"A
tradesman's
journey
is limited only by what he believes it's possibilities are."
Robert Reed
I started professionally wrenching in 1973 for the City of
Newport Beach,
California on city equipment and trucks, later moving on to
the
aviation field as a licensed airframe and powerplant technician,
manufacturer's technical representative, aircraft accident
investigator, private aerospace contractor, then changing
careers
again to that of a journeyman diesel and power generation
technician.
The wrenching trade has taken me
all over the world. In 1975 I began an
Aviation Technology program at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa,
Calfornia. In 1976 I earned his F.A.A. Airman Private
Pilot's
License
with Airplane Single Engine Land ratings. In 1978 I earned
my
F.A.A. Airman Mechanic License with Airframe and Powerplant
ratings. Also in
1978 I began working on radial recip (piston) engines and post
world
war 2
aircraft such as the Douglas DC-6, DC-3, Lockheed Loadstar,
Grumman
Mallard and others as well as Lear Jet and Cessna Citation
corporate
jets,
Mitsubishi MU-2 turboprop executive transports in
addition to many other corporate turbine and recip aircraft
types.
I concurrently enrolled in the Electronics Technology and Digital
Computer Electronics Technology programs in 1980 at Orange Coast
College and earned his F.C.C. Amateur Radio
Advanced Class License and Commercial
Radiotelephone 2nd Class
License certifications qualifying me to work on commercial
broadcast
transmitter stations and aircraft communication equipment.
In
1982 I received Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop and Lear 35/36
line
maintenance certifications. I
received many additional engine type certifications later
throughout
the 80's.
In 1983 I was hired by Avco Lycoming Gas Turbine
Engine division (later aquired by Textron Corporation) in
Stratford,
Connecticut to support and qualify on all
the Textron Lycoming turbine engine products located througout the
West
Coast of the United States and Pacific regions including Hawaii,
Fiji,
New Zealand and Japan. Main product support involved the
4435
horsepower AL5512, the 2930 horsepower T5508D, and the 750
horsepower
LTS101 and LTP101 turbine products. The lion's share of work
involved support
and customer interfacing with corporate management at Textron
relating
to the latter's gas
turbine helicopter powerplants, specializing in smoothing over
disputes
between high visibility
corporate customers and Textron management. Important
customers
were the United States Coast Guard, Columbia Helicopters, Hughes
Aircraft Radar Systems
Group, Rockwell International Aerospace, Southern California
Edison,
Kawasaki Industries in Osaka, Japan among others.
During 1985 I received Aircraft Accident Safety Investigation
certification from
the University of Southern California to perform aircraft accident
investigations on the Avco and Textron Lycoming gas turbine
powered
aircraft involved in accidents and failure incidents. I
represented Textron Lycoming on numerous occasions with the
National
Transportation Safety Board and Federal Aviaton Administration
accident
and incident teams as a manufacturer's team representative in
fatal and
non fatal accidents. I
performed these duties until 1992. The Lycoming Division was
aquired from Textron by Allied Signal, and later that was
aquired
by Honeywell.
Family considerations in 1992 brought changes. A weak
aviation
economy and requirement to relocate meant a career "adjustment" to
stay
in Humboldt County. It was perfect timing to grow with the
new
children. I began a
career in both contracting
aircraft maintenance work until 1997 for Louisiana Pacific
Corporation
and as a private contractor to former helicopter engine
customers. I also began working for Reliance Peterbilt as a
diesel
engine
technician in 1992. In 1998 I was hired by Cummins West Inc,
Arcata Branch as a diesel engine and an industrial electrical
power
generation technician, receiving
Cummins
product qualifications on a regular basis, and that's where I work
today.
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