2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

Dryden Aircraft
Operations Facility
The Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility (DAOF) in
Palmdale, California now serves as the home base for
the NASA DC-8, ER-2’s and G-III aircraft. Co-location
of these airborne science platforms into a single
hangar results in substantial cost savings through
the sharing of infrastructure and aircraft support
crews. The DAOF provides common services such
as machine shops, ground equipment maintenance,
over-head cranes, warehousing, and mission planning.
The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy
(SOFIA), a heavily modified Boeing 747-SP
for astrophysics research is also based at the DAOF
and will provide further cost savings to the airborne
science program as it too shares infrastructure costs
of the DAOF.
Scientists from around the world are also benefitting
from the new facility. An integration laboratory
was included to allow instrument teams to assemble,
check out and calibrate sensors prior to installation
on the aircraft. The lab provides for safe handling of
chemicals and cryogens, ground operations of lasers
and simulation of aircraft power sources. Located
about 65 miles north of Los Angeles, the City of
Palmdale has convenient travel and logistics services
for visiting experimenters as well as access to the U.S.
Air Force Production Flight Test Complex (Plant 42)
facilities.
In 2009 deployments to sites ranging from Tahiti to
Antarctica were staged from the DAOF. The versatile
facility was also used to conduct ground-based
experiments into engine exhaust properties and also
provided lecture and laboratory space for the Student
Airborne Research Program.
Figure 63:
Welcome sign for the Dryden Aircraft Operations Facility.
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