I've been licensed since 1974 originally as WB0NRW. Most of my on-air time up to about 2001 was spent in Air Force MARS. Now I spend all my on-air time on the HF amateur bands. I'm a retired Boeing Company engineer. I worked 20 years at the Boeing facility in Wichita, Kansas. During that time I spent 14 years with the Kansas Air National Guard flying the KC-135 Stratotanker.

Station Info:

The station here includes an ICOM 746PRO, LDG-1000Pro Autotuner, Ameritron AL-811 Amplifier. The antenna is a ground mounted SteppIR, BigIR vertical with 40 radials. Even though the radials vary in length between 10 feet and 32 feet due to space availability on this lot, the antenna seems to radiate fairly well.

The picture below shows a KC-135E model tanker with the USAF Thunderbirds (F-16s) in tow. I have many pilot-in-command hours in the tanker. I've done that mission but that particular picture is not me. Needless to say they are impressive to refuel. They never stop performing.

The "E" model tanker is equipped with JT-3D engines with reversers. The engines were removed from B707 aircraft operated by the airlines, then refurbished and put back into service as part of the KC-135E re-engine program. Those engines made a nice airplane out of the original design from 1955 that used the J-57 turbojet engine. No more water injection on heavy gross weight takeoffs.

Anyway, 73s to all. Thanks for looking over the site here.

Below is the southern Nevada desert around Pahrump 60 highway miles west of Las Vegas. Las Vegas would be off to the left as you view the photo. The name Pahrump is a derivative of the original Shoshone Indian name "Pah-Rimpi" meaning "WaterRock". There are artesian formations below the surface that prompted the name.

Current Weather Conditions

These are our "Boys", Oscar and Riley, two Ragdolls. Many breeders surmise the Ragdoll is a hybrid breed acheived by crossbreeding Siamese,Persian, Birman and Burmese cats, although the exact origin remains mostly a mystery. They are characterized by their blue eyes and a unique behavior where they go totally limp in your arms when held. In the picture below Oscar is on the left and Riley is on the right. Have you ever see such concentration, shown in the next picture? They were really looking hard at something. The bottom photo shows them when they were just little guys, about 4 months old. We got them from a breeder back in New York. Guess who is in charge around here? Actually, they are wonderful companions.

This is what I fly now days. It's an electric RC, 3-CH, helicopter. Actually is does require a bit of concentration to fly. I'll probably get a glider next.