Hello Everyone,
So I’m writing once again, now with a few more dives under my belt. I am beginning to really understand how to pilot Argus and make sure I work cohesively with my Hercules pilot. Not only that, but I am getting much better at recognizing what things are on the ROV, what they do, and when they aren’t the way they should be. This is huge because as an ROV pilot, its not just important to be able to drive your craft, but to know when something is wrong and what is the best way to fix it.
I’m learning that checklists can be your best friend, and by following the checklist, I can spot issues in a very methodical manner, which is the typical approach. If you think about it, it really is incredible what we subject these vehicles to. The other night, the pressure on the vehicles was around 4000lbs per inch. That is literally like taking the vehicle I pilot and putting one of them on each inch of your body, or two hippos for every inch as Katy would say. So there is something to say for how great these instruments are and how impressive it is that they can still work after that. It also makes it clear why it is imperative to take care of them and go over every inch after and before a dive. I came across a leak in one of the manipulator arms after a recovery. It was a pinched o-ring, smaller than your pinky nail. But, if the arm kept leaking or too much water got in, the arm could have been ruined or at the very least need to be rebuilt.
So you can see that a major part of my job is not just piloting, but making sure the robots work. It can be a dirty job at times, but it is immensely important and incredibly engaging!!!
Until next time!!