FAAM operates Europe’s largest flying atmospheric laboratory

Our aircraft is the BAe 146-301 Atmospheric Research Aircraft. Based on the BAe 146-300 airliner, it offers a flexible and manoeuvrable platform for airborne measurements. The aircraft has relatively short take-off and landing capabilities, facilitating access to remote locations. The FAAM team are extremely experienced in planning overseas campaigns, including getting the aircraft to obscure parts of the globe, transporting support equipment, and managing project scientists, engineers and other staff. The aircraft has conducted science campaigns in areas as remote as Alaska, Svalbard, Brazil, Guam, Ascension Island and the Azores.

Aircraft stats

More detail on the aircraft’s performance is in the Aircraft Capability section of our User Guide.

Operational altitude: 50 feet (brief periods)/100 feet (sustained flight) up to 35,000 feet

Flight duration*: 5.5 hours

Range*: 1800 nautical miles

Science payload: 4 tonnes

Personnel capacity: 18 scientists, 3 crew

*Flight duration and range vary depending on instrument configuration, fuel load and atmospheric conditions.

In addition to the aircraft, we offer modern laboratory facilities and office space, instrument configuration and installation, and a dedicated team of project managers, flight crew, operations specialists, engineers and scientists.

FAAM has access to a wide range of science instrumentation and expertise from within our own staff and our partner organisations.  From basic meteorological parameters through to advanced remote sensing capabilities, cloud microphysics and measurements of complex chemical species in the atmosphere, the aircraft is a highly flexible flying laboratory. Users can add their own instrumentation for more specialised work.