Hello all!
I was a lurker for many years, but now not so much. I never did an BeechTalk introduction, so here it is!
I have been a pilot since 2007, getting my private pilot license in New Zealand when I was about 40 years old. I’ve flown Beech pistons since 2014 when I flew avionics flight tests for an avionics manufacturer, testing displays, GPSes, radars, autopilots, etc. Those tests were mainly in a B55 and E55 Baron, and a couple of Cessna 182s. I love the Baron and wouldn’t mind having one as the family airplane.
I’m a professional pilot now, but haven’t always been. In my early career I was an electrical engineer and have done things such as winter over at the South Pole (twice), built their first Internet connection, worked at a radio observatory in the US, managed the electricians at a ski area, and lived in New Zealand a long while.
In 2017 I jumped ship from engineering and management, and now only fly as a professional pilot. For a living I have flown C441 Conquest IIs, PC-12s and Eclipse jets. Now I just fly the Eclipse. It feels like I have a retirement job, but I’m not retired.
My father was a career Navy pilot, and my first real flight instructor. He was also the leader of the Blue Angels flying the #1 jet in 1976/77; I felt quite the pressure as a student pilot to meet his expectations.
These days it’s pretty cool to have something to bond on - aviation.
He’s retired (after several times), I’m not. I fly a plane for a living that he gave me my type rating training in. It’s pretty cool.
Here’s a photo of us, he with his Mooney and me with my work plane.
