duncan

I know you are wrong on whether certain parties would be interested in any vehicle that would have "potential". Out-of-visual range flying machines of all types are under very close scrutiny in the U.S. The FAA are upsetting a lot of innocent civilian aerial photographers that use various flying platforms, RPVs,UAVs, r/c helicopters and even blimps. The military use them so they know what can be done. However we mustn`t get paranoid over this but make friends with Coast Guards and Harbour Masters , Lifeboat crews and every official nautical organisation than can vouch that you are just an everyday normal kinda nutter and no risk to anyone . There was a 500 metre exclusion zone around a visiting U.S.N. destroyer on a goodwill visit to an event I was at. The armed picket boat shadowed me as I went round it for a look. There was a lot of chatter on the radio between the destroyer and patrol boat. Speaking to some crew members later that night in the pub they told me that I`d been picked up on radar and identified as a "two man canoe type craft" . The guys with binoculars were telling them below that it was an aircraft carrier , this led to bets of course. When they spotted me in the pub that night I got free beer from the "eyeball" crew. Radar picked me up at 3 mile range, not bad for a wooden canoe. You`ll have a load of laughs when you get her afloat. Just one question , what is your affinity with that particular ship ? Spook 57 ! Langley Va.? Looks like your cover is blown ! He He !