Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. I made my flight plan. What do I do now?
2. How do I pay for my data?
3. I am entering information, but nothing is working. What should I do?
4. What web browsers are supported?
5. What is the difference between polarimetric and interferometric modes?
6. What is the maximum duration for a flight plan?
7. I imported a KML file, but I can't click on it to add a new item, like a flight line. What should I do?
8. I need help. Who can I contact?

1. I made my flight plan. What do I do now?

You should submit your flight plan to JPL for review. This can be done in your flight plans page that you can access from your account. More information can be found in the "View Previous Plans" section of the Flight Plan Report help topic.

In addition, if you haven't already, you need to submit a flight request to the NASA airborne science program (SOFRS) for review and approval. After your flight request is approved, you will be contacted regarding scheduling your flight.

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2. How do I pay for my data?

The NASA cost for G3 flight hours is approximately $2,500 per flight hour, plus mission peculiar costs if the G3 aircraft must use an airport other than the NASA/Dryden Palmdale airport.

Typically, these flight hours are paid through NASA funded science tasks, either as a separately funded line item in the budget or through an augmentation of the budget for the science task by the cognizant NASA program manager.

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3. I am entering information, but nothing is working. What should I do?

Try refreshing the page. Your flight plan is constantly being saved to the database, so when you refresh, it will load again in the page.

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4. What web browsers are supported?

For creating the flight plan, only Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, or Apple Safari are currently supported.

However, the 'Flight Plan Report' page that is created by clicking 'Create Report' may be viewed on any web browser including Microsoft Internet Explorer.

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5. What is the difference between polarimetric and interferometric modes?

The image swaths that will be obtained after image processing are shorter and sometimes narrower than the radar illuminated ground swaths. This is indicated on the map.

When in UAVSAR's standard polarimetric imaging mode, the processed image swaths will be shorter than the illuminated ground swaths, with 3 km and 7 km lost on each end. When it is desired to obtain a repeat pass interferogram with two passes by UAVSAR, the processed interferogram will be shorter and narrower (worse case, 6 km is lost in the near range, with 6 and 14 km lost at each end of the image swath).

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6. What is the maximum duration for a flight plan?

For the Gulfstream III jet that UAVSAR flies on, its maximum flight time is about 6 hours from takeoff to landing.

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7. I imported a KML file, but I can't click on it to add a new item, like a flight line. What should I do?

There are 2 ways to get around this. You can:

1. Hide the KML by unchecking its checkbox in the "Airports & Flight Lines" area below the map. Draw your flight line, or other item, where the KML used to be, then click the checkbox to show the KML again.
2. Add your item outside the KML and drag it to the desired location on the KML.

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8. I need help. Who can I contact?

Please send us a message through our contact page.

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