[Explanation] On December 22, at the Kuqa Kucha Airport in Xinjiang, the state-level shadow hosting aircraft was officially delivered and successfully made its first flight in Xinjiang.
[Explanation] This aircraft is a weather modification capacity building project in the northwest region. The China Meteorological Administration purchased and delivered a high-performance artificial weather modification detection aircraft for use in Xinjiang. The model is King Air 350 (aircraft number B-10E6). The exploration of cloud and water resources is also an aerial scientific experiment platform, which has changed the way Xinjiang has always adopted leased aircraft to carry out snow augmentation operations.
[Concurrent] Zheng Bohua, Senior Engineer of Xinjiang Weather Modification Office
This cloud radar device is that when our plane flies into the clouds, we can clearly know our position, and we can also see the height of the cloud top and the height of the cloud base. According to the height of the cloud top and the height of the cloud base, we can measure the cloud layer The thickness is very important in the artificial water augmentation of our aircraft, which makes the operation of our entire silhouette more scientific and finer.
[Explanation] On the same day, according to the aircraft artificial water increase operation plan issued by the command center, the aircraft completed the aircraft flight and equipment operating environment tests in Kuqa, Aksu and other flight areas in Xinjiang, and carried out atmospheric aerosol detection and cloud microphysics detection at the same time Work.
The Aksu region in the south of Xinjiang is a large agricultural region, with an area of about 15 million mu of arable land. Agricultural irrigation mainly relies on melting water from snow and ice in the mountains. Problems such as the shortage of water resources in spring and prominent contradictions in agricultural water use have severely restricted the healthy development of regional agriculture and forestry and fruit industries.
[Concurrent] Luo Ji, deputy director of Aksu Regional Meteorological Bureau in Xinjiang
This year is the first year for us to use Kuqa as the snow-adding base for aircraft in winter and spring in Xinjiang. This base is located after Kuqa, which will greatly shorten the time and range of aircraft travel.
[Explanation] Since 1978, Xinjiang has rented aircraft to carry out artificial snow enhancement operations by aircraft in the Tianshan Mountains, Altai Mountains, and Kunlun Mountains in winter. In recent years, it has rented 5 aircraft each year to carry out artificial rain (snow) operations by aircraft in winter and spring. Since 2019 Rent a detection aircraft to detect cloud and water resources in the air in Xinjiang.
The managed aircraft landed in Xinjiang, which is the first time that Xinjiang has its own human shadow operation detection aircraft, filling the gap that Xinjiang does not have its own aircraft for meteorological and human shadow operations.
[Concurrent] He Qing, Deputy Director of Xinjiang Meteorological Bureau
This aerial figure detection aircraft will play an active and important supporting role in the future artificial weather modification operations in Xinjiang. Therefore, in winter, we can use the favorable weather to operate in a timely manner, increase the snow in our mountainous areas, and let the passing water vapor Some more can be left in Xinjiang. According to our scientific research, it can probably (increase the airborne water falling to the ground) by (10%) to 15% in one year.
[Explanation] Xinjiang is located in the inland of the Eurasian continent, far away from the ocean, and most of the rivers are inland rivers. The melted ice and snow of the Altai Mountains, Tianshan Mountains and Kunlun Mountains are the main water source for agricultural irrigation in Xinjiang.
After the national shadow hosting aircraft lands in Xinjiang, it will facilitate the artificial weather modification operations in Xinjiang, and provide a theoretical experiment platform and scientific operation platform for increasing rain and snow in mountainous areas, increasing river water flow, and alleviating the shortage of water resources in Xinjiang.
This aircraft, together with five other leased aircraft, will "escort" Xinjiang's agricultural development.
Reported by Zuo Dandan and Li Zhihong from Kuqa City, Xinjiang
Responsible editor: [Luo Pan]