Whats your day job?

[alex_pozgaj]

I have the pleasure of leading a team of highly motivated software developers in a company producing voice communication systems for air traffic controllers. And in the free time, I develop Wing Helper, ensuring that my own programming skills don't rot away, since they don't let me program any more on the job.

 

[miraton]

I know my reply is a bit late, but I’m so impressed by your career journey! I've always admired folks with such talent and skill in invention and engineering. My path has been a bit simpler—I've been a medical assistant for a while. But, now, I'm considering a new career path.

 

[Shoelace]

I know my reply is a bit late, but I’m so impressed by your career journey! I've always admired folks with such talent and skill in invention and engineering. My path has been a bit simpler—I've been a medical assistant for a while. But, now, I'm considering a new career path.

Thanks for bumping this thread up... I didn't even know it existed. Pretty interesting stuff here.

EDIT: Oh yeah... I'm a lieutenant for the SFFD. I am super lucky that I never wake up and dread going to work, in fact most days I look forward to it. Very fortunate in that way.

 

[Shoelace]

We may have a bot in this thread. Dresheld and Miration's posts are the same, unless I'm missing a joke.

 

[Wayne]

You got me.. They have both been on here since 2021.

 

[thenated0g]

Yeah that is weird. Two accounts from 2021 that have just posted for the first times and have the same exact post.

 

[Wayne]

Yep.. You got me. Seems they are patient if they are doing something. Or perhaps the second posting was a screwed up quoting?

 

[jakem]

I am a Plumbing Contractor specializing in light commercial and custom homes, Wish I could say more but I started plumbing at age 17 right out of high school and haven't done anything else. 33 years of doing the same thing is getting old and my body is breaking down but I try to make the best of it, it could be worse!

 

[Wayne]

Don't let him fool you, I think he could bench press a VW.

I think it is always interesting to hear how people became interested in flying models.

 

[rcsoar4fun]

My career in R/C got started by putting an r/c sailboat kit (Dumas Star 45") on layaway. Layaway ended early and dad bought us a Goldberg Electra. Poor thing never flew with a gold case Futaba and 6 cell r/c car battery. I think next one was a Bob Martin Bobcat. Not a great airplane, but I learned to fly. That was seemingly forever ago. I don't feel old, but the facebook ads I get suggests I am old.

Learning about all of the technical side of aviation somehow parlayed into a career in IT. Started out doing desktop, then system admin, network then currently in security. Currently ISSP/A-CISO level. Not very exciting, except when deficiencies are reportable to Congress. Spend my career in big network projects, Tier 1 ISPs, some big DoD stuff, etc. I would rather do that then my currently line of work, but guess which pays better?

I have been flying full scale about 10 years or so, with a pretty good break in between. Currently a member of a great club, which means I have regular access to great airplanes at really reasonable prices. When not flying I keep pretty busy with my kids activities. Boy Scouts, etc. Lots of camping and outdoors stuff.

 

[jakem]

I was HEAVY into 1/8th scale nitro buggy racing some years back and traveled down to the la area every weekend to race. I spent an embarrassing amount of money but I would do it again. It was a really fun time in my life. Its cool to be surrounded by people that all have the same passion.

Fast forward to around 7 years ago. I went through a divorce and that same year met my fiance who happens to own a mountain!

My buddy Scott is the reason I got into flying. Took him up the hill to check out the view( its amazing!)and maybe scope out building some mtb trails and he told me how he used to fly gliders and if Ive ever thought about it.
We took a trip the local hobby shop that week looking for something and ended ip with a night radian as a first plane which I still have and enjoy flying here and there and now Im fully addicted and cant get enough!

The flying community seems to be a small close knit family all with a similar passion, love it

 

[G-man]

Hello everyone,

I'm a planner, retired from the New York State Police. At other times during my life I have worked as an automobile mechanic, an auto shop instructor and youth counselor in a reform school, a training instructor for police planners, an instructor for criminal justice program evaluators. Since retirement I've volunteered at a regional food bank, and tutored English language learners.

I've been building and flying models since high school - control line in the early years - R/C starting in 1988. For three years in the 1990s I was your AMA thermal soaring columnist, and for 13 years in the new millennium your slope soaring columnist in Model Aviation magazine.

Ever since I read that Tycho Brahe was the world's greatest naked eye astronomer, I have endeavored to become Glenville NY's greatest naked eye astronomer. To prepare for that day, I have taken three astronomy courses at Schenectady County Community College, and studied my set of constellation flash cards. If I ever catch up on my model airplane building and repairing, I hope to build an armillary sphere.

// Dave Garwood

 

[rcsoar4fun]

Hey Dave, recently finished building a 2m S1-26 with some of your tips. Have a DAW Ka6 on the bench, trying to decide if I can get away with lam film instead of tape.

 

[Wayne]

For the record I am a huge fan of Dave and all of his contributions to our hobby. He is truly one of the greats in my book and really happy to see him here.

 

[G-man]

Hey Dave, recently finished building a 2m S1-26 with some of your tips. Have a DAW Ka6 on the bench, trying to decide if I can get away with lam film instead of tape.

The DAW 1-26 is a must-have, "don't leave home without it" plane to me. Five bucks says you'll be happy with it's performance.
On the DAW Ka-6, I don't have enough experience with the lam film to give an answer.
I did outsmart myself once by leaving out the filament tape under he Solartex on an LEG 60-inch P-80 (to make it look smoother). One dork landing broke it almost in half.
The Ka-6 has some span and some wing area. My view is that it can carry the tape.
// Dave

 

[rcsoar4fun]

Mine is a Magnum Models variant, with removeable tail and 2 piece wings. My wife and I like to travel, my S1-26 and Volara 2 tend to be my travel companions. I even got a few circuits on the backside of this slope before the S1-26 told me to knock it off.

My favorite travel plane was a Dodgson Pivot, I need to build another one of those.

 

[Cole Hallman]

I dropped out of university and got a tech degree in electronics. From there I started at the local phone company. In a few years I was promoted from working on large PBXs to being an engineer. There I floundered as a large part of my job was paperwork which is difficult for me because of a reading impairment. This was back in the DOS days. I wound up getting ahold of a database package, and creating an app that replaced the clerical part of my job. Since there were 5 of us engineers, and most of our work was eliminated, I was soon promoted into the Data communications engineering. This was way back when statistical multiplexers were a big thing. I soon specialized in routers and LANs. Soon after, AL and Bill invented the internet, and multiprotocol routing became a big deal. Later I started a consulting firm which failed shortly after 9/11 I spent the rest of my career designing and maintaining a large network for a company that provided Laboratory services for most of the hospitals in the area. This was right up my alley because we interconnected with all of their networks. Firewalls and security became the next big deal for me. Our network was 24/7 365, and downtime was limited to 2 hrs or less and scheduled at least 2 weeks out.

This career happened for me all because of my reading impairment.

In 2019 I had a stroke that effected my working memory, speech, and ability to focus. I was no longer able to count on my ability to be error free, and do to the high reliability necessary for my network, I became disabled, and retired at age 63.

I now build in the winter, and crash in the summer. Do to my love for open source and frsky, i made myself a home with Wayne and aloft
I have since moved to Ethos, and like it a lot.

 

[Hawaii Sloper]

Hello everyone,

I'm a planner, retired from the New York State Police. At other times during my life I have worked as an automobile mechanic, an auto shop instructor and youth counselor in a reform school, a training instructor for police planners, an instructor for criminal justice program evaluators. Since retirement I've volunteered at a regional food bank, and tutored English language learners.

I've been building and flying models since high school - control line in the early years - R/C starting in 1988. For three years in the 1990s I was your AMA thermal soaring columnist, and for 13 years in the new millennium your slope soaring columnist in Model Aviation magazine.

Ever since I read that Tycho Brahe was the world's greatest naked eye astronomer, I have endeavored to become Glenville NY's greatest naked eye astronomer. To prepare for that day, I have taken three astronomy courses at Schenectady County Community College, and studied my set of constellation flash cards. If I ever catch up on my model airplane building and repairing, I hope to build an armillary sphere.

// Dave Garwood

If you ever make it to Big Island Hawaii let me know and I'll take you to some great places for naked eye and telescope astronomy.

 

[G-man]

> If you ever make it to Big Island Hawaii let me know and I'll take you to some great places for naked eye and telescope astronomy.

Thank you for that offer. It's a huge plus to get away from the city lights and have clear atmosphere for night sky observation.

 

[sawatt]

My Day job is Deskside support at GE Vernova in Schenectady NY. I am blessed/cursed to have @G-man as a flying buddy. Blessed that I've gotten some good deals out of his hanger, cursed to be "enabled" into buying a bunch of stuff. Also if you have seen a picture of Dave flying in the last few years, there is a good chance I took it.
I also run an indoor flying club during the winter. www.watervlietwindwarriors.com