Author Archives: cgenz

Time to Say Goodbye – or: How You Don’t Just Forget 5 Weeks in the Arctic

Posted on by
Reply

After a good five intense weeks of the COMPEX campaign, the moment had finally come: time to say goodbye. Sounds a bit dramatic – and honestly, it was. But before we said our farewells, we gave it everything we had one last time. And what a finale it was! Flight number 15 was completed. Fifteen! No other (AC)³ airborne campaign in the Arctic has ever achieved that many research flights. We’re pretty proud of that.
Of course, this success didn’t come out of nowhere. Two incredibly dedicated research teams, a whole lot of teamwork – and yes, we admit it – a little bit of help from the weather fairy certainly played their part. But let’s start from the beginning.
Yesterday, we carried out our second lead experiment northwest of Svalbard. After using the first attempt to test whether and how our idea would work, we now had the chance to refine and improve everything. And that’s exactly what we did. With great commitment, ambition, and a fair amount of flexibility, the plan was adjusted just in time – supported by near real time satellite imagery. Teamwork at its best!
After a four-hour flight, the crew returned exhausted but happy. And what better way to wrap up such a day than with a closing party at Mary Ann’s – complete with pizza, billiards, and lots of laughter.
While part of the team had already started packing their bags, a small group stayed for one extra day of the campaign. We made the most of the remaining flight hours – and just like that, we reached number 15. Mission accomplished!
This time, however, saying goodbye was especially hard. For the ground crew, it wasn’t just the end of the campaign, but also the end of an intense time spent together. And yes, it got emotional. After weeks of shared work, challenges, and experiences, a few tears were shed.
But above all, one feeling remains: gratitude. We are incredibly thankful to have been part of this amazing campaign. We’re heading home with valuable experiences, renewed motivation, and friendships that will last a lifetime.
Goodbye, Arctic! We hope you’ll be around for a long time to come – because without you, things would be pretty dull.
And to you, our dear blog readers: thank you for your interest and for following our journey.
Yours,
The COMPEXies

The cursed 13th flight — drama, foosball heroes and a happy ending

Posted on by
Reply

Some days just have a will of their own. Our “cursed 13th flight” had kept us on our toes for a while: repeatedly scheduling it, replanning, then shoving it back in the drawer — and yet: team spirit stayed unbroken. We spent the evening at Mary Ann’s with delicious Thai food. Eight teams battled in an epic foosball tournament, and the decision was as close as it was exciting: Uni Leipzig and AWI took the win. Gooooal!
When the next day was canceled again for weather and flight reasons, we made good use of the time: students from UNIS came to our hangar. The tour through Polar 5 was a highlight for many — no wonder, that beautiful plane is simply magnetic. Over coffee, cake and waffles we exchanged experiences, told stories, and in the end our guests left with big, wide smiles. Mission “spread good vibes” accomplished.
And then — drumroll — finally: yesterday the cursed 13 could be flown! Joy everywhere, Polar 5 back in the air, and a bit of work routine returned for us. Early in the morning we headed toward Kongsfjord by Ny-Ålesund: the goal was to map the spatial variability of the clouds. Several cross-sections perpendicular to the fjord helped us test our models. Two-layer clouds with tops at about 1000 m and 2300 m, wave-like structures — observed from the aircraft and from the radar in Ny-Ålesund, and best of all: our models had predicted that pretty well. Scientist’s heart, what more could you ask for?
On the ground the next flights were still planned down to the minute — even with alternative options ready until the last moment. All the more painful was the news the next morning: no flight. Not because the weather was entirely against us — rather the crew wasn’t fit. And you can’t force that. Mika is heartbroken and stands sadly beside Polar 5, which glints mystically in the fog. We can’t blame him.
But whining doesn’t help — we stay creative. Four new, brave Mermaids received their certificates — with pride, respect and a big round of applause. Congratulations!
And most importantly: we keep planning. Until the end. Every option is pulled, strategies refined, ideas forged — so we’re ready as soon as the crew is fit. Optimism remains our fuel. Chakka!

And once again, the Arctic is thawing…

Posted on by
1

You’d think we’d be used to it by now—but no, the Arctic still manages to surprise us. After a rather bumpy Easter with a broken aircraft and heavy snowfall, we were determined to finally get back in the air today. Research flight RF13 was scheduled for the third time. Third time’s the charm, right?

Well… not quite.

Instead of snow, we were met with something even more unsettling up here: rain. In the Arctic. Moments like this make our research feel very real—perhaps a little too real. “Arctic amplification” is no abstract concept here; it’s something you experience firsthand. And sometimes, that reality really hurts. We can only hope that visitors take this awareness home with them and feel inspired to contribute to climate protection in their own lives.

When you’re grounded, you make the best of it. Part of our team—especially the new mission PIs—used the time to dive deep into flight planning. Even though the chances of actually flying were slim, it was still a valuable learning experience. Others explored the cultural side of things, visiting the Svalbard Museum, browsing souvenir shops, and yes… giving their credit cards a bit of a workout 😉

Meanwhile, another group had a well-deserved day off, making the most of it with snowmobile tours and dog sledding adventures. The freshly snow-covered winter wonderland offered unforgettable impressions. As a special highlight, we even spotted a rare blue fox—a dark Arctic fox. And as if that wasn’t enough, beluga whales were swimming through the harbor, almost as if they were gliding alongside the cars on the road. Surreal—and absolutely magical.

Of course, science never really stops. To keep ourselves from feeling too much like tourists (and to avoid a bit of cabin fever), we held science meetings at the airport. We reviewed previous research flights, discussed promising early results, and refined our flight strategies. You can feel the anticipation—everyone is eager to get back into the air. There are still so many mysteries to solve.

As for the weather forecast… let’s just say it leaves room for improvement. Tomorrow doesn’t look much better, so we’ll be welcoming a group from UNIS at the airport instead, exchanging ideas and giving them a tour of the aircraft.

And after that? We stay optimistic. Sooner or later, the weather has to turn—and when it does, we’ll be ready to make the most of every flying opportunity. Our plans are set. Now we just need the weather to cooperate.

So—keep your fingers crossed!

Spatial Variability of Precipitation in Kongsfjorden

Posted on by
Reply

Five hours of flight time today, heading northwest over Kongsfjorden with the primary objective of investigating the spatial variability of precipitation in Kongsfjorden. Off the coast of Spitsbergen, there was a distinct convergence line with significant precipitation, which was also predicted very well by the model. This line was very stationary; two flyovers yielded very similar measurement data.

We reached the sea ice edge, which we were also able to observe from the plane due to the presence of only low-level clouds.

What made yesterday’s flight special was the close coordination with the AWIPEV station in Ny-Ålesund. This allowed us to observe the same clouds both from above (from the aircraft) and from below (from the ground station). These dual measurements are crucial for testing and validating our assumptions about the attenuation of radar signals.

By coordinating dropsondes from Polar 5 and radiosondes from Ny-Ålesund, we were also able to observe katabatic winds in Kongsfjorden, as significant differences in the data were evident here. Katabatic winds are cold winds that flow down from higher elevations and often occur in polar regions. Due to the complex weather conditions, today was entirely devoted to planning for tomorrow. Then it’s all about: LEADS, LEADS, LEADS! We’re excited to see if we can carry out our plan tomorrow.