mazeingerz
Registered
A helicopter ride back would mean at least a 24 hours stay on the island after diving right?
Getting to Catalina by Air.
- Thread starter evilclown
- Start date
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OP
evilclown
Contributor
Excellent point! Does anybody know the answer? I hope not. I don't think choppers fly that high?
fisheater
Contributor
Heck!
The only airport on the island is called Airport In The Sky for a reason. It STARTS at over 1600 feet. That's already a bit problematic for repetitive divers and you haven't even taken off yet!
The only airport on the island is called Airport In The Sky for a reason. It STARTS at over 1600 feet. That's already a bit problematic for repetitive divers and you haven't even taken off yet!
OP
evilclown
Contributor
You're right! I'm retarded, what was i thinking? I guess i'm stuck on the boat, i new it couldn't be that easy!
Codyjp
Contributor
They wont go higher than 500' across the channel. NOAA publishes a 'time to fly' chart that you can work out your SI required before a flight to a given altitude. Use google, or PM me and I will email it to you. You shouldn't have a problem from going to 500' though. If you do, you were probably already bent before takeoff. If 500' was an issue people couldn't dive and then drive home to there houses in the valley.
Codyjp
Contributor
Catalina express doesn't land at the airport. They land at Pebbly beach heli pad which sits just above the high tide line.
I attached the files. don't hurt yourself. So far I haven't hurt myself. For flights to lower altitudes the 24 hour rule isn't always necessary depending on how nitrogen saturated you have become.
VooDooGasMan
Contributor
the luggage weight would not be enough for dive gear so we didn't take anything but a mask, never new how hassle free dive travel was without lugging gear around. brought underwater cameras also that was it. 15 minute flight and yes you pay for cab or your hotel with shuttle service it is free when you arrange it yourself.
Happy Diving
Happy Diving
i would NOT recommend getting to the island by island express. i know of two crashes in the last 4 years - the first one, everyone on board died. the most recent one a few months ago, all but one died. there are probably more! i only know of those because the first was a charter flight by my department, and the second crashed right next to my husband who was one of the first responders. yes the chances of a crash are remote and they have many successful flights, but those aren't good enough odds for me and their helicopters are notorious for being old. the ferry is lovely!
Codyjp
Contributor
Please get your facts strait prior to posting. According to the accident report SEA08MA136, there were 3 deaths, 3 injured in the accident that occurred on 5/24/08 at Twin Harbors. Not all but one dead as you stated.
When was the first one, I could not find an NTSB record of this? A query of the past 5 years only showed 3 fatal accidents in helicopters, only one (the one previously cited) involved Island Express. Could you please clarify? A friend of mine flying for them did have a duck fly through the windshield a few year ago but the only fatality in that event was the duck.
The second one (a couple months ago) sounded like a mechanical problem. The accident report isn't very specific, as they usually are.
OP
evilclown
Contributor
Flew with them this weekend. It was great! 15 minutes. Maximum altitude was 500' so I don't think you would need 24hr clearance. Only issue is luggage their storage space is really limited so it's going to depend on how many people are on the flight. I went with 2 other people and was able to bring my gear plus a carry on bag with regular stuff.
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