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OceanGate discovered a World War II-era Grum- man F6F Hellcat plane off the coast of Miami Beach. The plane was found during one of an ongoing series of dives in which OceanGate has been using its Teledyne BlueView high-frequency sonar and high-deÞ nition photo and video equipment to gather data per- taining to the artiÞ cial reefs in Miami-Dade County waters. Recognizing the potential historical and military signiÞ cance of the Þ nd, OceanGate contacted ofÞ cials at both the Smith- sonian Institution and the U.S. Navy, who identiÞ ed the wreck as a Grumman F6F Hellcat Þ ghter aircraft. ÒThe discovery of this artifact is signiÞ cant because it helps us reß ect on and learn more about our countryÕs heritage, but also because it highlights the key role that direct observation plays in under- sea exploration,Ó said Stockton Rush, co-founder and CEO of OceanGate. ÒOur sonar technology and ability to observe the undersea environment Þ rst-hand ultimately led to the discov- ery of this plane.Ó Using a Manned SubmersibleOceanGateÕs deep-sea manned submersible solutions are a platform for direct underwater exploration, and are quipped with high frequency 2D and 3D sonar equipment, as well as a multitude of data collection capabilities. OceanGateÕs An-tipodes submersible, which enabled the discovery, allows a team of up to Þ ve people to collaborate at depth and gather Discovery F6F Hellcat WWII-Era Aircraft Discovered off Coast of Florida F6F Hellcat WWII-Era Aircraft Discovered off Coast of Florida OceanGate Inc. discovers Grumman F6F Hellcat off the coast of Miami using manned submersible, 2D and 3D sonar technologies. Photo: Courtesy of OceanGate, Inc. Photo: U.S. Navy?s National Museum of Naval Aviation, Pensacola, Fla. Left image above: Flight Deck Crew Swarm Over an F6F Hellcat - July 1944. Right image above: Wreck of the F6F recently found by OceanGate?s deep-sea manned submersible. January/February 2013 8 MTRMTR #1 (1-17).indd 8MTR #1 (1-17).indd 81/29/2013 10:44:47 AM1/29/2013 10:44:47 AM
