Presentation: February 2021

This month's AE presenter: James Aubuchon
Date of presentation: 22 Feb 2021
Subject: The Major Subsystems of a Space System
Description:  The presentation was an overview of the major subsystems that are a necessary part of any space system.  The major subsystems (in this particular classification) are: Structures & Mechanisms, Power, Stabilization, Guidance, & Attitude Control, Orbit Control, Thermal, Communications, Payload (purpose of the spacecraft), Data Handling, Hardware, Software, Propulsion, and Telemetry & Monitoring.

It was not possible to discuss each of these in detail.  Most of the discussion was devoted to structures & mechanisms and the power subsystem.  Several examples of interesting mechanisms were discussed as well as operational tradeoffs in the design of the power subsystem.  It was noted that future presentations would discuss the thermal control subsystem and the communications subsystem in greater detail.

Presentation: January 2021

This month's AE presenter: Capt. Samuels

Date of presentation: 25 Jan 2021
Subject: Master's research
Description: A few years ago, Squadron 80 pilots participated in (then) 1st Lt Tara Samuel's master's thesis assessing the effectiveness of several simulated modifications to the standard cockpit instrument panel.  At this meeting, (now) Capt. Samuels returned with a summary of her research findings from that study.

The primary topic was how a certain instrument in the avionics panel is lacking in vital information that would benefit all pilots, and how the instrument should be updated to accommodate this information.  Her research was interesting, to say the least, and she defended her conclusion well.  Unfortunately, at this time I do not recall what the information in question is (sorry, Tara), but undoubtedly somebody will enlighten me.

Presentation: December 2020

This month's AE presenter: Capt. Swale

Date of presentation: 14 Dec 2020
Subject: Aircraft carrier landings
Description: For this month's presentation, Captain Swale talked about launching and landing on an aircraft carrier.  He also had a number of anecdotes dating back to his service as a US Navy aviator.

Presentation: November 2020

This month's AE presenter: Jeff
Date of presentation: 16-Nov-2020
Subject: STEM Kits - Which are best for a Senior Squadron?
Description: Jeff kept it short tonight with a brief discussion of the available STEM Kits that might be fun for senior members to work on and are not strictly for cadets.  The ones Jeff considered the most appropriate were named: "Cross Country Navigation", "Flight Simulator", "Raspberry Pi", "Astronomy", "Rocketry", and "Weather Station".  To this list, Richard opined that the "RC Aircraft" and the "NewBeeDrone" kits might also be appropriate.

Presentation: October 2020

This month's AE presenter: Kailash
Date of presentation: 26-Oct-2020
Subject: Telescope Basics
Description: Kailash gave a discussion about telescopes - how they work, how they differ from one another, and ended with a brief discussion of which type he recommends for novice astronomers.

Presentation: September 2020

This month's AE presenter: Jeff
Date of presentation: 28 Sept 2020
Subject: Three "Forgotten" Aircraft
Description: Tonight, Jeff talked about three aircraft that are often forgotten when discussions of aviation history arise: the DC-4. the DC-5, and the DC-6.  Jeff himself remembers much talk of the DC-3 and DC-7, but these three in the middle often get overlooked.

The DC-4 had a number of improvements over the DC-3, not least of which was the tricycle gear rather than taildragger, but it still had an unpressurized cabin.

The DC-6 was almost a longer, more powerful version of the DC-4, with a pressurized cabin so passengers could enjoy the flights more.  Both of these were good designs and had moderate success both in the marketplace and in the military.

Not so the DC-5, which was an unrelated design that was obsolescent before the prototype was even built.  Only 12 ever were.

Presentation: August 2020

This month's AE presenter: Jeff
Date of presentation: 24 Aug 2020
Subject: Wildfires and Air Quality
Description: The presentation for August concerned the air quality, or lack thereof, in California with the wildfires surrounding the Bay Area and all over the state.  Jeff talked about the causes of these wildfires (dry brush, extreme heat, "dry" lightning), as well as the health effects of breathing smoky air, the effects on flying, and how to protect oneself as much as possible.

Presentation: July 2020

This month's AE presenter: Jeff
Date of presentation: 20 July 2020
Subject: Black Aviation Pioneers
Description: Jeff's presentation for tonight took advantage of the recent discussions about race and racial issues on the news by using the opportunity to shine a light on a number of early black aviators.  The goal was to discuss the contributions they made to aviation in general, and more specifically, to the ways in which their pioneering efforts paved the way for other black aviators to become part of aviation history.

No presentation: June 2020

Unfortunately, events at Squadron 80 conspired to fill the month of June with activities that outweighed the monthly AE presentation in importance.  We'll definitely be back in July, though.

No presentation: May 2020

Apparently, there was no AE presentation given in May 2020.  Sorry for any confusion.

(Abortive) Presentation, April 2020

This month's AE presenter: Jeff
Date of presentation: 27-Apr-2020 (likely)
Subject: Aerospace Trivia
Description: The intent of this presentation was for Jeff to host a Jeopardy-style trivia game that the squadron would participate in.  Unfortunately, chance had other plans, as Jeff's computer chose that exact time to start throwing fits.  After several attempts to restart the game, trimming other operating software to a bare minimum, etc., it was determined that this game was a lost cause.  Apparently Jeff's poor old laptop simply lacks the horsepower to run twin behemoth programs Microsoft Teams and Mozilla Firefox simultaneously.  An exceedingly awkward time was had by all.

Note that my memory is not the best and I am not certain this fiasco occurred on 18-May; it just seems the most likely date, and I had to pick something.  In any event, it was within a week or two at the most.

Update, 26-Aug-2021: New evidence (email) has come to light suggesting that the actual date of this fiasco was 27-Apr-2020.

Presentation: March 2020

This month's AE presenter: Kyle
Date of presentation: 23 Mar 2020
Subject: The Boeing 737 Max
Description: The Boeing 737 has a long history of being a successful and best-selling aircraft, until now.  The latest generation named the Max has been grounded for over a year now with no end in sight.  Kyle's excellent presentation explained what went wrong with the best seller.

Presentation: February 2020

This month's AE presenter: Kailash
Date of presentation: 24 Feb 2020
Subject: Starliner - A NASA / Boeing Joint Mission
Description: For February, Kailash presented an overview of the NASA/Boeing mission Starliner - an alternative to SpaceX's "Crew Dragon" project that will hopefully bring American astronauts to the International Space Station in the not-too-distant future, and perhaps even farther after that.  The presentation touched on such subjects as: cost/benefit vs. alternatives such as Crew Dragon and/or Soyuz; reusability of at least some of the components (the crew module, for one); details of the spacecraft and launch vehicle; supply chain and operations; crew and cargo accommodations; and a bit about the various forms of testing the craft has undergone so far.

No presentation: January 2020

Unfortunately, events at Squadron 80 conspired to fill the month of January with activities that outweighed the monthly AE presentation in importance.  We'll definitely be back in February, though.

No presentation: December 2019

I have just been informed by my CO that there will be no opportunity to give an AE presentation in December 2019.  So the squadron will be bereft of my amazing presentation skills, at least until January 2020.

My best wishes for a happy December and prosperous new year to all!