Looking for more on my Novels? Go to WarBugPress!
As well
you might ask. I'm a retired Space Systems Engineer. In my
40-year career, I studied, developed, tested, or operated about
eighteen different spacecraft. I started in the Air Force,
where I was an on-shift engineer for the Defense Support Program missile early-warning
satellite. After leaving the Air Force, I went to work for
Boeing, where one of my first jobs was on the early design studies
for the International Space Station. After that, I
worked mostly on classified programs, where my specialties included
satellite orbit/constellation design and analysis, launch vehicle
and onboard propulsion system trades, and operations concepts for
space systems. I worked in a "Rapid Prototyping" group, one
which specialized in finding shortcuts to develop spacecraft faster,
better, and cheaper (in reality, we said, you could "pick any
two....). At the time I retired in 2017, I had worked several
development programs a chief Systems Engineer, leading teams of
inventive specialists in doing some real wild stuff. Oh, and I also occasionally speak to folks about what it was like to live aboard the sailing ships of the early 19th century. In case you were wondering about the sailor suit....
I'm also a freelance aviation journalist. I've written for a
number of magazines, including PRIVATE PILOT, FLYING, SPORT
AVIATION, and KITPLANES. I write mostly for KITPLANES,
mainly because they treat freelancers very, very well. Note,
though, that I have no official connection with the magazine...I'm
a private individual who takes occasional assignments from them
and/or submits articles on speculation. As a freelancer, I highly
recommend KITPLANES as a good place to submit.
About twenty years ago, I started studying accidents involving
homebuilt aircraft. I'm am currently one of the top experts
on homebuilt accident causes; I can modestly say I'm probably the
leading expert outside the Government. I've published about
thirty articles describing various aspects of my analysis.
Finally, I write books. I've written a pair of young adult novels set in the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812. The first of the series, The Key to Honor, came out in early 1996. Other books include Kitplane Construction and Airplane Ownership, both non-fiction.
My writing has brought me several awards, including the FLYING
Magazine "Bax Seat Trophy" and a journalism award from the
Aviation/Space Writer's Association.
TO ORDER: Kit Airplane Construction can be ordered from just about any aviation book supplier. There are a number of online sources as well, such as Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com .. Or you can order directly from McGraw-Hill, the publisher, at (800) 822-8158.
TO ORDER: Airplane Ownership can be ordered from just
about any aviation book supplier. There are a number of online
sources as well, such as Amazon.com or Barnesandnoble.com
Comments? Contact me at ron@wanttaja.com .
Proud Member of
Who are the RAH-15? Fifteen participants in an Internet newsgroup who were hit with a SLAPP suit (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) for exercising their right of free speech by publicly disagreeing with the editorial coverage of a nationally-distributed aviation magazine. If you're fearing the same situation, see my Guide to the Zoomed. For more information, see the Zoomland page maintained by my fellow co-defendant, John Ousterhout.