~ Spotlight on our MOTW #11: N2056 ~
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am a 46 year old guy married for 22+ years with a family of four. After I graduated from High School in 1982 I floundered around for awhile before finally deciding to enlist in the Navy in 1987. I worked in the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program as a Machinist’s Mate (mechanic for the landlubbers). I was in for 10 years during which I made it to E-6, and I actually did sail around the world! After I got out I worked for several years in the world of industrial compressed air. In 2003 I was able to get into the job I currently hold working for the Navy as a civilian. I work for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard supporting maintenance on submarines based here in San Diego. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p>
When not bathed in the glow of my monitor creating planes for FSX I fly with my Dad, play my guitar and Irish tin whistle (not at the same time), knock over bowling pins, and occasionally I make something useful out of wood.<o:p></o:p>
How long have you been a flight simmer and what attracted you to it in the first place?
I started simming back in 1980 with the original FS1. There were periods of time where I was unable to fly due to lack of computer access, but it has been steady for the last 15 years. I grew up around airplanes, and the ability to fly at home could not be passed up!<o:p></o:p>
I have been working with modeling ever since FlightShop came out in 1995.
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Do you have any animal companions? If so, please describe them or say what you want about them.
We have 2 dogs. One is an American Eskimo; the other is a Corgi-Pomeranian mix. We adopted them from a rescue shelter several years ago. They are good dogs- I think they know they were saved. I also enjoy a large number of wild birds that I feed regularly right outside the door of my office. They’re fun to watch through the screen door while I work. I am a huge fan of birds.<o:p></o:p>
If you could have any special magic, what would it be?
Wow…the possibilities are endless on this one! After a bit of thought I have decided that I would want to have the ability to be fluent in every language on the planet.<o:p></o:p>
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What are you most proud of?<o:p></o:p>
I’d have to say for me it was quitting smoking 14 years ago.<o:p></o:p>
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If you could become anyone's friend that you want, who would you choose?<o:p></o:p>
By anyone I am going to take the liberty of assuming that I am not limited to the living. I would be happy to have been able to hang out with Leonardo DaVinci. <o:p></o:p>
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If you had to pick one place in your town to bring a tourist, where would you go?
I would take them to Balboa Park. It’s a wonderful area near downtown that features a lot of well known museums and a world famous zoo. <o:p></o:p>
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What are some of your family's traditions?
We don’t have a lot of them, but we always make Birthdays special, and we always make the trip up to my Mother-in-Law’s house for Thanksgiving & Christmas as otherwise she would pretty much be alone. The goofy tradition would be the one where one of your Christmas gifts will be wrapped such that you will spend 5 minutes getting to the actual gift!<o:p></o:p>
What is your greatest strength?<o:p></o:p>
I would say perseverance.It’s a must if you’re a developer!
Who is the one person that helped to make you who you are today?
While many people have helped to get me where I am now, I must credit my Dad as having the most influence on my journey through life. I have learned about many things working alongside him as I grew up. He has built airplanes, telescopes (including a full observatory), remodeled houses, fixed cars… you get the idea. There were some things he told me a long time ago that I am big on to this day.<o:p></o:p>
“Don’t be afraid to take a chance – life’s a chance”<o:p></o:p>
“There’s only one way to really find out!”<o:p></o:p>
Probably the one that really took hold of me more than others…we were working on the spars for the wings of our Pietenpol, and I had been tasked with hand sanding some areas that had been routed out to save weight. When I asked him why we were spending so much time on something that would be covered and never seen he replied…<o:p></o:p>
“Because we know what it looks like”<o:p></o:p>
If you could be any plane in the world, which one would you be, and why? (This is the question that MOTW #10 wanted to be asked to the next MOTW).
I’d be a Piper Cub. At the age of 80+ it has long been a classic icon of aviation. I’d be willing to guess that it has probably given more people their first flying experience than any other plane out there, and it is as popular now as it was back in the thirties. <o:p></o:p>
What question do you want to be asked to the next MOTW? <o:p></o:p>
What do you think is the best thing you ever did for someone else with no thought of reward?<o:p></o:p>
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