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| Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements | |
|---|---|
| Name | Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements |
| Caption | FAAM BAe 146 research aircraft |
| Formation | 1997 |
| Type | Research facility |
| Location | Cranfield, Bedfordshire, United Kingdom |
| Parent organization | Natural Environment Research Council |
Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements
The Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements is a United Kingdom–based airborne research facility that operates research aircraft and airborne instrumentation to support studies of the atmosphere, climate, and environmental processes. The facility supports observational campaigns, instrument development, and training for researchers from institutions across the United Kingdom and internationally. It provides a national capability linking funding agencies, university groups, and international programs to deliver flight-based data for model evaluation, satellite validation, and field campaigns.
The facility operates a BAe 146 research aircraft managed by the Natural Environment Research Council and hosted at Cranfield Airport, delivering airborne platforms for investigators from the Met Office, UK Research and Innovation, and multiple universities. It provides engineering support, flight operations, and laboratory calibration services enabling missions for the European Space Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the World Meteorological Organization. The capability underpins projects involving instrument teams from the University of Manchester, University of Leeds, Imperial College London, and the University of Cambridge in studies linked to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments, Global Climate Observing System requirements, and Copernicus Programme validation tasks.
The facility evolved from UK atmospheric research initiatives in the 1990s, formalized under the Natural Environment Research Council to consolidate airborne measurement assets previously dispersed across university groups. Early milestones include acquisition of a dedicated research aircraft and establishment of a permanent base at Cranfield, with governance involving the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and strategic input from the Met Office. Over successive decades the facility expanded instrumentation suites, participated in major campaigns such as those coordinated by the European Commission and the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme, and contributed to UK national research infrastructure roadmaps alongside centers like the British Antarctic Survey and the National Centre for Atmospheric Science.
The BAe 146 research aircraft is configured with modular payload bays, underwing pods, and nose radomes to host an array of instruments from aerosol spectrometers to cloud probes developed by teams at the University of Southampton, University of York, and University of Oxford. Onboard systems include aerosol mass spectrometers, lidar systems, cloud radar, dropsonde dispensers, whole-air samplers, and meteorological sensors used for measurements relevant to projects involving the Met Office Hadley Centre, Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, and the National Physical Laboratory. Instrument integration and calibration are supported by engineering collaborations with BAE Systems, Cranfield University, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
FAAM supports campaigns addressing air quality, aerosol–cloud interactions, polar processes, and volcanic ash monitoring for aviation, participating in multinational efforts including campaigns led by the European Space Agency, NASA Earth Science Division, and the World Meteorological Organization's Sand and Dust Storm Warning Advisory and Assessment System. Notable missions have included airborne validation for Sentinel satellite instruments, coordinated experiments with the ACE (Aerosol Chemical Experiment) series, and emergency response missions supporting aviation safety during volcanic eruptions in collaboration with the Civil Aviation Authority and International Civil Aviation Organization. Campaign partners have ranged from the University of Reading to Princeton University, contributing to literature used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and international assessment panels.
Data from missions are archived and curated to meet community standards with metadata practices aligned to the British Atmospheric Data Centre and European data infrastructures, enabling use by researchers from the University of Bristol, University of Edinburgh, and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry. Datasets support reanalysis efforts by ECMWF, satellite product validation for ESA Sentinel teams, and model intercomparison projects coordinated by the World Climate Research Programme and the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project. The facility implements data sharing agreements facilitating access by national facilities such as the Met Office, Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and international collaborators including NOAA and CSIRO.
Operational partnerships include long-term links with the Natural Environment Research Council, the Met Office, and academic consortia spanning the University of Manchester, University of Leeds, and Imperial College London, while project-level collaborations engage agencies such as the European Space Agency, NASA, and the World Meteorological Organization. Industry and infrastructure partners have included BAE Systems, Cranfield University, and the Science and Technology Facilities Council, with interdisciplinary links to the British Antarctic Survey, National Oceanography Centre, and satellite teams at the European Commission’s Copernicus Programme. Collaborative governance and funding mechanisms involve UK Research and Innovation and engagement with international networks such as the Global Atmosphere Watch and the Global Earth Observation System of Systems.
The facility has delivered critical observations for understanding aerosol properties, cloud microphysics, boundary-layer dynamics, and trace gas distributions, informing research by groups at the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, and the Met Office Hadley Centre. Its measurements have supported satellite calibration for ESA Sentinel missions, contributed to volcanic ash advisories used by the International Civil Aviation Organization and Civil Aviation Authority, and underpinned studies cited in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports. Through training, instrument development, and multinational campaigns, the facility continues to link university research, national laboratories, and international agencies such as NASA, NOAA, and the World Meteorological Organization to advance atmospheric science and operational services.
Category:Atmospheric sciences Category:Research aircraft operators