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DEEPFLIGHT FAQs

THE DEEP FLIGHT SUBMARINES IN GENERAL:

How are the Deep Flight submersibles different than all other submersibles? The DeepFlight submarines are an entirely new class of submersible that work on the principles of flight. All conventional submersibles use ballast to sink and rise in the water column. Whereas, the Deep Flight craft do not use ballast. They are uniquely positively buoyant (always float back to surface) and operate on the same principles as flight through air, using downward “lift” on the wings to fly to depth. Additionally, the DeepFlight submarines are the smallest and lightest personal submarines on the market.

What is the significance of underwater flight? The transition to underwater flight gives us the range and speed to explore the three quarters of our planet that is covered by water. From a pure “experience” point of view, underwater flight is the ultimate. Imagine flying over ancient shipwrecks, or keeping up with the marine mammals -- barrel-rolling with dolphins and spyhopping with whales. With the addition of DeepFlight Dragon, we now offer DeepFlight submarines with hovering capabilities.

How do the Deep Flight craft actually work? The Deep Flight submersibles are positively buoyant. Similar to an aircraft on a runway, Deep Flight Super Falcon has to gain speed (about 2 knots) on the surface of the water, and then the pilot pushes the joystick down and the sub’s nose will dive down. DeepFlight Dragon has four powerful thrusters, and this craft dives purely on the power of its thrust.

How deep can DeepFlight dive? We design/build vehicles to access all depths of the ocean, including full ocean depth (11,000 meters); however, our sweet spot is building for the edge of darkness or the twilight zone – which is to 400 feet.

Who buys a DeepFlight submersible? We have designed and built DeepFlight submarines for many well-known people, such as Sir Richard Branson; venture capitalist, Tom Perkins; Red Bull founder, Dietrich Mateschitz; and the late adventurer, Steve Fossett, among others. We began selling to superyacht owners, and are now also selling DeepFlight craft for resort operations. We envision expanding in the near future so that people can experience DeepFlight at resort locations around the world.

How do you launch and recover a DeepFlight submersible? DeepFlight submarines can be launched from yachts, using the same equipment used to launch and recover yacht tenders. Our craft can also easily be launched from shore bases via beaches or boat ramps.

What kind of training is needed? When someone buys a DeepFlight submarine, we work closely with the client to train his team on operations, maintenance and also assist with integration into yacht or resort operations. We find that most of our clients are interested in flying the submarine themselves. After all, you don’t buy a sportscar, and hand the keys over to a chauffeur!

Also, DeepFlight Super Falcon is what we call a hydrobatic craft, and was designed for people who are interested in experiencing pure flight and learning extreme underwater maneuvers. Training to fly this sub is typically done via a three-day course. DeepFlight Dragon, our newest craft, was designed for people who wanted to experience the underwater world, without worrying too much about the flight controls and life support systems. We envision this craft will require much less training, and certainly does away with the need for a trained pilot in a third seat.

SAFETY ISSUES:

How safe are DeepFlight craft? Submersibles, in general, are very safe; and the Deep Flight craft are among the safest. Deep Flight submersibles have higher safety factors than aircraft, and the positive buoyancy of our craft (they always float back automatically to the surface) adds greatly to the safety.

Can people get “the bends” and other pressure-related illnesses? No. Our DeepFlight craft are built with pressure hulls to keep the human safe, and so the cabin pressure remains at one atmosphere. Therefore there are no pressure-related issues for the human body.

How long does the air last in the submersibles? There is generally 24 hours of life support in the Deep Flight submersibles. Dives are typically 1-3 hours.

What happens in emergencies -- the sub runs out of power, etc? The Deep Flight craft are fixed positively buoyant. If, at any time, the craft loses power, it will naturally glide back up to the surface -- an obvious and valuable safety advantage.

 Is there ongoing communication with the sub while it is diving? Yes, we use off-the-shelf voice communication systems that act as if they are two-way radios but use acoustic carrier waves, rather than electromagnetic carrier waves.  The pilots also communicate with eachother via “throat mikes.” For surface communications, we can use VHF radios between the submarine and surface crew.

THE EXPERIENCE OF UNDERWATER FLIGHT:

Do you need to know how to scuba dive or swim? You do not need to know how to dive or swim to fly in our DeepFlight submersibles.

Aren’t the submersibles claustrophobic? No. The viewing space is much greater than conventional submersibles, and the optical qualities of the glass couples with the water and makes the glass domes disappear.

How do you see down there? For our deeper subs, we mount specially designed underwater lights. One of our goals is to create as little a footprint as possible as we explore the oceans, so we are working with LED lights to minimize the light we are putting into the oceans. Our Super Falcon and Dragon subs do not need lights as they are built for 400 feet.

Is underwater flight a high adrenaline experience? Underwater flight is extremely quiet and balletic. However, if you choose to have a more fast-paced experience, the Super Falcon is completely hydrobatic and can perform maneuvers, such as standing on its tail and spyhopping out of the water, or pointing its nose straight down and diving in a few seconds from blue to inky black waters.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER/BUILDER:

Graham Hawkes, an internationally renowned ocean engineer/inventor, has been responsible for the design of a significant percentage of all manned (and more than 300 remote) underwater vehicles built for research or industry worldwide, including the Deep Flight series of winged submersibles. With DeepFlight, Mr. Hawkes has innovated the technology needed to fly underwater and has successfully introduced five generations of ultra-lightweight, positively buoyant submersibles. Mr. Hawkes has designed submarines for such well-known people as Sir Richard Branson; venture capitalist, Tom Perkins: Red Bull founder, Dietrich Mateschitz and others. He has successfully founded several ocean engineering/exploration companies and is widely considered to the leader in his field.

DeepFlight was founded in 1996 by world-renowned engineer, Graham Hawkes, with the goal of innovating underwater craft to open human access to the oceans. The company has made significant technological breakthroughs, including creating the only positively buoyant personal submarines and applying the principles of flight underwater. In 2012, the company transitioned from a research and development organization to focus on commercializing its series of advanced personal submarines designed, built and operated for the private owner and recreational markets, including the superyacht and tourism industries. Learn more at , and engage with us at deepflight and deepflightocean. Please also visit deepflight to learn more about investing in DeepFlight.

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