 - Theta-e is much higher than previous days. 150431 - No whitecaps. Heading into a region of trade cu. Isolated cells nearby to 10 km. Large deep convective area 100-200 km to E. Anvil spreading over us and to W. Radar shows elevation about 8 km. Wind 3-4 m/s from N at 6000 ft. 1512 - 11.7 N, 95.25 W. (We passed waypt 12 N about 5 min ago.) Trade showers, tops close to our elevation. 1518 - Trade cu, one tower to 10-12 km W, a few whitecaps. 1523 - Trade cu are in patches with broken low clouds in patches -- clear between. We still have extensive deep conv. to E with anvils overhead at 10 km. (We can see them on the tail radar.) 1531 - Getting somewhat deeper tradwind showers. Quite congested ahead. Still deep convection to E of us. 1534 - Getting some layered cloud near our elevation, 10 N. 153631 - In bumpy cloud -- tops not much higher than us -- don't show well on radar. Wind still 5 m/s from N. Lots of layered cloud below our level. No deep convection to W. Still deep stuff to E, 100-200 km. 1543 - Deep anvil over us, 5-10 km. Punching thru trade cu tops -- they aren't showing well on radar. No rain? Visually they are sheared from E. 154606 - Broken patches of trade cu, some tops above our level. It is apparently warmer at flight level than previously. 1548 - Definitely getting stratiform appearance. Last of deep conv. is E of us. 8.9 N. Wind is 3 m/s from N. 1557 - Continues to be trade cu/stratocu scattered/broken. Tops generally below us, but some layered cloud just above. 1601 - 8 N. Scattered trade cu, clearer to W, lots of layered cloud to E. Broken layer above us. 1605 - Winds from NE, 3-5 m/s. 1608 - Layer cloud solid above us, coming from light shower activity E of us. Very lazy looking trade convection. Lots of layered cloud below us. 1617 - Clear above, scattered trade cu showers, lots of layered cloud below. Bumpy in clear air. Winds increasing, still from NE. Occasional whitecaps. 1624 - Shower to E, tops to about 4 km. A lot of these ahead. 6.2 N. 1633 - Occasional tops near our height. 1635 - Getting into region of solid stratiform cloud with tops higher than us. Wind is shifting from NE to N and increasing. 1637 - Stratiform showing up on radar (barely). In solid cloud near tops. 1640 - Still in solid cloud near tops. 1642 - Winds up to 10 m/s from NE now! 1643 - Now in clear above solid stratocu. 4.9 N. 1651 - In and out of cloud. Broken stratocu below us. 1656 - Reversing course at 4 N. Lots of whitecaps. 1728 - The wind is now E at 5 m/s, which is quite different from what it was on the way down! 1749 - Got rain in top of trade shower. 1753 - Seeing deep convection on radar 100-300 km NE. 1802 - Lots of layered clouds mixed with rain showers, some tops just above us. 8.3 N. Wind now 5 m/s from NW. 1807 - A few whitecaps. 1823 - Looks like EW lines, tops to 10 km in vicinity. Large deep conv region 250 km WNW, large region 150 km NE. These both sit at roughly 11 N. In immediate vicinity we have rainshowers to just above our altitude. 1836 - E/W line 100-200 km to WNW, deep conv. 100-200 km to E on radar, anvils blowing off to W. Some anvil visible on radar near 10 km. 1841 - Some whitecaps. Flight level winds about zero. Trade cu in our vicinity, tops lower than us. 1852 - Small Cb 60 km ahead, smaller shower 20 km ahead. 185510 - Entering small shower, but with tops to 8 km. 185540 - Out. In region of towerin cu -- very narrow towers compared to height. 1859 - Wind is now 2 m/s from SW. About to penetrate tall, skinny Cb. 190213 - Penetrating -- good bumps. Tops about 10 km. 1906 - Trade cu with occasional towers to 8 km. Winds 2 m/s from W. 1912 - Deep conv. on radar 200-350 km NE to NW, which puts it near or over land. Here we have trade cu. 1924 - Clear region below, Cbs 150 km WNW, 250 km ENE. 1929 - Winds 2 m/s WNW. 1938 - Heading into stratiform rain area, tops to 10 km. 2005 - Recover Huatulco. Note: FSSP recording failed.