From June 22 to July 2, 2025, the skies above Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond, Los Angeles, the Salton Sea, and California’s Central Valley will host an exciting scientific mission. Two research aircraft—NASA’s four-engine P-3 Orion and a King Air B200 operated by Dynamic Aviation—will conduct a series of low-altitude flights as part of NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program (SARP).
These flights, based out of NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, are not your typical air traffic. Pilots will fly well below standard commercial altitudes, executing complex maneuvers including vertical spirals between 1,000 and 10,000 feet, circling over power plants, landfills, and urban areas. Some flights will even feature missed approaches and low flybys along runways, all in the name of science. The goal? To collect detailed air samples and atmospheric data near the Earth’s surface.
On the East Coast, residents in and around Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Virginia cities like Hampton, Hopewell, and Richmond can expect to see these aircraft between June 22 and 26. Then, starting June 29, the operation shifts west to California, covering the Los Angeles Basin, Salton Sea region, and the agriculturally rich Central Valley through July 2.
The mission is part of SARP, NASA’s prestigious eight-week summer internship program designed to give undergraduate students hands-on experience with airborne science campaigns. Students don’t just observe—they help operate advanced science instruments aboard both aircraft to collect real-time environmental data.
NASA’s P-3 Orion (tail number N426NA), equipped with a suite of six atmospheric instruments, will carry out up to 40 hours of science flights per coast. Meanwhile, the King Air B200 (N46L), flying a separate but complementary profile, adds another layer of data collection, often flying in tandem with the P-3 for maximum coverage.
“The SARP flights have become mainstays of NASA’s Airborne Science Program,” said Brian Bernth, chief of flight operations at NASA Wallops. “They expose highly competitive STEM students to real-world data gathering within a dynamic flight environment.”
Bernth also emphasized the complexity of the mission. “Despite SARP being a learning experience for students and mentors alike, our P-3 is performing maneuvers in some of the most complex and restricted airspace in the country. Tight coordination and crew resource management are essential to ensure every flight is conducted safely and with scientific precision.”
As these unique research aircraft take to the skies this summer, they’re not only advancing our understanding of the atmosphere—they’re also training the next generation of environmental scientists and aerospace professionals. So if you’re near one of these flight zones, don’t be surprised to see a NASA plane making graceful spirals or low passes overhead. It’s science in action.