San Diego in the sunshine

San Diego has lived up to its reputation for wonderful weather. Over the 8 days I spent here 6 of them were all sunny, 1 a bit overcast and chilly in the morning but sunny in the afternoon, and the last had some rain in the morning but then turned to slightly cloudy but lots of sun.

This city is spread out but has a great mass transit system (busses, trolleys, trains) to get you around. I stayed in Downtown near the Gaslamp Quarter with its easy access to the shipping and cruiseline piers, great restaurants and pubs and shopping. I explored there but also went quite a bit further a field, as well as out on boat tours of the North and South bays.

The major attraction, Seaworld, is on a set of islands in a secluded bay area just off of Oldtown, and just off of the beautiful ocean boardwalk that starts at Mission Beach and carries on to Pacific Beach. Outwards from there and I explored La Jolla. Closer to Downtown is the huge Balboa Park that has its own free trolley to get people around the park, and is home to the San Diego Zoo. Finally, not part of San Diego itself, is the city of Coronado which is accessible many ways but I took the ferry there and back. Tall buildings dominate in the Downtown but the rest of the city is very low rise, which I guess is needed as the airport is right in the middle of it all adjacent to yacht clubs, naval facilities and the bay.

For this blog entry I mostly have video for you. They may take a bit of time to load so please be patient.

Seaworld: Clyde & Seymour Sea Lion Live Show

Seaworld: Emerald Palace Dolphin, Whale & Human Show

Seaworld: the life in the park

Birch Aquarium @ Scripps (UCSD): Aquarium Views

Finally some individual pictures from the USS Midway. This ship entered US Naval service just after the end of WW II and saw action in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm before retiring to be a Museum in 2004. The Midway was the largest ship in the world until 1955, as well as the first U.S. warship too big to transit the Panama Canal. Loads of options to tour it: free audio guide for doing it yourself, interactive talks at many of the main stations for in-depth discussion on that station (flight take off, aircraft landing/ retrieval, bridge, engineering, etc.). Along with bars and restaurant to make it a full day experience. First the pictures and then some notes on some of the aircraft currently on board the Midway.

E-2 Hawkeye: was the Navy's first purpose-built Airborne Early Warning (AEW) aircraft. Nicknamed the "Hummer" due to its distinctive engine sound, the Hawkeye's overhead radar dish swept the sky for hundreds of miles in every direction. Filled with communications and sensor gear, the Hawkeye was a flying command center. It could collect, analyze, and share data with ships and aircraft, as well as coordinate multiple attacks against the enemy. Mfg: Grumman; Crew: 5; Dimensions wingspan 80 ft 7 in, length 57 ft 7 in; Weight 51,569 lbs; Powerplant 2 4,910 shaft hp Allison T56 turboprops; Performance max speed 374 mph, endurance 6 hours, calling 30,800 ft

F-8 Crusader: This fighter could actually change its shape in order to launch from and land aboard aircraft carriers. Its wing tilted away from the rest of the aircraft and its wing flaps and slats extended to provide more lift at lower speeds. When airborne, the wing returned to its normal position. The wing's saw-tooth leading edge also reduced drag when the Crusader reached supersonic speed. Armed with guns and missiles, the aerobatic F-8 was effective against MiGs over Vietnam. Mfg: Chance Vought; Crew: 1; Dimensions wingspan 35 ft 2 in, length 54 ft 6 in; Weight 34,000 lbs; Powerplant: 1 10,700 lb static thrust Pratt & Witney J57 Turbojet with afterburner; Performance: max speed 1,120 mph, range 1,100 miles; Armament: sidewinder air-to-air missiles, 20mm cannons

SH-3 Sea King: For more that two decades this chopper served as the Navy's most capable anti-submarine helicopter. A unique, boat-shaped hull and inflatable pontoons enabled it to make emergency landings in the ocean. The Sea King's power and safety features enhanced its capability in a variety of missions, including search and rescue and mine sweeping. It also served as the Presdident's helicopter "Marine One," and recovered Apollo astronauts. Mfg: Sikorsky Aircraft; Crew: 4; Dimensions: rotor diameter 62 ft, length 72 ft 8 in; Weight: 20,500 lbs; Powerplant: 2 1,500 shaft hp General Electric T58 shaft turbines; Performance: max speed 166 mph, range 625 miles.

HUP Retriever: was an early tandem rotor helicopter that entered service in 1949 as a general purpose transport and rescue helicopter. It operated from carriers and other ships. Powered by the same engine which drove the Sherman tank in World War II, the HUP is notable for having the pilot's seat on the left, unlike other helicopters, because of the rescue hatch's location in the cockpit. Superseded by the UH-2 Seasprite in the early 1960s, the HUP's success inspired further work in tandem rotor designs leading to the CH-46 Sea Knight. Mfg: Piasecki (later Boeing-Vertol); Crew: 2 to 4 passengers; Dimensions: rotor diameter 35 feet, length 56 ft 11 in; Weight 5,750 lbs; Powerplant: 1 Continental R-975-46A radial engine; Performance: max speed 105 mph; Armament: none.

F-2 Phantom II: the first jet to see extensive combat service with the Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force was the F-4 Phantom II. Although it only carried missiles, the Phantom's overall performance enabled it to fly bombing missions, provide close support of troops on the ground, and even engage agile enemy MiGs over Vietnam. While the F-4 was eventually replaced by the larger F-14 Tomcat on other carriers, the last Phantoms continued operating on the USS Midway until 1987. Mfg: McDonnell Douglas Aircraft; Crew: 2; Dimensions: wingspan 38 ft 4 in; length 58 ft 3 in; Powerplant 2 17,000 lb static thrust General Electric J79 turbojets with afterburner; Performance: max speed mach 2 (1,522 mph), range 1,616 miles, ceiling 62,000 ft; Armament: Mark 82 500 lb bombs.

F/A-18 Hornet: was the first carrier aircraft that combined fighter and bomber capability. After entering service in 1983, the F/A-18 gradually took over the roles of other aircraft to become the dominant manned fighter-bomber flying off carriers today. This particular Hornet is painted to resemble a late-model MiG fighter for air-combat training at Top Gun. Mfg: Boeing Aeropsace; Crew one/two; Dimensions: wingspan 40 ft / 44 ft 9 in, length 56 ft 4 in / 60 ft; Weight: 51,500 lbs; Powerplant: 2 General Electric 17,751 lb static thrust F404 turbofans / 2 General Electric 22,000 lb static thrust F414 turbofans; Performance: max speed mach 1.8 (1,190 mph), range 1,300 miles, ceiling 50,000 ft; Armament: 20mm vulcan cannon, sidewinder air-to-air missiles, air combat data pod.

F-14 Tomcat: the swing-wing design of the F-14 Tomcat is ideal for high-speed aerial combat (with the wings swept back) and for landing aboard carriers (wings extended). F-14s became widely recognizable in the popular film "Top Gun" in 1986. Armed with a 20mm cannon and a formidable array of guided missiles, Tomcats were the carrier battle group's first line of defence for more than 30 years. Mfg: Grumman Aeropsace; Crew: 2; Dimensions: extended wingspan 64 ft 1.5 in, swept wingspan 38 ft 2 in, length 63 ft, 8 in; Weight 72,000 lbs; Powerplant 2 Pratt & Whitney 20,900 lb static thrust TF-30 turbofans; Performance: max speed mach 2.34 (1,826 mph), combat radius 576 miles, ceiling 53,000+ ft; Armament: Sidewinder, Sparrow and Phoenix air-to-air missiles, M-61 Vulcan 20mm cannon.

A-1 Skyraider: was the Navy's last propeller carrier bomber and was the only naval aircraft to fight in Korea and Vietnam. It carried a massive payload of bombs, rockets, and cannon and could fly over the battlefield for hours. Skyraiders were especially valued for close support of ground troops. Although not deigned for combat against enemy MiG jets, on June 20, 1965 four USS Midway Skyraiders engaged North Vietnamese MiGs, shooting town one and escaping without a loss. Mfg: Douglas Aircraft Company; Crew: 1; Dimensions: wingspan 50 ft, length 38 ft 2 in; Weight 18,263 lbs; Powerplant: 1 2,700 Wright R-3350; Performance: max speed 318 mph; range 915 miles, ceiling 32,700 ft; Armament: 20mm wing cannons.