This work is part of the IPY-THORPEX cluster and it is partially supported by the University of Oslo (Norway), the European Fleet for Airborne Research (EUFAR) and the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics. The observations were performed with the DLR research aircraft FALCON which was based on Andøya (Vesterålen, Norwegen) during IPY-THORPEX. The DLR FALCON was equipped with a new generation of remote-sensing instruments: the newly developed multi-wavelength Differential Absorption LIDAR (DIAL) WALES which measured tropospheric aerosols and for the very first time water vapor with four different wavelengths. Additionally, the 2μm-Doppler-LIDAR provided simultaneous wind profiles below the aircraft. The multi-wavelength DIAL WALES is a predecessor instrument for future space missions.