aircraft underwater

[Padipro]

Check out this link on a B-29 bomber lost in Lake Mead back in 1948. It sits in over 250 feet of water and if I remember right it's in some kind of protected area so no one is allowed to dive on it but the pictures are wild.

Scott

B-29

 

[Hoya97]

The Corsair off of Oahu is awesome! It's at 108 feet and in excellent condition considering how long it's been down there. Most everything is intact and you can tell it is a real wreck as the props are bent back - due to it crash-landing in the water.

I talked to a number of dive operations in the Jax area and they said that the A6 wrecks are totally destroyed now. Anyone have any additional data on that? Would appreciate it!

Lee

 

[100days-a-year]

Jax or SA charters don't dive the A-6s or any of the other planes here except privately to spearfish.I can assure you as of a few weeks ago the planes in SA were just fine and this spring the inshore planes in Jax were fine.The offshore planes and parts in Jax are loaded with snapper right now and the offshore planes in SA that aren't part of the A-6 drop are fallen apart.There are several planes that are dove but thier history is unknown.

 

[fweber]

There's a PBY (flying boat) on the west side of Tahiti Nui, inside the reef. About 60' if I remember correctly, one resident eel to deal with if you want to sit in the pilots seat.

 

[Hoya97]

Do you know of any operations that just run tours out there? I called around once, and was rebuffed a few times by local operations. Would appreciate any info on operations that run trips out there.

Thanks

Lee

 

[Hallmac]

MgicTwnger once bubbled...
Mermet Springs, a quarry in southern Illinois, has a Boeing 727. Very cool!
Their web site is: http://www.mermetsprings.com/

You are aware it's the one used in the movie "US Marshals" weren't you?

Hallmac

 

[100days-a-year]

Hoya97,there is a smallboat charter that may the owner is Seabeast on www.spearboard.com There are currently several more boats being bought,refurbished or chartered in Jax.APD has 2 right now a 30' Island Hopper and a 32' Crusader.Scuba Cove will have one online soon if not now.There are at least 2 other boats available but it's like musical boats here.The Jax planes run way south or deeper than 100' which makes them poor choices for most captains.The SA planes are either small,deteriorated or at 115' with current and many fishermen to cope with.Mostly just not viable for charters.

 

[mwilding]

Here are some great pictures Xjae took at Dutch last week. There are some great pictures of both the Cesna and the Sikorsky...

 

[200 Bar]

I heard there was a B-52 sunk close to Tampa Bay, but not exactly sure where..Pinellas County Reef..?? Has anyone dove it, or familliar with it..??

 

[beche de mer]

Scuba Jim once bubbled...
Blackjack, a B17 bomber in Milne Bay, PNG

Hey Scuba Jim.

Blackjack would have to be one of the best aircraft dives in the world, wouldn't you say? B17, totally intact, sitting upright in 40 metres of clear blue water. We were there last year with Rod Pearce, a dive operator who has in-depth knowledge (ahem) of all the wrecks in that area. Rod's lived in PNG all his life and has extensively studied the history of the Pacific war in that region.

What makes these aircraft so intriguing is the history that surrounds them. Most have been identified and the details of their last flight determined from the military archives. Blackjack's story is an interesting one. Ran out of fuel on the way home from a bombing sortie on the Japanese in Rabaul. Ditched in the water about 200 metres offshore. All the crew got out OK and had a pleasant few days living with the locals in the area until they were returned to their unit.

Another aircraft that Rod took us to was one that he had discovered just the previous year. It's a Beaufighter that lost an engine and ditched on a shakedown flight. All the crew got out OK. The Beaufighter's in 60m, which is about the limit for air. We only gave ourselves 10 minutes on the bottom but that's one of the good things about aircraft - it doesn't take long to have a good look at them.

Rod had another one up his sleeve. It's a Blenheim bomber he'd discovered just a couple of months previously. He wasn't keen for us to dive it until the crew's remains had been removed. We'll be back there early next year, so hope to see it then.

It's nice to talk to someone who's done Blackjack. Happy diving.