ak49er
Member
Hello and thank-you for allowing me to be a guest in your house.
Lifelong Alaska here, fairly well traveled yet still adventurous.
I am a Civilian, who became enamored with all things covert after having the run of the NSA/Naval Security Group Activity Area on Adak Island summer of 2000 and researching the bases' history for a planned book. (Not a lot to do on the Island)
I had a high school friend go SF and have not heard from him since, and always wondered what his job/life must be like, and a little looking here and there led me to SOFREP. While reading the comments section of a post, there was a link to this forum. After a week or so of "lurking" I had a few questions that could not be answered by "Googling" so I joined.
At 9/11 I was 21 y.o old and simmering with fury and rearing to join-up to do my part, which my girlfriend sensed I'm sure. So she/we saddled us with a sex-prize and I felt the need to stay in my current job and support her and my new son.
My other friends served their time in the Armed Forces and have continued on to civilian life.
In that time I have become a Maintenance Technician at a power plant and have honed skills that allow me to really tinker with all things mechanical, including Electrical, Instrument and Control, CAD, CAM, CNC and Conventional Machining &Manufacturing. In short I if can dream it, I can usually build it, then fix it when I break it.
The power plant I work at is in a remote, sea and air-accessible only location 30 miles West of Anchorage. It is in a "world class" fishing and hunting area, and features a certified "Trap Range" and Standard 500 yd rifle range, which I use every week the weather allows.
I work week-on/week-off which is of course a 7/12 shift, seven days, 12 hours a day, which gives me a minimum of 6 months off a year, I have lot of free time.
In that time I have managed to convert a car and truck to run flawlessly on Waste Vegetable Oil, a 1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD Turbo-Diesel and a 2005 Ford F-250 SD. I also live in a rural area, where Home Heating Oil is the norm for most homes, so I went ahead and converted my boiler to run on WVO as well. A generator is next.
Aside from Alternative Fuels I have another eccentric hobby, I build Cockpit Flight Simulators. That is to say, flight simulators that resemble general types, if not specific aircraft. In my room at the work camp, I have full scale 737-800 cockpit, hand built, running on a Linux OS. In the camp day room I have modeled a generic Twin-turboprop for general use, as most the guys out here are private pilots anyway.
But at home, I have an actual UH-1 Huey in my garage. Cut-off just behind the "B-Pillar" (behind the pilots seats. Each side is configure differently. Left side has OV-22 type controls, as well as Boeing style for Osprey and 737 simulation. and the right side is set up for helicopter with cyclic, collective and rudder pedals. Each type includes accurate instrument simulation via flat screens and actual C-130 Instrument panel, and feature Low-Frequency Sound effects and outside visuals. This hobby I hope to turn into a business very soon.
I immensely respect the men and women who have served and do feel guilt and shame for being an able bodied person who did not.
I am, for the moment ,extremely interested in Arctic Warfare TTP and materiel.
I would also like to contribute to this community if I can (as I do on all forums) and would welcome any questions anyone would have about anything I may know.
I am aware of whose house I am in and will act accordingly.
Thank-you.
Lifelong Alaska here, fairly well traveled yet still adventurous.
I am a Civilian, who became enamored with all things covert after having the run of the NSA/Naval Security Group Activity Area on Adak Island summer of 2000 and researching the bases' history for a planned book. (Not a lot to do on the Island)
I had a high school friend go SF and have not heard from him since, and always wondered what his job/life must be like, and a little looking here and there led me to SOFREP. While reading the comments section of a post, there was a link to this forum. After a week or so of "lurking" I had a few questions that could not be answered by "Googling" so I joined.
At 9/11 I was 21 y.o old and simmering with fury and rearing to join-up to do my part, which my girlfriend sensed I'm sure. So she/we saddled us with a sex-prize and I felt the need to stay in my current job and support her and my new son.
My other friends served their time in the Armed Forces and have continued on to civilian life.
In that time I have become a Maintenance Technician at a power plant and have honed skills that allow me to really tinker with all things mechanical, including Electrical, Instrument and Control, CAD, CAM, CNC and Conventional Machining &Manufacturing. In short I if can dream it, I can usually build it, then fix it when I break it.
The power plant I work at is in a remote, sea and air-accessible only location 30 miles West of Anchorage. It is in a "world class" fishing and hunting area, and features a certified "Trap Range" and Standard 500 yd rifle range, which I use every week the weather allows.
I work week-on/week-off which is of course a 7/12 shift, seven days, 12 hours a day, which gives me a minimum of 6 months off a year, I have lot of free time.
In that time I have managed to convert a car and truck to run flawlessly on Waste Vegetable Oil, a 1983 Mercedes Benz 300SD Turbo-Diesel and a 2005 Ford F-250 SD. I also live in a rural area, where Home Heating Oil is the norm for most homes, so I went ahead and converted my boiler to run on WVO as well. A generator is next.
Aside from Alternative Fuels I have another eccentric hobby, I build Cockpit Flight Simulators. That is to say, flight simulators that resemble general types, if not specific aircraft. In my room at the work camp, I have full scale 737-800 cockpit, hand built, running on a Linux OS. In the camp day room I have modeled a generic Twin-turboprop for general use, as most the guys out here are private pilots anyway.
But at home, I have an actual UH-1 Huey in my garage. Cut-off just behind the "B-Pillar" (behind the pilots seats. Each side is configure differently. Left side has OV-22 type controls, as well as Boeing style for Osprey and 737 simulation. and the right side is set up for helicopter with cyclic, collective and rudder pedals. Each type includes accurate instrument simulation via flat screens and actual C-130 Instrument panel, and feature Low-Frequency Sound effects and outside visuals. This hobby I hope to turn into a business very soon.
I immensely respect the men and women who have served and do feel guilt and shame for being an able bodied person who did not.
I am, for the moment ,extremely interested in Arctic Warfare TTP and materiel.
I would also like to contribute to this community if I can (as I do on all forums) and would welcome any questions anyone would have about anything I may know.
I am aware of whose house I am in and will act accordingly.
Thank-you.
2 outa 4 days is still showing up, never mind showing up for calls. They need good people and it's a fun time most of the time.
