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I was all set up to join the Air Force right after HS, so six weeks later I was leaving town for Basic Training in August in Texas. I was trained as a mechanic and given my first choice of bases in Southern CA. So by January of 1980 I had picked up my Chevelle SS at home and driven out to California.
The Air Force had given me training in basic electronics, so I decided to take some more classes. I ended up taking correspondence courses for two years.
While still in the Air Force I got a job at the local TV station helping out wherever I could. This was a lot of fun as we were doing a local news program on a low budget and I got to do many different jobs.
After four years of the Air Force I moved to Los Angeles, with a full time job at this same TV station. I have now been with the company 30 years! It has always been interesting work as I get involved in all areas of the maintenance and upgrading of the station. Our transmitter is on top of a 5500 foot mountain. I spend some time up there and it is exciting because not many engineers are working on the transmitters these days. When computers came along, I got interested, and now we have hundreds of computers being used at the TV station.
I purchased my first house in 1985, and lived in the small back house while renting out the front. I have been a landlord ever since. I now own two buildings with ten units total. They are close to work and on the West side of Los Angeles about five miles from the Ocean.
In my spare time I still like cars, and I built a fast car and went Drag Racing. The car was featured in several magazines, and it is sitting in the garage. I can't drive it much anymore because the smog laws have made it illegal. I also like to go bowling and I have been in a league for over 25 years. In the winter, I can go and visit the snow for skiing. I go from the beach to the snow for a day or two, then back to warm weather.
In 2011 I began pilot training, and obtained my Private Pilot license in 2012. I also purchased an airplane in July of 2012, and finished my training in this airplane. I purchased a homebuilt, or kit plane which is certified in the Experimental class. The airplane is from the most popular kit manufacturer, Van's Aircraft, and was built by a person in his garage, in Indiana. It is a Vans RV-9A which is a two seat all aluminum airplane with 160HP and a top speed of 195 mph! It is considered a sport plane, but is also great for cross country. I will be flying it in for the reunion from Los Angeles to Carlisle PA. Last fall I flew it to Nashville where my parents live, to surprise them for Thanksgiving. I have flown over the Grand Canyon twice, and have been flying in this airplane now over 300 hours. It is something I always wanted to do, and the adventure of it is awesome.
I retired in 2022 and moved to East Tennessee to live in an Airpark community with a private runway. I am happy to be out of the huge city of Los Angeles and back to my country roots. East Tennessee is rural and very similar to Pennsylvania with many farms, small towns and similar land. My neighbors in the Airpark are a community of friends. It’s been a huge change for the better.