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All
systems go!
It's
6:00 a.m. and Alvin pilot Bruce Strickrott and Alvin
tech Dan Barker have been up since 5:15 doing last-minute checks
of the basket. The testing of the lights made the hangar a welcome
place to be on a dark and rainy morning. |
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Liz
preps the Sipper for its first run. The ties in her mouth are part
of the instrument set-up. |
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It takes a small army of people to get Alvin ready for
a dive. Gavin Eppard (left) was launch controller and makes a last
check with Dan Barker and Mark Spear. |
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Here's "Mission Control" for all Alvin dives. |
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Alvin Expedition Leader Pat Hickey supervises in the top lab. |
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Pilot Tony Tarantino checks out the pilot’s view prior to launch.
The inside portion of the window is only 4.5 inches in diameter and
is 3.5 inches wide. |
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| Bruce
and Mark start working on the broken A-frame part. |
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"Alvin-Mart" has the stuff to fix anything! |
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Chief Engineer Kevin Fisk (left), and Alvin crewmen Mark
Spear and Bruce Strickrott (center). |
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Hugh
Morgan wonders when they’ll be able to launch. |
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Engineer Jack McGrath joins the others to work on the A-frame problem.
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Marcel Viera and Jack McGrath climb the A-frame to replace the part. |
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Gavin "Camouflage Man" Eppard tries to stay dry during the
launch. (He was soaked anyway.) |
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Marcel
watches Alvin roll out of the hangar for a test run. Thanks
to his and Jack’s efforts, Alvin was able to start
a test run. |
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Mark adds the weights to the outside of Alvin. Without them,
the sub would be too buoyant. |
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3,
2, 1— Blast-off!
Alvin’s
unmanned test run. |
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Boatswain Wayne Bailey (looking at the camera) and the Avon
crew get ready. |
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| Dr.
Hugh Morgan gets in for his first-ever dive in Alvin. |
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Launch Controller Gavin gives the all-clear. |
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Alvin finally dives after a three-hour delay. Dr. Cary and
Dr. Morgan were aboard with pilot Tony Tarantino. |
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Special K’s idea of high-fashion deck attire. |
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