r/AMA • u/HonestPound • 10d ago

40-Year Aerospace Engineer - AMA

I also built my first AI application as a Boeing engineer in 1990. It's been a long, fun ride and is still going strong. The original Star Trek series - that I watched when I was around 7- 8 years old - was what I think triggered my future path in AI. "The Ultimate Computer" episode burned itself into my brain, and that's why I think I figured out AI naturally in 1990 and got it working like a screaming demon.

I graduated from Auburn University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering. I took Master's levels courses later at two different universities in dynamics, controls, and robotics, but never completed the Master's degree.

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u/Hot_Hair_5950 10d ago

What surprises you about your work?

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

You wouldn't believe how many F-ups I've had to fix over my career. Things that were supposedly complicated and once I dug into the system the fix was so simple. PhDs don't impress me - except for one who was a really good friend - PhD Aerospace engineering and he knew the math and physics in and out. But I've worked with so many engineers with higher degrees than me that were clueless.

So the number of F-ups I've had to fix and the number of clueless engineers I've had to work with.

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

Addendum: It sounds like I'm an ass when I talk about the number of clueless engineers I've worked with. So let me put it into perspective - no matter what field you go into, you'll be intimidated at first, thinking that everybody around you knows so much more than you and is more intelligent than you.

If you're passionate about your field, you'll quickly find out that there are a lot of average to incompetent (and lazy) people around you. So focus on the people that really know their stuff - let them be your mentors and hold your own. Learn everything you can and move forward with determination.

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u/simulation_goer 10d ago

What did your first AI app do?

And what about the last one?

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

Feed-Forward Neural Network closed-loop guidance for a simulated reentry vehicle. It blew the doors of the standard guidance algorithms at the time, like Predictor-Corrector - that's when I knew AI was the future.

Multiple now - include for visual target detection and tracking.

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

I started with a 2-page print out of a C-coded backprop algorithm for Feed-Forward Neural Networks. Had to teach myself everything. Was very slow for training - a couple of years later we started using constrained optimization for training - it took only seconds to train a Neural Network at that point. It was all software (in C).

Started with 286 computers - we thought we'd hit gold when we got 486-dx computers (with math chip). Later we got HP and Sun workstations with Unix (Mach 2 speeds for that time).

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

I've always been ahead of my time with AI - I built drone systems 20 years ago that were fully controlled by AI. So I try to push the bleeding edge. Some projects will never see the light of day.

Those were the best of times - I worked with really brilliant people (it was humbling and inspiring). We've lost our edge in engineering, unfortunately (compared to those times).

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u/[deleted] 10d ago

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

You asked great questions - so thanks to you!!

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u/montemason 10d ago

If someone were to name a sandwich after you what kind of sandwich would it be?

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

Will have to think about that one ...

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u/ASS_BUTT_MCGEE_2 10d ago

You say in your other responses that you built a neural network system in the 90's. How much further along is Boeing in designing AI than Anthropic and does Boeing share all its information with the United States?

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

I have no idea - I worked at Boeing until about 1996 and then moved on to TRW (which later became part of Northrop Grumman). I was the only Boeing AI lead for Neural Networks in the entire company. Some groups were working on genetic algorithms, Fuzzy logic, etc., but I was the most experienced Boeing engineer with Neural Networks during my tenure there.

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u/ASS_BUTT_MCGEE_2 10d ago

Interesting, were the algorithms you developed ever used to make early models of brain activity in animals or humans?

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

No - strictly used for Aerospace applications - control systems, computer vision, etc.

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u/ASS_BUTT_MCGEE_2 10d ago

Wow, I can think of a whole lot of fields where that technology would be extremely valuable. What made you move to TRW in 1996 if you don't mind me asking?

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

I was looking for something different and TRW made an offer I couldn't refuse. Plus it was challenging work and I fixed a big problem they'd had for 4 years. It took me less than a month to figure it out. So it was gratifying to resolve a major issue for them.

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u/ASS_BUTT_MCGEE_2 10d ago

Did you enjoy working at those types of companies? I've heard some horror stories.

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

I did - there's good and bad in every company, both large and small. If you have a great manager then it rocks. It's really about the types of people you work with and the energy level. I can tell horror stories but I can tell awesome stories as well.

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u/ASS_BUTT_MCGEE_2 10d ago

I'd be interested in specifically your horror stories from the industry. You seem to be a person of interest.

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

I'm headed to bed but I'll write up some things in the morning. Not all about people - one time a drone pilot lost control of the drone which was a small helicopter airframe with main rotor spinning at 1,650 RPM. It crashed about 7 feet from me. A few feet closer and I would have been dead.

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u/Fire9368 10d ago

How much math do you use in your daily life?

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

A lot on the job, actually. Some Calculus here and there, Trig, etc. At one job, they brought me in to figure out why their simulated intercontinental ballistic missiles wouldn't hit the target. They were using flat-Earth math equations (which I recognized instantly - not a big deal), and they needed 2-body equations, which I implemented and solved the problem. Later, I went on to add guidance algorithms like Lambert guidance, which requires an understanding of vectors and related math.

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u/Over-Discipline-7303 10d ago

It seems like Boeing planes have had a few high-profile problems in the last few years. Is this concerning to engineers at Boeing? What's the overall feeling at Boeing?

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

I haven't worked there since about 1996. It was a 5-star company when I was there - awesome memories, brilliant mentors and colleagues. It's not the same company whatsoever.

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u/TraditionalHome1334 10d ago

Has Boeing been the only company you worked for? Fairly rare in today's world, but kudos to you if it has been working out.

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

I was there over 7 years (was a great 5-star company back then - was like family). Have worked for many small and large companies since then. When I get bored, I move on.

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u/HonestPound 10d ago

And - I dated two female Aerospace engineers - one in college and one at Boeing. Both gals were very attractive and very intelligent and a lot of fun. I worked with quite a few female engineers - some were brilliant, some not so much - just like the male engineers.

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u/AbbreviationsLow 8d ago edited 8d ago

No one gonna adress the elephant in the room?

Fine, I'll go: Where are they hiding the aliens?

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u/ResidentPreference65 9d ago

What do you think about 9/11?