WALLOPS ISLAND, VA - NASA’s P-3 Orion aircraft may be a common sight over Delmarva this week as the plane flies out of Wallops Flight Facility to conduct research flights near east coast cities.
According to NASA, the low-altitude atmospheric research flights will be conducted over power plants, landfills, and urban areas near Philadelphia, Baltimore, and some Virginia cities including Richmond from June 22 to June 26. Pilots are expected to execute special maneuvers such as vertical spirals between 1,000 and 10,000 feet, according to NASA.
Officials say the flights are part of NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program (SARP), an eight-week summer internship program providing students with hands-on experience in a scientific campaign.
“Despite SARP being a learning experience for both the students and mentors alike, our P-3 is being flown and performing maneuvers in some of the most complex and restricted airspace in the country,” said Bernth. “Tight coordination and crew resource management is needed to ensure that these flights are executed with precision but also safely.”
Research flights are also planned for California beginning June 29.
More information on the Student Airborne Research Program can be found here.