HBA Member "Day Jobs"

[Vigilant1]

Oh here we go again ...
Wait, I forgot, I was arrested and shot. ... and you would believe that too.

Since you've made this about you, do you still have Australian (or dual) citizenship? Still have an Australian passport? If your neighbor Mr Li gets hauled off, nobody from any foreign consulate will be there to bail him out, he just conveniently goes away. And he sure can't just leave the country when he pleases.

But, we'll just pretend things in the PRC are great for Mr Li.

 

[cheapracer]

Guys, this is a really interesting thread, about HBA Member "Day Jobs".

Lets keep it just that.


BJC

And yet you "liked" post #114, where was your outcry then.

 

[Pops]

Not just that. But the process of figuring out how to arrange servos, control linkages, engine, fuel plumbing, etc... all little real engineering problems, the kind of experience you don't get from the example problems in an engineering textbook or even a school design project. I've always said that I learned more about real world engineering from building R/C airplanes (and boats and cars, for a different level of mechanical complexity) in the basement of my parent's house than I ever did in 4+ years of engineering school.

But that was the early 1970s before everything was as prefabricated as it is nowadays.

Building Model aircraft just like all aircraft is a never ending learning process.

 

[BJC]

And yet you "liked" post #114, where was your outcry then.

Guilty as charged.


BJC

 

[Highplains]

When the mechanical engineer and I were developing the oxide etch chamber that achieved 2/3rd’s of the world’s market share, our company was rapidly growing. We interviewed dozens of engineers after scanning thousands of resumes. Any mention of hobbies where they built stuff usually moved them to the top of the stack if they had the right degrees. Then our interviews were challenging with questions that had little to do with their actual degree, but based on simple physics and how they approached solving it. The last time I checked the mechanical engineer had over 75 patents, but sadly lost his battle with pancreatic cancer after 6 years of battling the disease a couple years ago. Early on he volunteered to test fly my RV, since he figured it would easily fly with half the rivets left out. Dark humor certainly.

 

[Pops]

Like I said, MOST are way overbuilt. Not All! But at the same time the bigger they get the closer to reality their construction seems to become. What you describe above is a fun fly event. And I'll agree people take extraordinary measures in pursuit of a trophy or blue ribbon. But the vast majority of what you find out there is overbuilt.

Consider too how much discretionary money you can find in the models at the local field on any weekend? I have two engines on my desk right now (I'm a modest collector). Multi cylinder four strokes. I've spent almost $5,000 on the two of them but their value is closer to $8,000. I have three 1/6 scale Jenny's with a modest$1,500 in each. I'm working on a 30% Piper Cherokee 180 that I already have almost $3,000 into not counting the engine (sitting on my desk).

You know? I have more money in my models than I do in my Harley.

I have a friend in PA where we started flying CL and then RC in 1958 and he has a huge collection of engines. I have found a few and gave them to him for his collection. Rogers, HGQ , O&R, Forester, McCoy, Etc, etc. Have no idea of how many hundreds he has.
Yes, I used to fly the Fun Fly also Open Pylon and Pattern contest.

Horse lover ?

 

[Appowner]

................................
Horse lover ?

Sadly more so than I should admit. My oldest daughter has a way with animals. While technically this was her horse, being the Dad we all know where that leads. My daughter does the Natural Horsemanship training and in a couple of short years she took this mare from "it might follow you on a lead" to trail riding with zero tack. As I said she's a mare but she's also 1/2 Appaloosa, 1/8 Percheron and the rest TB. She's full of attitude and will challenge you each and every day all day. If you don't earn her trust she will let you know about it. But trust her with a little kid and she's a totally different animal. Simply astonishing to see.

We owned her for a little over 10 years. I figure I spent over 120,000 during that time. As the saying goes, buying a horse is easy. Keeping one is anther matter. My daughters life evolved to the point where we could no longer properly care for the animal. So my daughter sold her but has kept in touch with the new owners. The horse is around 20 years now and lives with a family of young girls in Tenn. The kids dote on her which she loves and she in turn dotes back. She's happy.

I miss that ornery animal. I have a lot of very fond memories of her.

BTW, Appaloosa Mares are not for the timid or weak of spirit. She taught me a lot.

 

[Pops]

Sadly more so than I should admit. My oldest daughter has a way with animals. While technically this was her horse, being the Dad we all know where that leads. My daughter does the Natural Horsemanship training and in a couple of short years she took this mare from "it might follow you on a lead" to trail riding with zero tack. As I said she's a mare but she's also 1/2 Appaloosa, 1/8 Percheron and the rest TB. She's full of attitude and will challenge you each and every day all day. If you don't earn her trust she will let you know about it. But trust her with a little kid and she's a totally different animal. Simply astonishing to see.

We owned her for a little over 10 years. I figure I spent over 120,000 during that time. As the saying goes, buying a horse is easy. Keeping one is anther matter. My daughters life evolved to the point where we could no longer properly care for the animal. So my daughter sold her but has kept in touch with the new owners. The horse is around 20 years now and lives with a family of young girls in Tenn. The kids dote on her which she loves and she in turn dotes back. She's happy.

I miss that ornery animal. I have a lot of very fond memories of her.

BTW, Appaloosa Mares are not for the timid or weak of spirit. She taught me a lot.

Went to live with my NA Grandfather when I was 6 years old. When I was 8 years old in 1948, he went to a horse auction that was selling wild horses, ( Grandfather was a farmer/ blacksmith/ horsetrader), and bought Old Joe. Old Joe was a 2 year old wild stallion that weighed 1700 lbs. He was wild in every way but he adopted me as his pet. I could do anything with him and he took care of me. So, if you were out on that mountain ridge and saw a young boy with just some old ragged jeans on and tanned to a golden brown ,riding a huge wild horse with no saddle or bridle, it was me. I loved that horse and still miss him. He was a beautiful horse.
Think I get along better with horses than people.

 

[dwalker]

I write software, for anything from IBM 360 down to 8 bit micros.

I've worked in all sorts of areas, but I keep coming back to the same firm I first worked for in about 1991 - I'm on my third nonconsecutive stint with them.
So - we make dynamometers of all kinds, and I write the control system firmware, and a fair bit of the user interface etc. This involves working on the design of electronics & mechanicals as well as software.

I enjoy machine control, and the control system gets tricky when you're trying to deal with everything from a 1 litre diesel to a 1,000 hp drift car that triples its power in 500 rpm when the boost comes in...

It beats writing software to shuffle money around for banks & insurance companies - I did that for a while, but lost interest.

Dynopac or Dyno Dynamics?

 

[AdrianS]

DD

 

[bmcj]

Also have a Zigolo MG-12

Is it Cheapracer?

Recently I have become a Gay Gigolo.

Business is so good I can barely sit down.

 

[sendymcsendyface]

Since I've just joined HBA, I figure I might as well go ahead and resurrect this thread. I guess I'm a pretty young guy here, been into aviation my whole life. Been building and flying models since I was 9, and got my PPL when I was 18. Spent a few years messing around and working at ski resorts, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life besides flying (parents insisted I have a backup plan to flying, my heart condition puts my medical on shaky ground) I've been to three universities so far, worked at multiple ski resorts and bike shops, and spent way to much time huffing dope fumes and avgas. Currently in school for Resource Management, because I do enjoy hunting, fishing, and just being outside. Sort of considering dropping out to get my A&P.
Cheers!

 

[Angusnofangus]

Since I've just joined HBA, I figure I might as well go ahead and resurrect this thread. I guess I'm a pretty young guy here, been into aviation my whole life. Been building and flying models since I was 9, and got my PPL when I was 18. Spent a few years messing around and working at ski resorts, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life besides flying (parents insisted I have a backup plan to flying, my heart condition puts my medical on shaky ground) I've been to three universities so far, worked at multiple ski resorts and bike shops, and spent way to much time huffing dope fumes and avgas. Currently in school for Resource Management, because I do enjoy hunting, fishing, and just being outside. Sort of considering dropping out to get my A&P.
Cheers!

Just out of curiosity, where in BC are you, and, unless you are planning on moving to the States, why would you want to get an A&P? Wouldn't an AME licence be more appropriate?

 

[James Gyore]

You people are fascinating… I got nothin’ septin’ a lunch of Thai basil chicken.

 

[BJC]

You people are fascinating… I got nothin’ septin’ a lunch of Thai basil chicken.

Love Thai food, but it is hard to find near by. We do have a couple of excellent Vietnamese restaurants near by.

Truth be known, I like all types of food.


BJC

 

[Stolch]

Went to live with my NA Grandfather when I was 6 years old. When I was 8 years old in 1948, he went to a horse auction that was selling wild horses, ( Grandfather was a farmer/ blacksmith/ horsetrader), and bought Old Joe. Old Joe was a 2 year old wild stallion that weighed 1700 lbs. He was wild in every way but he adopted me as his pet. I could do anything with him and he took care of me. So, if you were out on that mountain ridge and saw a young boy with just some old ragged jeans on and tanned to a golden brown ,riding a huge wild horse with no saddle or bridle, it was me. I loved that horse and still miss him. He was a beautiful horse.
Think I get along better with horses than people.

Pops your going to live with your grandfather, the horse story, your description of you riding Old Joe, then a builder and pilot, and I’m sure much more in between, is Hollywood movie material.

 

[mikoman]

I graduated college back in the 70's with a degree in economics/business. worked a few years at a helicopter manufacturer (Sikorsky) in inventory and hated it but it was a job. Got my pilot license back in mid 80's. Change in direction,went in medicine got my masters in health science and am currently an orthopedic Physician Assistant although do not assist in surgery anymore cannot see well now even with tri-focals....sigh. Am finishing up a Cozy 3 with a mazda reduction drive. Life got in the way of completing the job on the aircraft from the 90's when I started. Hopefully with retirement on the horizon will have more time soon.

 

[Pops]

Pops your going to live with your grandfather, the horse story, your description of you riding Old Joe, then a builder and pilot, and I’m sure much more in between, is Hollywood movie material.

Not really. If you knew the story of my brother's life, you would pick his life for a book for sure. He is really my first cousin. His mother and father died a few months apart and someone in the family raised each one of the 3 children. He came to live with us when I was 8 years old and he was 11 1/2 years old. Shot his first person ( shotgun) a few months before when being chased by someone with a knife while being told that he was going to cut his throat. Just shot in the legs and the Sheriff said the man had it coming. He was a born con man and applied it all over the world. Into everything. Took after my father in a lot of way. Very, very smart and he could make you believe he was anyone. He is 3.5 years older than me.
He will not tell me all of it, but what I know would be a best seller. Made and spent a couple of fortunes in different ways.
His real brother was old enough to go into the Navy at 17 years old and was on the first nuke sub.

I do have several chapters written for my grand and great grand children.

Added-- My brother lived in a southern WV coal camp call "WAR" when his father and mother died. Had that name for a reason.

War, West Virginia - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

His grandmother on his mothers side was a Chickasaw medicine woman. Same tribe as my Grandfather.

 

[Floydr92]

Mine seems to lack direction:
I wanted to be a pilot when I left school, but my eyesight prevented me going down the RAF route and I couldn't afford to do it privately so I kind of just gave up and got a job in a tourist shop. After a few years I decided to go and do a degree in aero engineering. When I was at university I took a part time job as a labourer for my friend's building company, I enjoyed it so much I quit university before graduating and have become a full time joiner. Couple of years ago I went solo and started my own firm so I now have 6 staff and a workshop for off site manufacture when needed. However, the last year has almost put me in an early grave with the stress of trying to keep a business running... its just not worth it. I've borrowed more than the value of my house just to cover operating costs, 70 odd hours a week and I don't earn much more than my 40hr staff do. So I'm currently in the process of closing down and selling off all my equipment so I can go and get a 9-5 Monday to Friday job working for someone else. I'm looking into site management roles within larger house building companies, so time will tell how that pans out.

 

[Dennis DeFrange]

Pops , I rode a stick horse one time . Too old now , me , not the stick horse . He's still got the same color hair .