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Queen Vic, the Big Stick and a Tragedy in the Sky, San Pedro 2/5/16


aerialbridge
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Yesterday, was a “chamber of commerce” day here in greater Los Angeles. Dazzlingly clear, sunny, and temps around 80 F. It was TGIF, and my POD was filling in for a coworker who couldn’t make a lunch conference at San Pedro, aka, Los Angeles Harbor. Not a bad way to end the week, I was glad when I got the email Thursday afternoon. San Pedro instead of downtown LA? Yeah, I suppose I can make it, I typed back, with no indication of grinning. I never get tired of seeing the USS Iowa (BB-61) at her permanent museum berth at San Pedro, once the Navy’s home to the Pacific Fleet battlewagons, cruisers and carriers during the 20’s and 30’s. Man, if those piers and breakwater could talk. Today, it’s only the museum ships Iowa and the Victory-class WW2 era cargo ship, SS Lane Victory that fires up and goes out on occasional cruises a few miles outside the harbor with passengers and sometimes "dogfights" with a few of the old warbirds here in So. Cal.

 

San Pedro is about 35 miles from my house and not my regular stomping ground, so I threw my trusty, 10-year old digital camera in the car. Crossing the Vincent Thomas bridge just before 9 am and driving along Harbor Blvd. to my destination, I saw the Big Stick had a couple of guests—two large cruise ships. And the one berthed just astern of the Iowa, was royalty. I’m not talking the Pacific Princess “Love Boat”, it was the Cunard Lines MS Queen Victoria. Surprisingly, seeing cruise ships is not a year-round thing in LA. They operate pretty much just winter or early spring. When the conference was done, I definitely wanted to get a few shots of a 73- year old battleship parked next to a 9- year old cruise ship. The sun would be at my back and photo op time.

The meeting would wrap at 1400 on the nose. The moderator that I’ve known for ten years, has enough charisma to make JFK seem dull. During lunch talk yesterday, I found out his late dad was a career Navy ring-knocker and blimp navigator during WW2. Stationed at NAS North Island at some point, after his father retired from the Navy in the 60’s, they lived on Coronado. Of course, the family home was sold years ago. Ouch. At 4 bells, the meeting was smoothly adjourned. Our leader, facing a slow-go drive south, where each minute he delayed standing out for Dana Point would result in an additional 2-3 minutes’ drive-time, led the procession out of the building.

 

I went to my car to grab my camera and took these shots of MS Queen Victoria and the USS Iowa about 215 yesterday afternoon. Watching LA City Fireboat #2 heading up the harbor towards the breakwater pass in front of me, I figured the crew would be having about as pleasant a Friday afternoon as I was. After all, what could possibly go wrong on a warm, sunny, Friday afternoon such as this? On a clear day, you can see forever.

 

 

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Within an hour after I took these photos, two private planes collided over the ocean about 2 miles from the San Pedro harbor entrance. LA City Fireboat #2, seen in the news videos, along with other rescue craft including two US Coast Guard 87’ cutters and helicopters, were on scene in minutes. Three people died in the midair collision. A sad reminder that “out of the blue”, the dazzlingly, clear blue skies, anything can happen.

 

 

http://abc7.com/news/2-planes-collide-in-midair-crash-into-ocean-near-san-pedro-officials-say/1189104/

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/05/us/los-angeles-planes-down/index.html

 

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/02/06/three-missing-after-two-planes-collide-in-mid-air-plunge-into-southern-california-waters.html

 

 

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Salvage Sailor

Thanks for the photos and data AB,

 

Regardless of the circumstances, there are victims and tragedy associated with this collision. At a minimum, please respect the families and our members intent in posting details of this incident.

 

Aloha

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Thank you, Salvage Sailor, and Aloha. When I took these photos on Friday, I was planning on posting them with comparative stats on the two ships that I thought folks might find interesting. It took the wind out of my sails, when I heard the news that evening but I wanted to mention it, respectfully to the victims and their families and as a reminder to all of us, of the fragile gift that life is.

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Our thoughts and prayers are with the casualties of the plane collision. As for the Iowa, I hope I look that good at 73. I visited the Iowa 2 years back and you can't help but be impressed.

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