Saturday, March 14, 2009

San Diego

December 13th to 16th

In San Diego we meet up with Tim with whom we cycled into LA. like LA with Michael we get another much appreciated guided tour of the city.

And you can only go and visit decommissioned Air Craft Carrier the USS Midway! Commissioned in 1945 as the US navy's flagship, she was operational in Vietnam and during Desert Storm. There's an audio guided tour taking you through the vessel and it's collection of restored naval aircraft on the flight deck. We spend half a day there and it's not enough.



The San Diego skyline from the flight deck....



The F-14 Tomcat featured in Top Gun loaded up with Amraam and sidewinder missiles plus it's 20mm cannon. Gis a go....



There's a Huey helicopter gunship used in Vietnam, Skywarrior, FA-18 Hornet, F4 Phantom plus others. For me the star is this SH-3 SeaKing rescue helicopter that was actually involved in the rescue of astronauts after the Apollo missions 8, 10, 11, 12, 13. People who have boarded this craft - Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, Pete Conrad and Me!



View from the bridge, the catapult launching aircraft, 0 to 150mph in 3 seconds....



San Diego apparently "enjoys mild, mostly dry weather with 264 sunshine days annually". December has 33 millimetres of rainfall apparently, which is interesting as it all falls in a single day on the 14th. January has 58 millimetres and that falls on the 15th. It's the worst rainstorm in the city for 10 years. Apparently. No more rain needed until February. We hole up and drink tea. And think about Mexico.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Not sure if you watched the game on Saturday but Man Utd have launched a free phone helpline for the fans who are depressed by Saturday's result. The number is 0800 four-one, four-one, four-one.

Thanks
Hilt

Sween in SAmerica said...

2 words - ends in off.

The Sween is sulking