CAM-AIR

Cameras are installed in the cockpit of ARM’s research aircraft looking forward and on some campaigns in the belly of the plane looking down at the ground. When a single camera is flown, the higher resolution P1347 camera is placed in the cockpit. Otherwise, it is positioned in the nadir and the P1344 camera is placed in the cockpit.

Both cameras take one picture per minute, which are then stitched into a flight-long video providing context for the measurements taken on board. The forward camera shows if the plane is in cloud or clear air. The nadir camera shows the surface the aircraft is flying over, such as land, water, or cloud, to provide insight into factors affecting the on-board nadir radiometers. The images are useful for determining vegetation cover as well.