Me Credentials

[BigJetDriver]

C-130 on the other hand will out turn any fighter made, except the A-10. Those straight wings just can't be beat.

Great aircraft, the C-130. It is the modern day DC-3. Kinda homely, really noisy, and STRONG. They are still rolling them off the line in Lockheed, Georgia!

I have a lot of time in various models of that beast, for the Blue Machine, and for the "State Department".

 

[DennisW]

Great thread. I nearly lost my coffee as well.

Me? I'm just a fly for fun Private Pilot. I've taken the Instrument written twice but never flew the check ride. Too darn busy. Maybe one day. But, why bother, my wife is an ATP, CFII and owns the Cessna Cardinal we normally fly. I've got more actual instrument time than most Instrument rated private pilots I know. When my daughter graduates from college, I intend to build an RV-7A. Then I can fly fast with a simple, nice flying airplane and still do a few aerobatics when I get bored.

I worked for Collins Avionics for about 15 years as a Program Manager. I ran the program that certified all of the new Air Transport radios for the B-777 back in the early 90's. I've crawled around all inside the plane, but have yet to get a ride. Now, I am just an Engineer doing aviation research on contracts with NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. Wonderful job and a lot less hassle.

 

[mempilot]

Dennis,

Did you know a Steve Salvay when you were at Collins?

Great thread. I nearly lost my coffee as well.

Me? I'm just a fly for fun Private Pilot. I've taken the Instrument written twice but never flew the check ride. Too darn busy. Maybe one day. But, why bother, my wife is an ATP, CFII and owns the Cessna Cardinal we normally fly. I've got more actual instrument time than most Instrument rated private pilots I know. When my daughter graduates from college, I intend to build an RV-7A. Then I can fly fast with a simple, nice flying airplane and still do a few aerobatics when I get bored.

I worked for Collins Avionics for about 15 years as a Program Manager. I ran the program that certified all of the new Air Transport radios for the B-777 back in the early 90's. I've crawled around all inside the plane, but have yet to get a ride. Now, I am just an Engineer doing aviation research on contracts with NASA Langley Research Center in Hampton, VA. Wonderful job and a lot less hassle.

 

[DennisW]

The name sounds familiar, but Collins is a big company. Where did he work? I worked in Melbourne, but travelled quite a bit to Iowa, Seattle, Tulouse, etc. Mostly to Iowa.

 

[The Kraken]

"I may need a copilot to just sit in the right seat while I taxi out."

Hey, Mem, my boy, I'd be glad to be your 2nd in command.
However, I must point out that I do have a bad habit of pulling back to a hover at about 1000 AGL to check things out.

 

[plsander]

Great aircraft, the C-130. It is the modern day DC-3. Kinda homely, really noisy, and STRONG. They are still rolling them off the line in Lockheed, Georgia!

Marietta, GA, may be a company town... but I did not think they changed the name.

Marietta, Georgia is home to Dobbins Air Force base, which shares runways with the Marietta Lockheed plant.

US 41 runs about 1000 yds beyond the end of the main runway. When I lived in Marietta there was a tire store on 41 that was pretty much exactly under the flight path. I was having my tires changed when a C5 came in to land. It was awe inspiring to see so much metal flying over head so very quietly. Ok, quietly relative to the other jet aircraft flying at Dobbins.

Saw a BUFF (B-52) take off out of Dobbins too... I was much further away that time. My ears were very very happy I was much further away.

 

[mempilot]

He worked in Iowa. He just passed away about 6 mos ago. He had retired to Arizona. I'm a friend of the family's.

The name sounds familiar, but Collins is a big company. Where did he work? I worked in Melbourne, but travelled quite a bit to Iowa, Seattle, Tulouse, etc. Mostly to Iowa.

 

[mempilot]

"I may need a copilot to just sit in the right seat while I taxi out."

Hey, Mem, my boy, I'd be glad to be your 2nd in command.
However, I must point out that I do have a bad habit of pulling back to a hover at about 1000 AGL to check things out.

Yah, me too! LOL

 

[DennisW]

He worked in Iowa. He just passed away about 6 mos ago. He had retired to Arizona. I'm a friend of the family's.

Sorry to hear about his passing. I am sure I met him somewhere along the way.

 

[mempilot]

I gotta run and help a fellow pilot build an experimental airplane in his garage. He's providing the beer for the first 5 takers, so I gotta go fast. I'll catch you guys later tonight.