Fly high from home: Embark on a virtual tour of our atmospheric research aircraft

Take a virtual tour of our research aircraft and see behind the scenes of atmospheric science at the FAAM Airborne Laboratory.

Explore our unique BAe 146-301 aircraft inside and out – including some places that even our scientists can’t get to – and discover the instruments and equipment we use to study the atmosphere.

From climate change and air pollution, to weather and environmental disaster response, take a look around our research aircraft that has spent 20 years flying for science.?

What can you find??

• Locate the dropsonde ejector – you need to go inside
• While you’re there, can you find the mission scientist and flight manager seats
• Head out and look for the landing gear bay on the starboard (right) side of the aircraft
• Head to the nose to get to the turbulence probes
• Then go on up to the upper radiometers

5 facts about our FAAM Airborne Laboratory’s research aircraft

• Completed 1400 science flights across 30 countries and 5 continents
• Supported 120+ UK and international science projects, including tracking air pollution over Birmingham, monitoring methane from Scottish wetlands, testing sustainable aviation fuel, and improving storm predictions over southwest America
• Capable of flying with up to 4 tonnes of scientific instruments, as low as 50 feet over the sea and 35,000 feet high in the atmosphere
• Flights can last between one and six hours, covering up to 2000 nautical miles
• Undergoing a ￡49 million upgrade to enhance its science services and meet sustainability goals by 2027