The Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE) was launched aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on September 9, 1994. It employed a three-wavelength Nd:YAG lidar system. The validation of LITE involved ground truth experiments which were carried out by over 50 international groups consisting of both airborne and ground-based lidar platforms. Our experiment involved the operation of an airborne Nd:YAG lidar system, at the fundamental wavelength of 1064 nm, aboard National Research Council's Convair 580 (CV580) aircraft, operating in a nadir orientation. Two flight tracks aligned with orbital tracks over California's coast provided an interesting study. First, comparisons with preliminary LITE data and CV580 results will illustrate the transport of urban aerosols from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Secondly, a correlative study of cloud top heights, obtained from a marine stratus cloud deck off the coast of California showed agreement with the 10 s averaged LITE data of ¿50 m. ¿ American Geophysical Union 1996