WDTN Interview

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Wow, I am really bad at this blogging thing

No updates since before I arrived at NASA....well, I am finally doing this. It is hard to put the last couple days into words, so I will let these pictures which I took tell the story:




Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Good start

Today was a beautiful day in Florida...lot of sun. I stopped at a rookery in St. Augustine. I thought this may be a little late in the nesting season, but I was wrong - it was just buzzing with bird activity. A lot of babies...some still in the nests, some branch hopping, still some eggs.

My internet connection is somewhat limited and my photo editing software is on a different computer, but here is one sample:

Still hoping for a launch on Friday, but the weather is not looking good right now. I think Sunday is more likely at this point.

Sunday, July 3, 2011

For some reason pictures quit showing up.

I see the pictures in earlier posts are not showing up now. If this continues to be an issue, I will just upload images to Flickr and post links. This one seemed to work so I am not sure what is going on.

Picture test:

Thursday, June 30, 2011

One week to go!

Monday I head off to Florida.  I will spend some time visiting family before heading to Orlando.

It has been an interesting couple of days.  I received an email from WXIX Channel 19 in Cincinnati on Tuesday while I was out on a golf course.  They wanted to do a little story on their evening news and asked me to send a photo.  Luckily I was able to download one from my Facebook page on my cell phone and email it.  They showed the story again on the late news and I saw it then.  They did a good job.  I had a few people contact me after the story...some I work with who I didn't know personally.  Here is the print version: http://hamilton-middletown.fox19.com/news/events/hamilton-man-invited-space-shuttle-launch-next-week/72343

One of my coworkers forwarded the story to our GM...and it made its way to our communications group.  It looks like my story will be featured on our company intranet home page.

This morning I received a call from WDTN television in Dayton requesting an interview.  I will be doing this tomorrow morning.  I am used to the other side of the camera so all of this is a new experience.  I hope at the end of the day, people will appreciate the space program and hopefully we will return someday in my lifetime. I am excited for the launch, but expect a huge letdown after it is over, knowing that it won't ever happen again.  I felt a similar feeling a few years ago when I went to the USAF Museum in Dayton to witness the final flight of the C141.  The last aircraft flying departed Wright-Patterson AFB, did some fly-overs and then landed on the closed dilapidated runway at the museum.  This is a runway where one an aircraft lands it never flies again...it was the end of an era.  The shuttle will be like this amplified...a bittersweet day indeed.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Two Weeks to Launch

I still find it hard to believe that in two weeks I will be in Florida to witness the final launch of the space shuttle.  While I am excited to witness this, I am sad that this is the end of the space shuttle program.  It has been pretty amazing to see how this group of around 150 strangers are becoming friends even before we all meet through the powers of social media like Twitter and Facebook.

I have friends that tell me how 'stupid' these social media tools are and that they would never be a part of it.  While there are some real issues out there, my experience has been quite different.  I have reconnected with many old high school friends, most whom I have not seen in nearly 30 years.  I have also reconnected with a part of my family that I had not seen in many years...and met cousins whom I had not met.  Without Facebook, I don't know that this would have happened.

Now through Twitter, I get to have an experience that will be shared by only 150 other people.  Doesn't seem to stupid to me.

For my fellow tweetup participants who may be seeing my blog for the first time, here is a little about me.  I am originally from western New York state and now reside near Cincinnati, after stops in Pittsburgh (for college) and Hartford.  I have always loved aviation.  As a kid I would spend hours in the front yard with binoculars looking skyward at the aircraft flying over.  A major east/west jetway passed over our house.  I was enamored by the Boeing 747...and frankly still am.  Just imagine how much I like the shuttle carrier aircraft :)

I wanted to fly...unfortunately I was also nearsighted.  My eyesight disqualified me from a life as a commercial pilot.  I decided that if I can't fly them, I want to build them.  I earned a mechanical engineering degree and took a job at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft.  I spent time working on JT8D engines for the MD-80 and also some military fighter jet engines.  After three years there, I headed west to Ohio for a job with GE Aircraft Engines.  Spent some time there before I was laid off, but eventually made my way back.  During my off time, I managed a family business dealing in art and custom picture framing.  I was excited to discover the world of aviation art and had the opportunity to meet several artists.  One artist that stands out is Alan Bean...an Apollo astronaut who walked on the moon.  What other artist can depict space flight better than bean - he has actually been there!  One other cherished memory was meeting General Paul Tibbets, pilot of the Enola Gay.  Hearing about the mission directly from the man...amazing.

Lately my focus has turned to photography.  I have always loved wildlife...and photographing wildlife is a challenge I really enjoy.  It is basically hunting without killing (not that I am anti-hunting...I am just anti-me hunting).  Being in Ohio, my wildlife search is pretty much focused on birds.  I have discovered a nice population of bald eagles locally that I never tire of seeing.



We also have osprey...and the interaction of an osprey with a freshly caught fish being harassed by a bald eagle intent on stealing said fish is a sight to behold.  Probably my favorite bird to shoot after the eagle is the wood duck.  Just amazing color as you can see here.


One other thing I am passionate about is the ministry of Compassion International (http://www.compassion.com).  Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.  Founded by the Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952, Compassion began providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care, as well as Christian training.

Today, Compassion helps more than 1.2 million children in 26 countries.  I have traveled with Compassion to Nicaragua twice and have met one child I sponsor.  I have seen the difference we can make in a child's life with my own two eyes...in fact, I was only sponsoring one child when I visited for the first time in 2006.  Today I sponsor 6 kids in Nicaragua and one in India.  If you want to learn more, please contact me directly.  If you would like to make the difference in the life of a child living in abject poverty, please click this link: http://www.compassion.com/sponsor/index.asp?referer=47990

I know some people think "why should we worry about other countries, we should help our own first."  I am not going to argue this point, but I will say this - I think it is wonderful you want to help someone in need in this country.  I hope you follow through with it, I think it is great that you care for others.  I am thankful people are felt led to make a difference in their world, whether it be in the US or elsewhere.  The important thing is that those who have been blessed can give back to those in need...in whatever way they feel led to do.

I am looking forward to the Tweetup...flight, hotel and now the media credential process are all set...just need Atlantis and mother nature to do their part!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Time to revive the blog...

Wow, I have ignored this blog for almost a year...that's pretty bad.


I have a couple pretty exciting events coming up and I plan to use this platform for updates...and hopefully some good photos!


A couple weeks ago, I saw a tweet about a "NASA Tweetup" where 150 Twitter followers would be selected to attend a 2 day event at the Kennedy Space Center for the final space shuttle launch, Atlantis, STS-135.  All you had to do was register for the contest.  Well, I never win anything, but figured, why not?  I have vacation days available...heck I should get down there no matter what since I have never seen a launch and this is the very last chance to EVER see one.


Friday afternoon, I received the following message in my email: 

Congratulations, you have been selected to attend the NASA Tweetup on July 7-8 for space shuttle Atlantis' targeted launch at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida! The event will provide you the opportunity to speak with shuttle technicians, engineers, astronauts, and managers, and to experience the launch of space shuttle Atlantis to the International Space Station.


First thought...holy crap, I actually got selected!  Then I started getting Facebook and Twitter messages and follows from others among the 150 who were selected out of a total of 5500 entries.  Now I am in the mode of figuring out the best travel plans.  The shuttle doesn't exactly have a good track record of launching as scheduled after all.  


I started learning more about what this NASA Tweetup will include...here is a map showing where I will get to see the launch. Tweetup Map

I may look into renting a longer lens, but I am not sure it will make a significant difference...even though I will be in the closest viewing area possible (it is the same location used by the media), it is still 3 miles away.  I am sure lighting and the brightness of the engines and SRBs will prove to be a challenge too!


In September, I will be off to Nicaragua to visit the kids I sponsor through Compassion International.  I have met one of them, who is now 16 years old.  It will be bittersweet as this will likely be the last time I see him as he will graduate from the program next year.  I have sponsored him since he was 8 years old.  More to follow on that.


On the photography front, I was able to visit a bald eagle nest last week with tow good looking eaglets standing tall in the nest.  I would like to get back out there in a couple weeks as they will be fledging soon.  I hope to get some pictures of the exercising their wings and doing some branch hopping.  The adults were close by as well.  I never tire of seeing eagles.


The bird activity has slowed as we enter summer...migrants have moved on and the days have been very hot.  I will continue to post images to Facebook and Flickr

Pat