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Flipping Out
Everyday scientific work is rarely exciting, though it can be fun if you like that sort of thing. Occasionally it takes you to remote or unusual places: near Johnston Atoll in the Pacific or Yuma Proving Ground in August. But sometimes it’s the mode of transport that is unusual. There are few ships as unusual as R/P FLIP, a vessel that can operate horizontally or vertically. FLIP is towed out to sea by a tug in the horizontal position, looking like a slightly weird ship. Once on station, it is flipped up into a vertical position, everything is turned on its side. A wall becomes the floor and the ceiling becomes a wall.
This is a picture of FLIP’s bridge before flipping. That chair is going to have to be secured.
A few years ago, it was my pleasure to do an experiment on FLIP in the waters off San Diego, between San Clemente and Santa Catalina islands. We were going to be shining a laser into the water so they built a periscope just for us. The window in this picture would end up being about 60 ft. below the water line.
Since everything was going to flip, we had to build our lab after we were towed out to sea and break it back down again before being towed back to San Diego. Everything you see inside the plywood structure, including the structure itself, had to be assembled and disassembled at sea. Well, everything except me. I remained fully assembled throughout the cruise.
This is a closer look inside our lab. Isn’t the laser a pretty color?
We had only been taking data for about a day before the Navy chased us off. Turns out they were doing some exercises off San Clemente Island and we were getting in their way. When a warship tells you to get lost, you do.
We had to pack it all up in a big hurry and flip back. San Clemente Island is in the background:
We were towed back to port as night fell.
Here’s proof positive that I’ve completely flipped, as if you didn’t already know it.
That is wonderful. Thank you. Wow. Loved it.
Flipped not once, but twice, once up, once down.
Thanks. Just weird enough to be interesting but not too weird, eh?
So maybe Flipping Out was a bad title. How about Flip Flopping?
Cool. Interesting to see there is another laser jock on Ricochet.
This was flipping awesome!
Loved it. Thank you.
Reminds me of similar missions on experimental craft in San Diego and out in the blue water. Beautiful sailing. Coming back into the bay at the end of the day was spectacular. Good thing our craft was similar to a catamaran, as we skimmed right over a large sunfish. Saw pods of pilot whales and actually rammed a gray whale, who took it pretty well, although he swam in circles for a while. We were told never to speak of that incident by our Naval liaison officer. I was in charge of the non-eyesafe laser rangefinder. Science and fun. Good times. Thanks for sharing yours, good Dr.
Beautiful days, great night skies. I took this picture about 500 miles WSW of Oahu. We hadn’t seen land for a few days. Good fishing off the stern.
Isn’t that the best kind? I always follow the advice on this warning sign.
So, if you had been flung into the sea during the transition from horizontal to vertical, you would have been “flipped off.” [Okay, sorry about that!]
That was sooo interesting! Thank you.
So, he should have said, “Never type it, either!”
No, but I have one simple request:
You have a much more interesting life than I do.
I love this! Big favorite. 1064nm.
Wow! really amazing. Thanks for posting.
So far this morning, two amazing posts about things I never knew about. Ricochet is amazing
Very cool. Had no idea something like this existed. I ♥ the USA!
Anyone who has had a teenager at home had more interesting experiences than FLIP.
Hi drlorentz:
Why do this?
Hi. Fair question. Two reasons:
#1 is the same reasoning as behind SWATH hull designs.
I was hoping to use the R/V Kilo Moana for an experiment but ended up with the R/V KoK, which was not nearly as nice. I heard the food was better on the former as well. Both are based in Honolulu.
I have been on board FLIP while in port. I was taking a tour with the director as I was at the research facility on other business. Fascinating.