7650

 

7650 Dave Dempster

 
               1969 Review

I was fortunate to have an interesting, and varied career in aircraft maintenance and engineering.

 I was posted to Cold Like after grad as Armament Support Officer, in charge of the explosive storage, armament repair shops, and ranges, including the air weapon range. I later formed the EOD centre and added the duties of the Base Photo Officer when the incumbent became ill. My second posting was as CO of the technical training unit (10FTTU) responsible for all technical training on the CF104 and CF 5 ac,

I was posted to FMCHQ as an armament specialist, then to 10TAG HQ as Armament and Photo engineering officer. My secondary duty as EOD technician got me seconded to the EOD platoon responsible for coverage during the 1976 Olympic games. I then was accepted for post graduate studies at Rochester Institute of Technology for a MSc in Imagery Science, from where I went to AETE as Air Photo Officer.

 I was promoted, sent to Trenton as AMO Heavies, C 130 and 707s - yes, for a while I was to blame if your service air flight didn’t go. Next, I was posted on exchange to Warner Robins AFB, Georgia, as Assistant Scheduling and Inventory Control officer for the 3d line maintenance of C 130s, C 141s, and F 15s. From there to Winnipeg in the Transport aircraft Maint position, then to NDHQ in the Photo Maint/Recce shop.

 My next position was my dream job as Base Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Officer at Summerside, responsible for 413s Labs and Buffalos, and 880 and 430s Trackers. I was then posted to Wright Patterson as the aircraft engineer in the CFLogistic Liaison Unit. I was posted back to NDHQ Ottawa in the Arms Control Office as technical specialist to the OSCE for the implementation of the Open Skies Treaty. I retired from the CF in  2000.

 In that apparently my skill set in Imagery/Optical Engineering, plus my experience in aircraft engineering were considered useful, I then formed a company and contracted my services back to the service, working on the Aurora AIMP (MX 20 installation), then the Imagery engineering shop where I spec’d and supervised installation of the EO/Ir system on the CH146 for sandbox duties, also wrote technical specifications for EO/IR systems for FWSAR, UAVs, and a long range RPV project. I retired a second time 14 years later.

 I’ve been blessed with a wonderful wife and partner, three daughters, and five grandchildren.

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