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Attention LA: That Loud, Low-Flying Plane You Might Hear Is Collecting Pollution Data
A DC-8 lifts off from Palmdale. A low-flying plane is collecting data Saturday over the L.A. area.
(
Carla Thomas
/
Courtesy NASA
)
Topline:
NASA officials are warning folks in the L.A. area not to be startled if they hear a loud and low-flying plane on Saturday, Aug.16.
About the mission: Called the Atmospheric Emissions and Reactions Observed from Megacities to Marine Areas or AEROMMA (get it?), the flight is latest in a project to capture data on air quality and sources of pollution. It's part of a research mission with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
When? Officials say the plane would be heard and seen around L.A. from midday Saturday though the late afternoon. To track its exact location, you can use this link to FlightAware.com.
Or NASA advises you to:
- Head to FlightAware.com
- Find the search bar for Flight Number, Tail Number, or City.
- Enter the tail #: N817NA, and search.
- Find and follow the DC-8 aircraft in real time as it flies!
Here's what Saturday's flight path looked like:
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Here's what Friday's flight path looked like:
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