Fort Jefferson by Amphibious Plane

#Fort_Jefferson_Amphibious_Plane

Fort Jefferson is located 109 km (68 miles) west of Key West Florida in the Gulf of Mexico and is part of the Dry Tortugas National Park System

KeyTip;
 The ferry (state of the art catamaran ) will cost you $220.00US which includes breakfast snack, box lunch, snorkeling equipment, entrance fee to Dry Tortugas National Park / Fort Jefferson plus takes around 2 hours
For me and my adventurous soul 😂 i opt for the Amphibious Plane half day excursion $466.00 + $15 Fort fee plus you arrive in 40 minutes 

 

So this type of plane is called an amphibious aircraft as it can takeoff plus land both on runways or water
Seaplanes can only take off and land on water

Everyone gets a window seat plus headset with some interesting facts from the pilot

For one he talked about the Chugs (as in the noise some of these homemade boats / engines make)
 from the Cuban migrants
 They try and make the dangerous 160 km (100 miles) journey through the Florida Straits, then apparently if they make it to one of the US Islands they can request political asylum

We fly at such a low altitude 150 meters (500 feet) i captured our shadow on the water below.

Two of the 1700 islands that make up the Florida Keys, this archipelago extends from Soldier Keys to the Dry Tortugas

Odd Fact;
About 800 do not have names, talk about not feeling the love 😅

This area is home to the only living coral barrier in the continental United States, also because of its tropical climate it has never recorded any freezing temperature like other parts of America

Splashdown

 Wheels Up for landings as it could cause the plane to flip over
Also our pilot told us he preferred the water not to be glassy smooth, as without any "texture" you can lose your depth perception which then cannot judge the height above the landing surface

Finally he mentioned he had some oars, as there are no traditional brakes (so with the combination of wind and the lack of precise stopping means) we might have to manually assist the aircraft to the beach 

This picture says it all......way cool experience landing in/on the Gulf of Mexico

Pilot Training

To fly an amphibious plane you need to get a seaplane rating which requires ground and flight programs at an aviation school, plus of course pass the test
To operate these crafts involves different techniques than the land model, as its has a more complex water takeoff procedure where the plane needs to lift early to reduce drag
 

This military post of Fort Jefferson offered the ships patrolling the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits protection from the weather, also a place to resupply and refit
 
It was also used as a Civil War Blockade as Union ships used the harbor to stop southern shipping during those times

Historical Fact
The USS Maine coaled up and left here for Havana Cuba which helped ignite the Spanish-America War

It took nearly 30 years to built this fortress (1846-1875)
but it was never fully finished or armed as originally planned

With improvements over the decades with artillery, it made the forts brick and masonry walls vulnerable thus it was no longer effective for its intended purpose
Also due to engineering challenges, as the structure was sinking into the sand

What started out as a 70 foot wide salt water moat to protect against an amphibious assault, ended up being an engineering folly
A faulty sewer design led to the area effectively serving as collection basin for the forts peak military years
This contributed to the harsh living conditions plus disease outbreaks

During the Civil War the fort was used as a prison for mainly Union deserters
Its most famous incarcerated person was Dr. Samuel Mudd who was the physician who treated John Wilkes Booth after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
He was eventually pardoned by President Andrew Johnson for his efforts in fighting a yellow fever epidemic at the fort

Today the moat is a vibrant marine habitat plus when government funding allows, baby sea turtles are sometimes raised in the shallow water here for their first year of life

KeyTip
Snorkeling or swimming is not allowed within the moat, the exterior of the walls yes
You may see some cultural artifacts like old anchor chains, cement barrels plus of course marine life 

The nickname of Fort Jefferson was The Guardian of the Gulf
As it was a strategic location to protect one of North Americas most important deep water shipping channels, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic Ocean

The forts walls were built with wrought iron components, but over time with the saltwater elements it has caused it to expand thus pushing the brick apart
 This has caused structural damage with large sections collapsing into the moat
and now with the destruction from the latest hurricanes, the area will require significant repair and strengthening

I feel very fortunate to have been able to have walked on top of the moat, because for now it is closed to at least 2026

Fort Jefferson is the largest brick structure in the United States with over 16 million and was constructed this way to withstand cannon balls from hostile vessels
The construction of such a large project had many issues including transportation of workers and supplies

J.N.O. Nolan was a master bricklayer who etched his name into several bricks, but good luck with that search 😂

 Maze
The meaning; is of a complex with often a confusing network of passages, i agree 😀

Ponce de Leon called the area Dry Tortugas
He did as he knew there was no fresh water, but an innovative system of cisterns was built in the forts walls to collect rainwater
But then the fresh aqua supply was compromised as the crumbling collection tanks cracked under its on weight, thus allowing salty ocean water to enter

With a shortage of workers President Lincoln started to offer condemned men pardons for a years work here at Fort Jefferson, but the conditions were harsh
As for example in 1867 Yellow Fever killed 39 staff and workers  

One of the 450 cannons at the fort that were never needed or used

Some included the 15 inch Rodman which could fire a 180 kg (400 pound) projectile over 5km
(3 miles) which were mounted on center-pintle carriages that allowed them to rotate 360 degrees

Time to leave The Gibraltar of the Gulf with all its history