Ed Dover and Tom Kewin (Our
Mentors)
Ed
Dover's career as a flight radio officer on board the Boeing B-314 flying
boats began in November, 1942 when he was hired by Pan American Airways as a
flight radio officer. Following a training period at Pan Am's flying boat base
at Treasure Island in San Francisco, he flew on the Boeing B-314 and the Martin
M-130 flying boats between San Francisco and Honolulu as well as the Navy PB2Y3
and PBM aircraft on the South Pacific run under contract to the Naval Air
Transport Service (NATS) during World War II.
As a flight radio
officer, his duties included taking bearings from the manual radio direction
finding equipment and plotting them on the navigation charts, transmitting
hourly position reports to ground stations, receiving weather reports from Pan
Am's weather forecasters, and keeping exact operating logs of all radio
transmissions. Limitations on airborne radio equipment in 1942 required the use
of Morse Code for en route communications. Pan Am radio operators were required
to pass a Morse Code test of at least 30 words per minute. Voice communications
were limited to within 20 to 30 miles of the terminal areas.
Following World
War II, improvements in aeronautical communications allowed pilots to use voice
transmissions for all phases of flight and flight radio operators aboard
aircraft were phased out. Ed left Pan American in 1948 and went on to a 33 year
career with the Civil Aeronautics Ad
ministration
(which, in 1958, became the Federal Aviation Administration) as an aeronautical
communications specialist and air traffic controller. He retired from the FAA in
1982.
Since retiring Ed
has written a book; "The Long Way Home". It tells the true story of Pan
American's Captain Robert Ford and his crew who were forced to take their Boeing
B-314 flying boat, NC18602, on an impromptu flight around the world when Pearl
Harbor was attacked in December, 1941. It was published in April, 1999 by
Paladwr Press of McLean, VA. Check out our
BIBLIOGRAPHY section for more info!
~
Tom
Kewin
Tom came to PAA as a Flight Engineer in March 1943, a twenty
year old fresh out of the Boeing School of Aeronautics. He flew through the war
out of SFO and HNL and was on the crew of the last scheduled flight of a B314 in
April 1946. He stayed with the
airline for 40 years and 31,000 hours. Tom lives in Mill Valley, California,
just north of the Golden Gate. He amuses himelf with a "miserable" (this
is a quote!) golf game and a beautiful "Tiger
Moth" airplane. Tom'S book "The PAN AM Story" was published 2005. Check out our
BIBLIOGRAPHY section for more!
~
Juan Benlliure (Visual in GMAX)
Born 1983 in Mexico City, currently studing the last year of
High School, started using computers at age of 3 (!) on a MAC, FS Fan since
FS5.0, developed first aircraft for FS5.1 using Flight Shop (Douglas DC-7).
Plays ice hockey, but also like Cars, Airplanes and computers.
~
Bernd Hirnschrodt (Visual in FSDS, Panelbitmaps)
Born 1976 in Vienna, studies currently at Technical University,
FS Fan since FS4.0, develops aircraft since FS5.1. The first ones (such as
MD-80, Airbus A319/A320/A321, Airbus A330/A340, B737, B767) on a freeware base.
With PILOT'S since 1999 he developed the L1011 TriStar and Piper PA 28
visuals.
When he does not fly or program, Bernd likes sports (swimming,
biking, climbing) and making photos. He is also an active trainfriend.
~
Eric Nabstedt (Flight Model)
Born 1965 in New Jersey, USA, Eric is a flight planner and
coordinator for corporate and executive aviation in Houston, Texas, as well as a
private pilot. A flight simmer since the days of the Commodore 64 he has
combined this interest with a keen passion for the Pan American flying boat era.
He is currently chronicalling eyewitness and participant accounts from the
clippers for future publication.
~
Oliver Moser (Scenery)
Born 1968 at Friedrichshafen/Lake Konstanz. Since two
years a "houseman" (obviously due to his two year old daughter). :-) When he
does not design scenery for FS he paints in oil, writes and illustrates books
for children as well as comics. Momentarily he is booked until 2003 on scenery
projects.
More about him at
http://home.nexgo.de/moser/homepage.htm
~
Norbert Pachner (3D Effects; "advocatus diavoli"
and "The Slewer" <bg>)
Born 1947 in Vienna, employed in the IT business of an Austrian
company. Although he is a user of flight simulator since FS3.0, he has never
learned to fly properly, so he still prefers the slew mode rather than flying!
He worked on some scenery projects in the past. Other hobbies are astronomy (see
download section: real_stars), aquarium fish and stereoscopic photography.
Married, two daughters.
~
Bernd Podhradsky (Websitescripting)
Born in Vienna, html Guru.
~
Andreas Waclavicek (Gauges, Panelbitmaps)
Born 1977 in Vienna, does Combined Studies of Business and
Computer Science at Technical University Vienna, works on his master thesis
currently. FS Fan since FS 2 (!!). Started to program with FS when V5 was out.
He did some scenery design then. With PILOT'S since February 1999. Did some
gauges at the TriStar project and all of the Piper PA 28.
He likes to bike, swim and is an aviation buff generally as well
as a passionate videofilmer.
~
Urs Wildermuth (Adventures)
Born 1962 in St.Gallen, Switzerland he worked until recently as
a flight dispatcher for a formerly great airline. Real world experience on
Antonov2, Tupolev 154 and several light planes. Flightsimmer since 1982, CEO of
DANUR Computerflight Systems which produces flight sim addons for MS Flight Simulator
and Airline Simulator 2 as well as flight planning software. Married, no kids,
but one cat.
~
Stefan Schaefer ("Mothership")
Born 1964 in Vienna, currently CEO of PILOT'S. FS user
since FS4.0, developer since early FS5. Well known for practicing the Kai Tak
approach with just a runway in the green grass and the rest imagination, back in
times of FS5 (when scenery developement was NOT easy at all as these days). When
not behind the PC, he is a hard- and software specialist, who serves well
known clients, such as SIA. And if he is not even at that, he may be found in
opera houses or concert halls around the globe. Married, two kids.
~
)
Ed
Dover's career as a flight radio officer on board the Boeing B-314 flying
boats began in November, 1942 when he was hired by Pan American Airways as a
flight radio officer. Following a training period at Pan Am's flying boat base
at Treasure Island in San Francisco, he flew on the Boeing B-314 and the Martin
M-130 flying boats between San Francisco and Honolulu as well as the Navy PB2Y3
and PBM aircraft on the South Pacific run under contract to the Naval Air
Transport Service (NATS) during World War II.)
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