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Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s … super planes! Three tricked-out research aircraft to be exact. Salina is serving as the base location for the three research aircraft and the project operations center for the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry experiment, also known as DC3. Scientists with the project will give a special presentation at the Smoky Hill Museum on Tuesday, June 5, at 5:30 pm. This program is provided by the National Center for Atmospheric Research through a partnership with the Salina Airport Authority.

Join principal investigators for the DC3 experiment as they share research about thunderstorms and the impact they make on the atmosphere. When thunderstorms form, air near the ground has nowhere to go but up and suddenly you have an air mass at high altitude that's full of chemicals. The DC3 scientists will fly through these plumes to collect data as a storm is under way. Then they'll fly through the same air mass the next day, using its distinctive chemical signature to see how it's changed over time.

"We want to know what comes in and what comes out -- convection. We want to see that process," says Bill Brune one of the principle investigators. The hope is for the data to help them understand the role of chemistry in air pollution, climate change and global warming.

This free presentation is offered at the Smoky Hill Museum, Tuesday, June 5, 5:30 pm.