Enjoy the holidays, POA!!

Half Fast

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Half Fast
Once again it’s National Engineers’ Week, the happiest time of the year!

Now that my kids are grown and my wife and I are empty-nesters, we don’t have such elaborate celebrations anymore. We didn’t decorate this year and we won’t be having the huge turkey feast. I miss seeing the house made all festive with T-squares and slide rules and the like but it seemed a bit much for just the two of us.

Instead we’re enjoying some away time together in the Florida panhandle. Tomorrow we plan to visit the USAF museum at Eglin AFB.

I hope you’ll get to enjoy some special moments celebrating with loved ones this week. Sing some engineering carols, and tuck your kiddies in with a reading of “The Sons of Martha.”
 
This reminds me. I need to go take the PE Exam... argh and my CFII Exam...
 
My dad is a retired engineer. I shall celebrate him. The ones I work with? Meh.
 
No T-squares and slide rules, but me and HP are ready to party!

View attachment 104827
I had a HP 16C programmers calculator. Way back when I spent a lot of time converting hex to octal to binary to decimal and other such things. I loved that calculator. It fell out of my pocket and not noticing, I backed over it with my car. I still mourn for that calculator. :(:(:(
 
How many engineers actually work on engines? Shouldn’t they be called “engine ers”, not “engin eers”?
 
Once again it’s National Engineers’ Week, the happiest time of the year!

Now that my kids are grown and my wife and I are empty-nesters, we don’t have such elaborate celebrations anymore. We didn’t decorate this year and we won’t be having the huge turkey feast. I miss seeing the house made all festive with T-squares and slide rules and the like but it seemed a bit much for just the two of us.

Instead we’re enjoying some away time together in the Florida panhandle. Tomorrow we plan to visit the USAF museum at Eglin AFB.

I hope you’ll get to enjoy some special moments celebrating with loved ones this week. Sing some engineering carols, and tuck your kiddies in with a reading of “The Sons of Martha.”
I was gonna get silly with some silly punchline but figured I’d check out what Martha’s boys are about. Now I’m scared I’ll burn in hell if I get snarky, so won’t. I’ll just say thank you for all the cool stuff youse guys do.
 
How many engineers actually work on engines? Shouldn’t they be called “engine ers”, not “engin eers”?
I was not acting as an engineer at the time. Does that still count?
 
and then there are these engineers:
 

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I get a day off today, whoo-hoo!

It's strange, though... my University mis-spelled "Engineer's Week".... they spelled it "Weather Closure". Must've been an English major. :)

Not sure how I'm going to spend my holiday, but I'll probably just stay home, due to the freezing-rain-on-top-of-ice-from-the-rain-that-fell-and-then-froze-yesterday that is covering every road... Maybe I'll make some histograms.
 
It's strange, though... my University mis-spelled "Engineer's Week".... they spelled it "Weather Closure". Must've been an English major. :)
English majors (those who major in English, as opposed to Majors in the British military) are not big on clear communication. They prefer flowery prose.
 
English majors (those who major in English, as opposed to Majors in the British military) are not big on clear communication. They prefer flowery prose.

Scientists say, "Why does this work?"

Engineers say, "How does this work?"

Managers say, "When will this work?"

English majors say, "Would you like fries with that?"

(I think I post that EVERY Engineer's Week)

Was at a party several years ago, where I met the man who was the director for a major university's marching band. "Hey, look everyone," I called, "an engineer and a conductor."

Ron Wanttaja
 
I get a day off today, whoo-hoo!

It's strange, though... my University mis-spelled "Engineer's Week".... they spelled it "Weather Closure". Must've been an English major. :)

Not sure how I'm going to spend my holiday, but I'll probably just stay home, due to the freezing-rain-on-top-of-ice-from-the-rain-that-fell-and-then-froze-yesterday that is covering every road... Maybe I'll make some histograms.


I’m certain you’re experiencing engineered weather....
 
upload_2022-2-23_12-38-46.png


From that little box sprang portions of the Sniper targeting pod (F16 + others), the F35 EO targeting system, the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, the JASSM cruise missile, and many others.
 
Not to mention countless Part 135 weight and balance documents.

(I really struggle with how many pilots struggle with weight and balance.)
 
View attachment 104875


From that little box sprang portions of the Sniper targeting pod (F16 + others), the F35 EO targeting system, the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, the JASSM cruise missile, and many others.

As I near the end of my career here (and in celebration of engineer week lol), I think back on the things that sprang from my little HP box. Things we've designed, built, and shipped over the years. I have radar and/or vision systems components in the following programs, platforms, devices, etc. These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head, it's been an interesting ride.

Hubble
STS (Space Shuttle)
Geoeye
Worldview
JPSS
USA224
USA245
F-15
F/A-18
F-22
F-35
C-130
B-52
Apache
Patriot
Hellfire
AN/SPY
THAAD
GBR
Gorgon Stare/Argus IS
Pan-STARRS
LSST (Rubin Observatory)
 
Wow. I’m glad that I read this thread. I am sincerely impressed and in awe of many of the accomplishments of you gents.
 
How many engineers actually work on engines? Shouldn’t they be called “engine ers”, not “engin eers”?

First 15 years of my career I worked on Turbine Engines. Last 17, I added the rest of the plane.

Cheers
 
As I near the end of my career here (and in celebration of engineer week lol), I think back on the things that sprang from my little HP box. Things we've designed, built, and shipped over the years. I have radar and/or vision systems components in the following programs, platforms, devices, etc. These are the ones I can think of off the top of my head, it's been an interesting ride.

Hubble
STS (Space Shuttle)
Geoeye
Worldview
JPSS
USA224
USA245
F-15
F/A-18
F-22
F-35
C-130
B-52
Apache
Patriot
Hellfire
AN/SPY
THAAD
GBR
Gorgon Stare/Argus IS
Pan-STARRS
LSST (Rubin Observatory)


That's quite a list!

In looking it over, though, I realized that I've touched about 2/3 of the same list! And of course some stuff that isn't on it (and some that can't be acknowledged). One of the most fun wasn't even a missile or avionics, but was HULC, a powered human exoskeleton ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_Universal_Load_Carrier ).
 
No but I finally work at a place with enough PEs that can sign me off and I don't think I should squander the opportunity


Fair point. It will give you more options.

Florida not only has an industrial exemption, but a separate exemption for defense/aerospace. Consequently almost no one at my company had a license. I only knew two EEs who had PE licenses, and I managed them rather than the other way around, so it was impossible for me to get the sign-off.

Not that it mattered, as I never needed it. And it’s not really necessary for the pro bono practice I do now.
 
Had a PE License for many years. Never needed or used it except to hang it on my “I love me” wall (when I got an office with a wall). Even had the Official Seal embosser (which I would use on various non engineering notes for laughs).

Cheers
 
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When I was in grad school I was required to take the EI exam before graduation, so I have that certificate on the wall. I would have been willing to follow up with the PE, but it was impossible to get the endorsements and all my work fell under exemptions anyway.

The PE licensing process in this country is nuts and mostly useless.
 
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