Aerodyne News - Aerodyne Industries

Aerodyne News
Vol. 2, No. 1
http://www.aerodyneindustries.com/
Spring 2015
Dr. Charles A. Allen: A Life Well Lived
By John M. Janokaitis
“There is a mysterious cycle in human events. To some generations,
much is given. Of other generations, much is expected. This generation
of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny.”
– President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (June 1936)
Charles Allen was only eleven years old and attending grade school in
Philadelphia when President Roosevelt addressed the 1936 Democratic
National Convention in his hometown, but FDR’s words would prove
prescient for many of his generation.
“Philadelphia is a good city in which to write American history,” Roosevelt said. “This is fitting ground on which to reaffirm the faith of our fathers; to pledge ourselves to restore to the people a wider freedom; to
give to 1936 as the founders gave to 1776 - an American way of life.”
One day after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, President
Roosevelt delivered a speech to Congress on Dec. 8, 1941 describing the
previous day as “a date which will live in infamy.”
Less than a year later, on Nov. 18, 1942, 17-year old Charles Allen
joined the United States Navy and became an integral member of a generation that had a rendezvous with destiny. A group
that decades later would be
proclaimed “The Greatest
Generation.”
Two years removed from high school, Charles was a flyboy in the U.S. Navy (1943).
“I was in my senior year of high school (Philly’s Northeast High School)
when the war broke out in 1941, but I was only 16 and they wouldn’t
take you in the Navy until you were 17,” Charles said. “So after I graduated, I went in the Navy.”
(Continued, see Charles, page 8)
1
A Message
from our CEO
In the past month, Lee
Williams and myself held
a “state of the company”
meeting in Cape Canaveral with the
Teammate Principals to share a few
messages.
First and foremost, we wanted to
say “thank you” for your hard work
and dedication to making Aerodyne
so successful.
We have grown to 120 employees
and our revenue is just under $17M.
We also wanted to share our company goals:
1. Customer Satisfaction.
2. Employee Satisfaction.
3. Continued Growth and Opportunities
for the Future.
Speaking of future growth, we are
pursuing many opportunities, including some prime bids. And our biggest
selling point has been — and always
will be — your outstanding work
effort, which continues to enhance
our corporate resume.
It’s that commitment to excellence
which earned ESSSA the Small Business Subcontractor of the Year Award
in 2014 and warranted a nomination
for the NASA Agency Level Small Business Subcontractor Award in 2015.
Our goal since Day One has been for
this experience to be fun and exciting;
to have a good time and take care of
people.
Opportunities are on the horizon,
but first and foremost we want to
grow the right way and that means
taking care of those who matter most
— you.
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
MSFC submits Aerodyne as Candidate for NASA’s
Agency Level Small Business Subcontractor Award
Winner to be announced March 10 in Washington, D.C.
The accolades keep coming for Aerodyne Industries at the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center
(MSFC) in Huntsville, where it recently received a
Certificate of Recognition as Marshall’s candidate for
NASA’s Agency Level Small Business Subcontractor of
the Year Award.
Randy Lycans, Jacobs’ Vice President and General
Manager, presented the certificate to Sherrie Mill-
wood, Aerodyne’s Teammate Principal for ESSSA
(Engineering and Science Services and Skills Augmentation) in a February ceremony.
MSFC awarded Aerodyne with the center’s Small
Business Subcontractor of the Year Award in 2014.
NASA’s Small Business Industry Awards (SBIA) program recognizes the outstanding efforts of companies that support NASA in achieving its mission.
(Left) Randy Lycans, Jacobs’ Vice President and
General Manager, presents Sherrie Millwood,
Teammate Principal for ESSSA, with the Certificate of Recognition.
SITEC’s Dawn Watson receives early Holiday Gift!
Dawn Watson, a member of Configuration Management (Information Technology and Services) for
the Special Operations Forces Information Technology Enterprise Contract (SITEC), received an early
holiday gift when she was presented with a Certificate of Excellence on Friday, Dec. 19, 2014.
The award, which included a commemorative
coin and gift card, was presented by the L3 USASOC
Site Director, Allen Porter, and Dawn’s supervisor,
Robert Carter.
A proud member of the U.S. Air Force Reserves,
Dawn received the special commendation “for outstanding performance, teamwork and technical
expertise in support of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), Fort Bragg, NC
while serving as a member of the SITEC Distributed
Computing configuration management team. Ms.
2
Watson enthusiastically takes on additional workloads outside of her main responsibilities thereby
supporting the customer in a timely fashion. Ms.
Watson’s dedication to teamwork and customer
support is a credit to herself and the SITEC Distributed Computing Team.”
An exemplary member of the SITEC CM Team, Dawn is
also in the U.S. Air Force Reserves.
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
ESSSA’s Troy Stanley and Andy Brainerd
receive prestigious Letters of Commendation
Troy Stanley and Andy Brainerd are two of the many reasons
Aerodyne is so highly-respected
at the George C. Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville – and
both received Letters of Commendation from NASA documenting their positive impacts.
Both letters were addressed to
Randy Lycans, Jacobs’ Vice President and General Manager for
ESSSA.
On Oct. 15, 2014, Troy received his letter from David Edwards, Branch Chief of the Flight
Mechanics and Analysis Division.
In his communication, David
stressed Troy’s achievements
supporting the Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) Systems for the Space Launch System (SLS) Program:
“Mr. Stanley has been instrumental in planning the verifica-
Andy Brainerd is a vital member
of the VMET Team.
tion, validation and test activities
for the SLS integrated GN&C system and related subsystems…
In addition to his incredible
experience and knowledge, he is
an excellent mentor and teacher…Troy is truly a unique and
extremely valuable resource for
the branch, center and program.” – David Edwards, Branch
Chief.
On Feb 12, 2015, Andy received a letter from Joey
Broome, Branch Chief of Integrated System Health Management and Automation.
The commendation addressed
a number of admirable qualities
Andy brings to work each day:
“…in a relatively short amount
of time, he has propelled himself
toward the leading edge of technical knowledge of the VMET
(Vehicle Management End-toEnd Test) system…
Mr. Brainerd is a pleasure to
work with and is excited about
NASA. He is welcoming, technically sharp, and projects a positive energy that inspires others
around him to become successful. We are extremely fortunate
to have him in our branch.” –
Joey Broome, Branch Chief.
JETS’ Stella Yu celebrates 30 Years of Service!
Stella Yu, an Application Engineer IV on
the JSC Engineering Technology and Science (JETS) contract in Houston, was recently presented a 30-Year Recognition of
Service certificate from Paul Nemeth, Director of JETS Engineering.
Stella is a Systems Engineer - Simulator
for the Simulation and Graphics Branch,
ER7, which is responsible for management, development, maintenance and
operation of multiple facilities that provide high-fidelity, real-time graphical simulations used to support both engineering
analysis and flight crew training needs. Paul Nemeth, Director of EngineerAmong these engineering facilities ing, presents Stella Yu with her 30critical to the success of human space Year Service Award.
flight is the Systems Engineering Simula3
tor and Virtual Reality Lab.
“A comment from Chris Hadfield, Canadian Astronaut, tells the
importance of my work and also
inspires all engineers that work in
simulation labs to strive for quality
training for the astronauts, trainers and procedure developers:
‘Virtual reality is good, too, and
has some advantages, like full Station simulation, not just part. Like
all simulators, they have parts that
are wrong and misleading: an important thing to remember when
preparing for reality.’”
Stella is originally from Taiwan.
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
And the Awards go to…
JETS Awards Banquet, December 2014
Aerodyne President’s Award & Superior Individual Award – Kerry Stiff
(Left to right): President’s Award recipient Kerry Stiff and Robin Osborn, Aerodyne JETS Teammate Principal.
Aerodyne presented its President’s Award to Kerry Stiff in December 2014 for his outstanding support to the JSC Engineering Technology and Science (JETS) contract at
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.
Kerry made significant contributions to multiple projects for NASA’s Crew and Thermal
Systems Division, including testing of the James Webb Space Telescope, helium and leak
detection mitigation of the large thermal vacuum chambers on Experiment Container
(EC)-4, and as Project Manager on the Building 32 Backup Instrument Air System.
Aerodyne CEO Andy Allen commended Kerry for his many contributions: “Kerry, your
technical expertise, leadership, professionalism and dedication are all ideals that Aerodyne Industries highly values in employees and this is why you are now being recognized
with the 2014 Aerodyne Industries Presidents Award. Congratulations!”
4
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Superior Team Award – Carol Schwartz (Apollo Sample Curation Team)
Carol Schwartz with Lon Miller, Jacobs’ Senior Vice President and GM.
Superior Team Award – Aaron Rose & Casey Moore (Cold Stowage Team)
Aaron Rose (2nd from right) was a member of the award-winning Cold Storage Team along with Casey
Moore (not pictured).
5
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Aerodyne’s Wellness Program keeps Employees on the Move!
Aerodyne’s unique Wellness Program is one of those special benefits that demonstrates people truly are
the company’s most important asset.
The program provides employees the opportunity to get healthier and save money in healthcare premiums. Reductions are based on the results of six categories: BMI, Blood Pressure, Cholesterol, Glucose, Tobacco Use and Health Risk Assessment.
A few weeks ago, we asked you to tell us what you’re doing to get healthier and save some money. We
only received a handful of responses, but we considered that a good sign – most of you were obviously too
busy working out to reply.
But some of you did respond and others we heard about through the grapevine. In both instances, we
received some excellent initial feedback on how to improve our health. (Although we must admit, after
reading Kanishka’s ordeal in the Houston marathon we actually began to cramp up!)
Marathon Men:
Kanishka deSilva, JETS Project Manager, participated in his fifth - the 43rd Houston Marathon in January
2015. (You can read more about Kanishka’s race day on the next page.)
Ralph Rohloff, TOSC Teammate Principal, participated along with his daughter, Victoria, in the Walt Disney
World Half Marathon on January 10, 2015. For the record, 15-year old Victoria finished in 2:06:19 for 20th
place in her division, while Ralph followed with a respectable time of
2:37:56.
Exercise Regimen
Lee Williams, Chief Operating Officer (COO): “I've found a superb product and exercise regimen that has
me in the best shape I've been in for several years. I was introduced to the TRX system while on vacation a
year ago. I bought the system that consists of high quality, but simple straps, that can be fixed to a door, a
swing set or most any fixed object that can hold a strap. In 30 minutes, you can work out almost every muscle group. The best part is the way it helps you stretch. It's contributed to making my lower back stronger
and less painful after golf and tennis. You can check it out at http://www.TRXTRAINING.com.
In the meantime, we still want to know what the rest of you are doing for a healthier 2015
(working out, dieting, stopped smoking, etc.); please send your thoughts to
[email protected].
6
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
JETS’ Kanishka deSilva: A True Marathon Man
[Editor’s Note: Kanishka deSilva, a Project Manager/Technical Lead on the JETS contract, competed in his fifth marathon, the 43rd edition of the Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015. Following is his account of the popular endurance race.]
Bio: Kanishka deSilva, Marathon Runner
Age: 50 Hometown: Houston, Texas
Job Title: Project Manager/Technical Lead
(Engineering Specialist Senior)
Years with Aerodyne: 1+ years
Number of Marathons: 5
Personal Record (PR): 3 hours, 53 minutes, 31 seconds (Houston Marathon 2015)
Favorite event: Houston Marathon because of the
great crowd (200,000 cheering fans) and fast
course.
Race Day Conditions: Excellent weather; cold morning with a gradual warm up and no wind.
What’s Next: Seabrook (Texas) Lucky Trail Half(Left) Kanishka deSilva completed the Houston Marathon with a new
Personal Record.
Houston Marathon Race Report
By Kanishka deSilva
I ran the Chevron Houston Marathon (Top 20 marathon events in USA), finished in 3:53:31 and PR'd my 4th
Houston marathon. My time was ~4 minutes faster than
last year, but I fell short of my goal of finishing in 3:50.
It was a perfect day for running a marathon and I
couldn't wished for a better day. I love running the Houston marathon because of the amazing crowd and the
flat, fast course. As I headed to the Start Line after doing
some stretches, I was pumped up and ready to run 26.2
miles!
The adrenaline rush you get at the Start Line is electrifying; finally you start off after months of training for
hours and hours. I was doing well and cruising at the
half way mark doing about 8:35 min/mile, but a leg injury that occurred during the last month of my training
began to act up and the pain came back. I just ignored it
and kept running. I was confident of achieving my goal
of finishing in 3:50, but my pace was starting to slowdown.
Around mile 22 my legs were feeling really tired. I
recalled a similar experience two years ago at the same
distance and had to walk. Around this time, to my dismay, the 3:50 pace group passed me. I tried to keep up
with them for a few miles, but I couldn’t sustain the
pace. I knew my goal was slowly getting out of reach so I
switched from my goal of finishing in 3:50 to beating my
last years’ time (3:57:30).
As the miles went by, my knees were starting to buckle and the muscle fatigue and pain was getting intense.
My quads were hurting really bad and I had to walk for a
minute or two to replenish my muscles as they were
screaming for oxygen. At ~40K, I was moving very slowly
(9:44 min/mile), but the crowd was getting larger and
the finish line was within reach and I soldiered on.
I managed to finish with an overall pace of 8:55 min/
mile. As soon as I crossed the finish line, my right quad
muscle cramped up and I had to get a medic to help me
walk (this was embarrassing!). After all these years of
running, this was the first time I experienced this. I felt a
huge knot on my quad.
I was surprised I had such a hard time this year. I
think I paid the price for skipping on some of the long
runs (20 miles) in December due to the Holidays. The
injury also interfered with my training. In hindsight, I
should have done more speed work, strength exercises
and completed more long runs. Maybe running too fast
at the start also contributed to this. I was subconsciously trying to run at 8:30 pace as my ultimate goal was finishing in 3:45.
I set the bar too high and got knocked down. The thrill
of finishing and knowing that you finished a Marathon is
priceless. I am planning to run the Houston Marathon
again in 2016!
7
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Charles (continued from page 1)
alarms, you could either be abandoning ship or manning your battle stations; you never knew.”
More than 12,000 Americans were killed and
50,000 wounded while Japan suffered more than
150,000 casualties before ending the resistance on
June 21, 1945.
Less than six weeks later, a pair of American B-29
bombers, the Enola Gay and Bock's Car, dropped
atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima
and Nagasaki, respectively, and Japan surrendered
unconditionally to the Allies on August 14, 1945;
effectively ending World War II.
“We did such a great job, they gave us a Presidential Unit Citation for the squadron and the carrier,”
Charles said. “It’s the second highest medal for combat next to the Medal of Honor.”
“I joined the Navy because they told us we’d have
a clean place to sleep at night; it was better than a
foxhole, and the Marines, well, they don’t sleep at
all! So the Navy was a very good choice and it was a
chance to travel. I’ve been to the Seven Seas, aboard
six aircraft carriers; we got to go to the Mediterranean and stop off in France.”
The Battle of Okinawa
Charles also participated in the largest amphibious
invasion and last major campaign of the Pacific War –
the Battle of Okinawa. The most brutal clash of the
Pacific War, the Navy suffered its greatest casualties
in a single engagement.
Student and Teacher
After the war, Charles continued to excel in his naval career for another 23 years. He was a teacher
who never stopped learning.
He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in electrical
engineering from Drexel University in Philadelphia in
1947. He attended Officer Candidate and the Navy
Military Justice Schools in Newport, RI; Aircraft
Maintenance Schools in Memphis, TN (F3H) and El
Toro, CA (F3D); the Allison Jet Engine School in Indianapolis, IN; and Bombardier/Navigator School in
Sanford, FL.
Charles was also a Radar Intercept Operator flying
the F3D Skyknight as a member of the VX-4 squadron
based at the Naval Air Missile Center in Point Mugu,
CA. The purpose of this mission was to develop the
sparrow air-to-air missile, which would be launched
by a Navy aircraft and be directed by a radar beam
that “locked on” to enemy aircraft at night - a first in
Naval Aviation history.
Charles also obtained his license as a Commercial
Pilot and was certified as a Flight Instructor (single
and multi-engine aircraft), Ground Instructor, and
Airplane and Engine Maintenance Technician.
Charles flew a TBM Avenger torpedo bomber in the
Battle of Okinawa (1945).
“I was stationed on an aircraft carrier and one of
our first jobs was the Battle of Okinawa,” Charles
said. “We flew the TBM Avenger (torpedo bomber)
in a composite squadron for the Navy.”
The invasion began April 1, 1945 with the heaviest
concentration of naval gunfire ever assembled to
support an amphibious landing. Ten American battleships, nine cruisers, 23 destroyers and their escorts
and 117 rocket gunboats fired 3,800 tons of shells at
Okinawa in the first 24 hours, paving the way for
60,000 troops to land with little opposition.
“Things were moving so fast you didn’t have time
to look back and evaluate; it was just go-go-go!” he
said. “They (Japanese) were bashing up our airplanes
and we used to take those, cut them in half, and take
the good tail of one and weld it to another. We’re
out in the middle of nowhere, you couldn’t call someone up and say ‘send me a fuselage.’
“It was 12 hours on, 12 off, you slept with your
clothes and floating belt on and when you heard the
(Continued, see Charles, page 9)
8
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Charles (continued from page 8)
was going to work Monday as a troubleshooter at
the Naval Air Engineering Center in Philadelphia – I
wasn’t out of work for one day!
“It’s a good idea to know where you’ve been; it’s a
better idea to know where you’re going and how
you’re going to get there. Sometimes you have to
take a deviant route to get there, but never lose
sight of your objective.”
Forty-two years after obtaining his bachelor’s,
Charles graduated with a master’s degree in Aviation
Technology from Thomas Edison State College in
Trenton, NJ in 1989 and one year later he graduated
summa cum laude with a Ph.D. in Aeronautical Engineering Management from LaSalle University in Philadelphia.
The Birth of Aerodyne
Charles chartered Aerodyne Industries in Richboro the same year he retired from the Navy. His
first jobs were as a Ground Instructor for 180 students at evening schools in Richboro and during
the day he was a Flight Instructor for more than 90
students in Doylestown, PA. He also taught his
middle child of five how to fly – future astronaut
Andy Allen.
“He let me tag along when he was teaching
flight, and occasionally take me out as the primary
student,” said Andy.
“I started Aerodyne more as a write off because I
had my plate full running a business with the flight
and ground instructions and everything else I had
going on; it was an eight-day week,” Charles said.
“I had a secretary, who kept the records, made appointments, and everything. I never really advertised, it was more word of mouth.
“I chose the name, Aerodyne, because aero was
for aeronautics and aviation and dyne meant acceleration or moving forward.”
Charles‘ many talents also helped to diversify the
burgeoning company. He manufactured instrument panels for Waco Aircraft in Allentown, PA and
had a Velvetex franchise to coat building walls and
autos with decorative paint jobs that would “last
twenty years.”
“Velvetex was a great product; it was fuzzy when
you applied it, but it was the most beautiful thing,”
Charles said. “It attenuated sound, which is why so
many restaurants liked it. I did a couple of restaurants in San Diego and it worked great.”
Dr. Charles Allen and wife Joanne (Feb. 4, 2015).
“If you’re not learning, you’re 6-feet under,” he
said. “Every day you should take learning under consideration; it inspires you. I went to the University
of Hawaii and I took a course in Abnormal Psychology and this was fantastic because you learn about
people. When you take a course like this you find
out what makes people crazy, how to get along, and
everything else.”
Charles was also a Navy instructor on how to survive a chemical, biological and radiological attack
and the President and Flight Instructor at three Navy
flying Clubs: Naval Air Station (NAS) Cecil Field in
Jacksonville, Naval Air Development Center in
Warminster, PA, and NAS Sanford, FL.
After 26 years of honorable service, he retired as a
Lieutenant Commander (LCDR) in 1968.
“I was growing up, the kids were growing up and
my first wife said it’s about time I get out of the Navy and help raise the kids – and I couldn’t agree with
her more,” he said. “So I was 44 years old and I said
I quit; I’m going home to Richboro (PA).
“They gave me a farewell party and I had a 4stripe sitting next to me and he said ‘it’s tough out
there, you need to know how to do a good resume,
you have to show them your experience and education; it’s a hard transition to make.’ He asked if I had
a resume and I told him as a matter of fact I do and I
(Continued, see Charles, page 10)
9
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Charles (continued from page 9)
between Andy and I, we speak the same language.”
They also share a bond for flying, a link that began when a teenager from Philadelphia answered
a call to arms in 1942 and began his rendezvous
with destiny.
“We had a blue 1961 Ford Fairlane and I repainted it with Velvetex and added two broad,
white racing stripes from bumper to bumper,” he
said. “Andy would drive it to school and park it
across the street in the lot near a vegetable stand
so no one would see it!”
The Greatest Generation
Whether it be destiny or divine providence, it
has indeed been a life well lived for Charles, a selfproclaimed 90-year old sailor who was born two
days before Christmas in 1924.
He embraced the challenges of his generation
with equal doses of humility and honor, whether it
was the Great Depression, the bloodiest battle in
the Pacific or quadruple bypass surgery after
suffering a heart attack fourteen years ago while
on a honeymoon
cruise with second
wife, Joanne.
He fulfilled his duty
with loyalty, patriotism and honor and
lived to celebrate a
family of eleven
grandchildren
and
four
greatgrandchildren.
A typical 1961 Ford Fairlane—before Velvetex.
Aerodyne is Reborn
Andy would go on to a decorated career as a
Marine Corps aviator and three-time astronaut for
the Space Shuttle Program. After retirement
from NASA’s astronaut
corps, he was Program
Manager for Ground
Operations with United
Space Alliance at the
Kennedy Space Center
from 1998 to 2004 and
held executive positions with Honeywell
from 2004 to 2007.
Son Andy, wife Joanne and Dr. Charles Allen (Feb. 4, 2015).
“Honeywell
was
Husband. Father. Aviator.
getting ready to ship me to Phoenix and I was living
Teacher. Student...War Hero.
in Clearwater so Dad and I had a conversation and I
Dr. Charles A. Allen truly embodies the best and
was thinking about maybe starting a company and
brightest America has to offer; he is a living testahe basically said ‘why don’t you take Aerodyne?’
ment of The Greatest Generation.
That’s how it started. So I registered the company
in Florida – that’s when we were in Oldsmar.”
A prideful Charles is quick to point out how Aerodyne has grown since then.
“Andy took the helm in 2006 and little did I
know that this thing would take off like a gazelle,”
he said. “He has very talented people and they do
magnificent work. They have a lot of brain power
and is all they had to do was find a few customers
– and nobody does it better than Andy.
“And that’s the real message: People have got
to like you; I don’t care how good you are, if they
don’t like you, they won’t do business with you.”
Charles professes appreciation for his aviator
Charles celebrates his 90th birthson’s accomplishments with prideful glances and
day with great grandson, 8-year
few words, but readily admitted “there’s nothing
old Jacob (Dec. 23, 2014).
10
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Aerodyne Headquarters Celebrated 1-Year Anniversary in January
My, how time flies when you’re having fun! It’s been more than a year since Aerodyne relocated its
headquarters of many years from Florida’s west coast, Oldsmar, to the east coast in Cape Canaveral.
Established during the 1960s space race, Cape Canaveral is only steps away from the Kennedy Space Center.
The Cape location is the third headquarters for Aerodyne. It was originally chartered by Dr. Charles Allen
in Richboro, PA in 1968 and moved south to Oldsmar when Andy Allen re-registered it in 2006.
We Want Your Photos!
With employees
stretched from the
Sunshine State to the
Lone Star State, we
are in a unique position to share views
from our respective
corner of the world.
So what makes
your area special?
Please send your
favorite photos to
jj@aerodyneindustri
es.com. Please be
sure to include your
name, a photo de-
scription and date.
Our staff will select
the best candidates
and your reward will
be seeing your work
published! (And, of
course, your career
could skyrocket in
new directions once
you’ve updated your
resume to include
“Published Photogra- A view from the top of the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB)
at KSC taken Sept. 30, 2014.
pher.”)
(Left
to
Right):
The
Operations Support Building (OSB) II, the LogisWe’ll get it starttics Warehouse (in background) and OSB I; the latter two buildings
ed…
are home to many of Aerodyne’s TOSC employees.
11
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
And the Awards go to…
TOSC Awards Banquet, January 2015
Aerodyne President’s Award – Jodi Sills
(Left to right): Ralph Rohloff, TOSC Teammate Principal, President’s Award recipient Jodi Sills and
Andy Allen, Aerodyne CEO.
Aerodyne Industries LLC presented its President’s Award to Jodi Sills at the Second Annual Test and Operations Support Contract (TOSC) Awards Banquet held at
the Radisson Resort at the Port in January.
Jodi provides Staff Support for the TOSC Processing Services directorate at the
Kennedy Space Center. The President’s award, which is given to an individual who
has made significant contributions to the success of the company, was presented by
Aerodyne CEO Andrew Allen.
No stranger to commendations, Ms. Sills was named the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Space Coast section Outstanding Women Engineer and received the
TOSC General Manager’s Quarterly Award in 2014.
12
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Continuous Improvement Award – Katrine Stelges
(Industrial Engineering/Human Factors)
Katrine Stelges with Andy Allen, Aerodyne CEO.
Superior Performance – Alex Riter (Sr. System Administrator, IT)
Alex Riter with Andy Allen, Aerodyne CEO.
13
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
And later that same month at TOSC…
General Manager’s Quarterly Team Award – Mark Taffet, EFT-1 Recovery Team
(1st row, 4th from right): Mark Taffet was a member of the Exploration Flight Test (EFT)-1 Recovery Team.
After a successful Debut, Orion comes Home
The Orion spacecraft ascended into history when it launched Dec. 5, 2014 from Launch Complex 37 at the
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, travelled 66,000 miles around the Earth and as high as 3,600 miles (15 times
higher than the International Space Station) during a four-and-a-half hour mission.
Hurtling back through the atmosphere at 20,000 mph with temperatures reaching 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit, Orion made a pin point landing off the coast of southern California in the Pacific Ocean.
On Dec. 10, 2014, Orion began the long journey home, a 2,800-mile cross-country trek from the Naval Base
San Diego to the Kennedy Space Center. It arrived at KSC to much fanfare on Dec. 18, 2014.
Resting comfortably in the Launch Abort System Facility (LASF), Orion is going through post-mission processing and, like any true celebrity, taking a few moments each day to pose for pictures.
Friday, Dec. 5, 2014, 7:05 am, EST: A Delta IV Heavy rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 37 at Cape Canaveral
Air Force Station in Florida carrying NASA's Orion spacecraft on an unpiloted flight test to Earth orbit.
(Continued, see Orion, page 15)
14
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Orion (continued from page 14)
The world watched as the new countdown clock displayed details and videos...
Recovery Operations off the southern California coast...
The Long Journey home comes to an end...
15
Aerodyne News
Spring 2015
Robin Osborn
Teammate Principal for JETS
(JSC Engineering Technology and Science)
Johnson Space Center (Houston, Texas)
Employee Spotlight
Poppop (Robin) & Momo (far right) and the Osborne Grandkids (Left to Right): Miles, Leah, Callan, Alexa,
Maddie, Hannah, Brinley, Landon, Claire and Ella (July 2014).
Education: Master of Science in Technical Management, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (2007) coursework only.
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas in Austin (1982).
Family/Pets: I’ve been married for 36 years. I have three children and ten grandchildren. We have an 18 year old cat
named Gigi that hates all of the grandchildren.
Favorite Vacation: I’ll take any Cruise with a balcony cabin, but my favorite was a 14 day Mediterranean cruise a few
years ago.
Favorite Hobbies/Pastime: I read for enjoyment constantly. I have several favorite TV shows that I watch regularly. I
really enjoy spending time with extended family, especially the grandkids.
Favorite Books: Too many authors to list. Fantasy and mystery are my favorites.
Favorite Movies: Anything with enough action to keep me awake.
Favorite Singer/Bands: I like most forms of music, even eclectic ones.
People would be Surprised to Know: I was born in Stuttgart, Germany and I routinely sing in church choirs.
What I’ve learned: It’s easy to be a good listener and very satisfying to be able to mentor others. Always choose your
battles.
Aerodyne News Staff:
Sponsor....................................Andy Allen, CEO
Sponsor....................................Lee Williams, COO
Advisor.................................... Carl McManus
Human Resources....................Terry Lupo
Contributing Editor.................John Janokaitis
The Aerodyne News is published quarterly for the
employees of Aerodyne Industries LLC.
Employee contributions are encouraged and
should
be
submitted
by
e-mail
to:
[email protected].
16