What do you do for a day job?


Dude! Is that a Bell 206? I learned how to shoot from a chopper leaning out a window in one of those! I used to get flown around in Bell 407 at another shop; it was the first helicopter in which I lost my lunch (it involved a tiny black-and-white camera screen, the smell of jet fuel, and very bouncy, post-hurricane atmospheric conditions). 😆
 
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I worked on VW at a dealer in NH for 5 years. Got the job right out of tech school. It turned my passion and love for wrenching into work so I left it all behind and joined the Marines.

Now I'm a fireman. The schedule is great for working on the Jeep, 2 24hr shifts a week. With the wife working FT and no kids (other than the furry kind) I'm in a good spot to keep up with the mods.

I feel you. I was fascinated by cars from a very early age, probably around 10 or so. I remember one Sunday morning watching a science show where the tagline right before the commercials was "when we come back, we'll tell you how car engines work - with EXPLOSIONS!" Right at that point my mother came in and dragged me off to church, and I spent the rest of that day wondering how the hell engines worked with explosions.

I ended up working at the dealership level from age 16 to 25 and just got to hate cars so I joined the Air Force. Now I actually enjoy turning wrenches on my own stuff.
 
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Dude! Is that a Bell 206? I learned how to shoot from a chopper leaning out a window in one of those! I used to get flown around in Bell 407 at another shop; it was the first helicopter in which I lost my lunch (it involved a tiny black-and-white camera screen, the smell of jet fuel, and very bouncy, post-hurricane atmospheric conditions). 😆
Helicopters are fucking terrifying. I worked for a very short period of time in a small test unit that had some Bells with rigs that flew ICBM guidance units shoved sideways through the rear doors for some reason doing very sketchy profiles. I went for a ride in one, and it was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. I'll stick to fixed wings thank you very much.
 
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Started military in the AF as a 2W1.

like the previous AF guys. Loaded weapons on the F15, F16, and A10.

got tired of fixing them and wanted to break them instead.

Joined the Army and have been flying the Apache since then.

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2W1 is an interesting career field. Lots of idiots, lots of smart guys. Lots of fun either way. You got skis on the bottom of that thing?
 
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Pretty boring and short career list for a 54 year old guy. 84-90 USMC, aviation firefighter (crispy critter) stationed at Quantico and Iwakuni Japan. Got out and went to work at Dulles airport FD for three years, quit when I hired at my current department. Now 27 years later looking at retirement..... done some pretty cool stuff, was on one of two international rescue teams, deployed to Haiti three times, Japan, Kuwait, been up and down the eastern seaboard more times than I can count...... been a very fulfilling and rewarding career.....
 
I grew up on a small sheep farm in rural Vermont, we fixed everything, nothing new in our house but our shoes as we grew out of them.

went to college, got a history degree from WVU (LET'S GO!!!!),bartented the whole way through. After school, I taught for a year, then got back behind the bar.

At about 28-29 I quit the bar and got a job turning wrenches at a lift and accessory shop, then got a job as an Auto Glass Tech, I've been doing that for 15 years now. Good Pay, not great, decent hours, I am not tethered to a desk or a shop and I get to meet all kinds of people (good and bad).

I love fixing and making things, when I stop doing this I will most likely do something that I get to work on engines or make furniture. Hobbies right now that I turn a small profit on.
 
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Dude! Is that a Bell 206? I learned how to shoot from a chopper leaning out a window in one of those! I used to get flown around in Bell 407 at another shop; it was the first helicopter in which I lost my lunch (it involved a tiny black-and-white camera screen, the smell of jet fuel, and very bouncy, post-hurricane atmospheric conditions). 😆

Yep, it's a 206L4, I have a little over 10,000 hours in them. You're right, they can get a bit squirrely when the weather goes stormish, but I have never had one break on me - they are as reliable as an aircraft can be. Pretty stable camera platform, too (not counting hurricanes...).
 
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Helicopters are fucking terrifying. I worked for a very short period of time in a small test unit that had some Bells with rigs that flew ICBM guidance units shoved sideways through the rear doors for some reason doing very sketchy profiles. I went for a ride in one, and it was the scariest thing I've ever experienced. I'll stick to fixed wings thank you very much.
So I guess you wouldn't be interested in riding along on one of my animal capture flights, or dropping water from a bucket on a fire, or landing on the lava dome at Mt. St. Helens or... ;) It's all I have ever done since I was 18, so I suppose I see the danger from a different viewpoint. It's always there, but most of the time it's manageable and it's my job to determine if the risk exceeds the benefit. At that point it's time to land, and I have done that many times. That's what I like most about helicopters, there's always a place to land if you have to.
 
So I guess you wouldn't be interested in riding along on one of my animal capture flights, or dropping water from a bucket on a fire, or landing on the lava dome at Mt. St. Helens or... ;) It's all I have ever done since I was 18, so I suppose I see the danger from a different viewpoint. It's always there, but most of the time it's manageable and it's my job to determine if the risk exceeds the benefit. At that point it's time to land, and I have done that many times. That's what I like most about helicopters, there's always a place to land if you have to.
I mean, if you offered those up I'd still do it. I'd be fucking terrified, but I'd try it. Once.
 
Lots of different things in my various career paths and part-time gigs (Paramedic, IT, LEO, K9, College Instructor, Scuba Instructor, Helicopter Pilot, Road Racer, Casino Dealer). Now, I am Busy Doing Nothing - Retired and sporadically fill in on some old jobs from time to time.

Eighter from Decatur, county seat of Wise.

What kind of road racing? What tracks?
 
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Eighter from Decatur, county seat of Wise.

What kind of road racing? What tracks?

Eighter from Decatur! Absolutely, I say that sometimes when rolling the dice! I also dealt craps for a bit and still do for a casino games company.

Motorcycles. Circuit of The Americas, Barber Motorsports, Road Atlanta, Heartland Park, NOLA, VIR, local tracks.
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After I quit competing I taught it with a group down here in Texas. That pic was right after my 60th birthday.
 
34+ years working for a very large, unpopular Gas and Electric Utility in Northern California, doing Facility Maintenance the whole time out of the same shop. I work in Offices, Service Centers, Substations, Power Houses, and Mountain Top Communication sites. Love the work but looking forward to retiring and moving out of California.
 
I ended up working at the dealership level from age 16 to 25 and just got to hate cars so I joined the Air Force. Now I actually enjoy turning wrenches on my own stuff.
Pretty much how I felt, and I joined the USMC to be a firefighter. I was fortunate enough to continue my career in the fire service as a civilian. Now I get to wrench my own cars and some family/friends since I still own about 16k in Snap-on tools!
 
Pretty much how I felt, and I joined the USMC to be a firefighter. I was fortunate enough to continue my career in the fire service as a civilian. Now I get to wrench my own cars and some family/friends since I still own about 16k in Snap-on tools!
Axe, is that you? From the firearms forum?
 
Hardware engineering manager for Raytheon, never boring. There is always either a hardware, process, or employee issue to wrangle. That does not mean fun, just as stated never boring.