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She glides silently through the cobalt water, banking gently to the left so smoothly the movement is barely discernible. Seconds later, with pinpoint precision, we swoop down to chase a school of fish confused at the sight of this strange new creature of the deep. My cockpit headset crackles into life: 'Now, brace yourself for the porpoise,' says Captain Alfred McLaren, the excitement palpable in his voice.
As the joystick is thrust backwards sharply, the world's first underwater 'flying' machine shoots upwards, breaching the water surface nose-first, before splashing back down and descending once more to the depths.
The Super Aviator, a revolutionary submersible, could be considered the ultimate boy's toy. Sleek and oozing more sex appeal than your average fighter jet, the 22ft long futuristic sub has already seduced billionaires such as Roman Abramovich and Richard Branson. They've both made enquiries about buying one of the £1.5 million machines.
But this is far more than a rich man's plaything, says senior pilot McLaren, a former U.S. Navy nuclear attack submarine commander.
'This is to underwater exploration what the first Wright Brothers plane was to commercial flight.'
McLaren, who along with partners John Jo Lewis, Jay Wade and Canadian Dr Phil Nuytten are directors of Sub Aviator Systems (SAS), the company behind the Super Aviator, says the possibilities for underwater exploration in the sub are endless.
This submersible represents a revolution in underwater adventure and exploration. Most subs go up and down using a ballast system, similar to a hot-air balloon. They have limited manoeuvrability and range. Then you have unmanned subs, but they are normally tethered to a mother ship.
'This craft offers a freedom of movement never seen before. It's built along the principles of flight, with thrust, lift and drag allowing you to "fly" beneath the waves. It has wings and a joystick to bank like an aeroplane and it can turn and curve at will. Plus the visibility is much better than with scuba diving. You're not loaded down with heavy gear and you don't have to exert yourself physically in the way you do on a dive. Our sub has the ability to cover large areas for hours at a time without fatigue or decompression worries.
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