Wow, just learned my former boss and good friend is doing this!

[John_Cillis 2,406]

The man behind this venture was my biggest brother and backer during my mid career, a reference and champ in teaching me his non micro management style of team leadership, he just would let me go out on my business systems teaching trips in the tourism industry and let me go. 

I actually must admit at first I resented him becoming my boss, I wanted his job and had I been off the road I might have gotten it, you have to be around people who are your equals or better because promotions in his league are as much about politics as skills.  But he did me a huge, huge favor as no other man has in my life by taking a position I would have never been happy in, as CIO of our property management system implementation. 

He took me aside to teach me what I needed to have his role in later positions for other companies I held, taught me how to deal with board meetings, things I did not know because I did not have a business or Master's degree.  He gave me the chance to move into those roles anyway by championing me, telling me to watch my temper and be more professional and political, which he knew I hated but is needed if a tech wants to get ahead. 

Sadly my best friend did not like him and I could not explain to my friend why he is who he is.  My friend was ambitious and did not know of the Peter Principal, we rise to our own level of incompetence before we move on.  Jay Francis helped me understand this more than anyone could and at a point where my career almost stalled and went backwards, he helped set me on a path to reach, until disability shot me down ten years early, that magic six figure income that my background should not have afforded me. 

So I hope his venture works and is successful, if anyone can bring these PAV's to success, this man can and he has proven that to me by saving my former company which worked with Best Western long enough for us to complete our goals and move on before it was bought by a competitor, as often does in business.  By the way I am not trying to send him investors, I coach people not to invest in new technology but to just watch it and enjoy it if it rises, I got out of the stock market a long time ago, when I sold my five shares of Exxon stock that were given to me anyway. 

But I laugh about my stupidity, they were worth $23 a share and I was given 3/4ths a share when I worked for Wards when Exxon owned them.  We were allowed to pour money into stock but I am just not Nostradamus and I have no clue where a company's future might go.  I just worked for them and my wife and friends told me if I quit, those companies would fold, they were the ones who had that instinct, and that has happened in 80 pct of the workplaces I have been in.  The company I worked for originally, Best Western, under Jay who came in halfway through my term there, did not fold, just one of two, and both unique in their organization because they were either private or non profit.  Anyway my one measly share of Mobil stock paid me around $800.00 twenty years later and like Albert Brooks in Defending Your Life, I should have invested in Mobil/Exxon.  But to this day, I refuse to invest, and I do not know the full background behind Jay's showing me this, other than he knows of our shared love of aviation and simming.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6510554344088236032/

[John_Cillis 2,406]

No replies, but I wanted to add my former boss has invited me to fly this during the summer when they come to Arizona to visit.  I have flown drones before and RC but never an electric aircraft.  Of course I'd have to have CFI support but if it happens, my camera will be ready to save pictures from the flight which I am sure will be less than a mile, just to experience a new type of aircraft.

My ex boss told me there are about 80 of these projects now and it is a rush to market, but one caveat with that is they will need to be flight tested well--given the computer stability assist such aircraft require and the redundancy that will be a must.  I am still an old fashion, stick and rudder or trapeze bar (trike) pilot and I still prefer cables and weight shift to fly by wire unless the fly by wire is not computer assisted.  But these drones are too unstable and that is why they require computer augmentation for flight stabilization.   Even my RC motorglider had flight stabilization and when it lost its radio connection once, it still was able to land on its own and I had a video somewhere of that landing, it was like the Lost and Space, season one episode three I believe landing..... lol...

John

[Paul Deluca 164]

Thanks for the story John. I was so afraid of the  stock market in my younger years. Exxon: I remember the gas shortages like it was yesterday.  Talk about a gamble. I am a stick and rudder person just like you when it comes to tech. I am a big fan of the 727 because of hands on. Never got to fly it in reality/sim. Exxon: The avgas, and jet a trucks.  HAPPY FLYING!!!!! When you see me posting and i say that,you will know where it comes from. HAPPY MOTORING!!!! PUT A TIGER IN YOUR TANK.

[John_Cillis 2,406]

12 hours ago, Paul Deluca said:

Thanks for the story John. I was so afraid of the  stock market in my younger years. Exxon: I remember the gas shortages like it was yesterday.  Talk about a gamble. I am a stick and rudder person just like you when it comes to tech. I am a big fan of the 727 because of hands on. Never got to fly it in reality/sim. Exxon: The avgas, and jet a trucks.  HAPPY FLYING!!!!! When you see me posting and i say that,you will know where it comes from. HAPPY MOTORING!!!! PUT A TIGER IN YOUR TANK.

You do mean Frosted Flakes, Tony the Tiger?

[Paul Deluca 164]

No John.  Just an Exxon slogan to sell more gas l!  I used to see those commercials on tv.They pitched additives to give a car engine more boost.

Edited March 12, 2019 by Paul Deluca

[John_Cillis 2,406]

On 3/12/2019 at 10:46 AM, Paul Deluca said:

No John.  Just an Exxon slogan to sell more gas l!  I used to see those commercials on tv.They pitched additives to give a car engine more boost.

I know, I was being sarcastic, I was born in '61 and remember those ads and that pitch well.  Begs the question though, would Frosted Flakes be the holy grail to extend aircraft range on carbon fuels because of Tony the Tiger?  And which pitch came first, Exxon's or Kellogg's?  It is funny being a former Exxon stockholder to think I had part ownership in Exxon, but I never voted for the board, I always accepted a proxy vote since I did not know, like most shareholders, the qualifications of those running for the board.....  I just once wish I had voted just for the sake of voting.  So many of us are 401K holders so thus have shares of a variety of stock.  I was one too but I divested early taking the penalty to help for buying my car and paying off the loan, I got a considerable amount and I received even three times that on disability back pay, which allowed me to take my last trip to Europe in 2017.

Makes me feel I invested in my government and got a nice return on my faith in our government.  I think for any citizen of any country, that is what true patriotism is and my wife and I though she was from Mexico always had our flag, not the Mexican but the US flag, out during the 4th and other holidays like Memorial and Veteran's day.  We did not keep it out year round though just so it would not wear out, the flag is special to us because under the current administration she, a Mexican, was granted her citizenship, a process which started way back when under all the administrations we've had since she came here in '95 to stay for good.  And that is special, how our government rewarded an airline employee and IATA member.

John