20,000 Leagues Under The Sea - The Diving Thread

[mtskull]

The Beaufighter is a rare bird indeed. Anyone who'd like to see one without diving off Malta can do so at Scotland's National Museum of Flight, at East Fortune airfield near Edinburgh. Nigel

There's also a nice one in the sea off Naxos, so I understand; right side up and all there. Must dive that one before I get too old....
East Fortune brings back memories!
More years ago than I care to remember (oh alright, it was 1997), I had been flying Jetstream 31's to earn my daily bread and was, by chance, the first pilot at my base to be converted on to the Jetstream 41, which, although ostensibly a simple stretch, was actually a very different aircraft. Having finished the simulator training, I was sent to Edinburgh to fly some line sectors, taking the opportunity to visit East Fortune while I was there. I was delighted to find not one, but two J.31's on display there and wasted no time in informing my colleagues back in Leeds that they were still flying museum pieces...

[quicksilver-wsr]

I was delighted to find not one, but two J.31's on display there and wasted no time in informing my colleagues back in Leeds that they were still flying museum pieces...

Interestingly enough, Jackie Stewart was still using a Jetstream as his personal transport some time after they ceased being fashionable.

Must have been something to do with it being a Scottish Aviation aircraft after Handley Page folded.

Nigel

[Renegadenemo]

I once flew from Birmingham to Newcastle on a J.31 and halfway back we flew into a torrential rainstorm. I remember seeing the raindrops stretched into stripes of while light under the strobes and when we touched down all hell broke loose. The aircraft went completely out of control and slid sideways up the runway with lots of things in the cockpit going, whoop! whoop! whoop!
At one point the curtain separating the terrified passengers from the terrified flight crew was wafted aside and we all got a glimpse at the fact that we were all in this together. Eventually we skated to a standstill facing the wrong way. A most memorable flight for all the wrong reasons.

[mtskull]

I once flew from Birmingham to Newcastle on a J.31 and halfway back we flew into a torrential rainstorm. I remember seeing the raindrops stretched into stripes of while light under the strobes and when we touched down all hell broke loose. The aircraft went completely out of control and slid sideways up the runway with lots of things in the cockpit going, whoop! whoop! whoop!
At one point the curtain separating the terrified passengers from the terrified flight crew was wafted aside and we all got a glimpse at the fact that we were all in this together. Eventually we skated to a standstill facing the wrong way. A most memorable flight for all the wrong reasons.

Scary stuff. The 25 knot crosswind limit was always a bit limiting; add the gusts and wet runway and there's the recipe for what you described.

Anyway, getting a wee bit off thread methinks.
What do you know about HMS Maori? I'll be diving on the wreck this afternoon

[mtskull]

Didn't get to dive HMS Maori after all; just a bit too much breeze for the vis. to be any good. Dived the Carolita barge instead, which not only turned out to be a nice easy dive but also turned out to have quite an interesting history: http://www.subwayscuba.com/divesubway/x-lighter.html
BTW, I didn't dive with this organisation, they just happened to have some good info on their site...

[mtskull]

Back from Malta now and reflecting on a fantastic trip. I would just like to throw an open question to any divers on this forum:

Since I first began diving a couple of years ago, I keep being told that PADI should stand for "Put Another Dollar In", the implication being that it is an expensive way to go diving. My experience this time has all been positive; I managed seven dives (including some interesting wrecks) and completed the Deep Diver specialty course. The cost for everything, including every bit of kit, manual, one-to-one instruction, transport from the accommodation to the dive centre and road or boat transfer (as appropriate) to the dive sites, worked out at a little under 40 quid per dive.

I reckon that is pretty good value for money. Any thoughts?

[Renegadenemo]

Since I first began diving a couple of years ago, I keep being told that PADI should stand for "Put Another Dollar In",

It more appropriately stands for 'Pay And Die Immediately' because they coax people into the water who would be a danger to themselves in the bath!

[Richie]

....

[Richie]

Also Pass And Die Imediately works as they rush you through the syllabus then sack you off Irrespective of weather you have met the standards

[mtskull]

Since I first began diving a couple of years ago, I keep being told that PADI should stand for "Put Another Dollar In",

It more appropriately stands for 'Pay And Die Immediately' because they coax people into the water who would be a danger to themselves in the bath!

Although I don't consider myself to belong in that category, I have to say that I have been impressed by the attitude of the PADI dive centres that I have used, in that I have been subject to continual assessment (whether undertaking dives that were part of a course or not) and it has always been made clear that I would not be allowed to "run before I could walk".
That said, I suppose that there is nothing to stop a reckless and over confident individual obtaining their Open Water certification and, with eight or nine dives in their logbook, buying a tank and a regulator and going straight out and getting themselves into a situation which they can't handle.....