Post by Joe on Nov 18, 2021 20:39:16 GMT -5
I recently discovered that Bill Von Sennet passed away in 2020, and that Tom Goodrick passed away just a few months ago, in June. Bill was 78 and Tom would have been close to that. They were part of the original forum crew along with me, Hans Petter Roverud, Tom Smith, and several others long since forgotten. I think flaminghotsauce may've joined later.
Bill rescued the forum when its parent site went under in 1999. Many of you know him from BGA (Bluegrass Airlines) and the Great Australian Air Race. In the real world, he lived in Pennsylvania. He always seemed like a kind and gentle person, and if his obit is any indication, he truly was. He was involved with charitable missionary work with underprivileged children in the Caribbean.
I knew Tom better-- he was my first internet friend, and for a year or so, he was my best friend. I had quit drinking and bought my first home computer in 1999 and got hooked on Flight Simulator '98, which came with the software bundle. Tom was recently retired from NASA, where he had been an aeronautical engineer at Huntsville. He designed dozens (hundreds?) of add-on aircraft for FS, the most noteworthy being his Experimental Air Sampler, which he designed to test the upper reaches of the flightsim atmosphere, up around 80,000 feet. He had also been a private pilot but was grounded due to diabetes. He was also a talented jazz musician, woodwinds, I think.
Tom and I emailed almost daily, back when that was a thing. In early 2000 I got my first set of rudder pedals and was having a helluva time getting them installed and running, and Tom was super helpful during the flurry of email exchange. Finally he emailed that all the emails were ridiculous, here's my number and just call me so we can get your pedals working. So we talked on the phone from time to time. Tom was also a phenom at Need for Speed - Porsche Unleashed, and my stepson and I would take turns racing against Tom, because we were on dial-up and that's all we could do.
It's been years since either Tom or Bill have posted here. Hardly anyone does now, but I felt something needed to be said for these two very special people. I guess I have some blog reading to do.
Bill rescued the forum when its parent site went under in 1999. Many of you know him from BGA (Bluegrass Airlines) and the Great Australian Air Race. In the real world, he lived in Pennsylvania. He always seemed like a kind and gentle person, and if his obit is any indication, he truly was. He was involved with charitable missionary work with underprivileged children in the Caribbean.
I knew Tom better-- he was my first internet friend, and for a year or so, he was my best friend. I had quit drinking and bought my first home computer in 1999 and got hooked on Flight Simulator '98, which came with the software bundle. Tom was recently retired from NASA, where he had been an aeronautical engineer at Huntsville. He designed dozens (hundreds?) of add-on aircraft for FS, the most noteworthy being his Experimental Air Sampler, which he designed to test the upper reaches of the flightsim atmosphere, up around 80,000 feet. He had also been a private pilot but was grounded due to diabetes. He was also a talented jazz musician, woodwinds, I think.
Tom and I emailed almost daily, back when that was a thing. In early 2000 I got my first set of rudder pedals and was having a helluva time getting them installed and running, and Tom was super helpful during the flurry of email exchange. Finally he emailed that all the emails were ridiculous, here's my number and just call me so we can get your pedals working. So we talked on the phone from time to time. Tom was also a phenom at Need for Speed - Porsche Unleashed, and my stepson and I would take turns racing against Tom, because we were on dial-up and that's all we could do.
It's been years since either Tom or Bill have posted here. Hardly anyone does now, but I felt something needed to be said for these two very special people. I guess I have some blog reading to do.
