RSS feed source: National Institute of Health
The Wood Holes Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) recently announced the newest human-occupied vehicle (HOV) Alvin pilot, Kaitlyn Beardshear.
Beardshear is Alvin’s 46th pilot and at 28 years old, one of the youngest in the program’s history. Alvin celebrated 60 years of service in June 2024.
“I’ve been working towards this for two years, and it’s really exciting that it’s all come together,” said Beardshear. “I’ve done all this hard work, I’ve got my certification, now I’m ready to get in the sub and do it. I’m ready to start diving.”
Beardshear started as an intern with the Alvin Group, a National Deep Submergence Facility (NDSF) team. In 2021, the Alvin Group hired Bearshear as a contractor and then a permanent engineer, allowing them to enter the pilot-in-training program.
During the program, trainees study all aspects of HOV Alvin, a deep-ocean submersible capable of diving to 6,500 meters below the ocean’s surface. They study the system that scrubs carbon dioxide from Alvin’s air to the ballast system that controls the submersible’s buoyancy. They must be able to draw a mechanical diagram of each system and complete multiple oral examinations to prove their knowledge about every aspect of the submersible. A trainee must perform practice dives under the supervision of an experienced pilot-in-command until they demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to dive independently and earn a
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