[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 5
- 11:29:30 ]
Hello to our early arriving chat participants! Today's Virtual Take Our
Daughters to Work Day chat with Linda Bangert from NASA Langley Research
Center will begin at 12:00 p.m., Pacific Daylight Time. Be sure you have
read Linda's profile at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/women/bios/lsb.html
before joining this chat.
[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 2 - 11:29:57
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Once the chat begins, Linda will attempt to answer as many of your questions
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do not appear on your screen immediately during moderation. They will
be held in our chat queue and posted as Linda answers those ahead of you.
[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 3 - 11:30:11
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[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 4 - 11:30:21
]
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[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 6 - 11:58:05
]
Hello and welcome to today's Virtual Take Our Daughters to Work Day chat
with Linda Bangert from NASA Langley Research Center. Linda tests airplane
models in wind tunnels and simulates jet engine exhaust using high pressure
air. The results of these tests help her understand how propulsion may
affect certain aircraft designs. In addition to supporting testing for
military aircraft, Linda also tests designs for future supersonic passenger
airlines during take off and landing speeds (about 180 miles per hour).
[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 7 - 11:58:20
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And now, here is Linda Bangert to answer your questions.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 9 - 12:01:38
]
RE: [Lupe] Have you ever encountered
technical problems while flying?
I assume you mean mechanical problems with the airplane? There was once
when we were practicing emergency procedures when the engine really did
quit on my instructor and me. Since we had our emergency landing field
all picked out, I wasn't overly concerned except for how long of a walk
we would have. The problem turned out to be carburetor ice, and we did
get the engine re-started at with about 200 feet of altitude left.
[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 14 - 12:19:04
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RE: [MrThompson] Hi Sorry we are late
- we are just finishing up with Pat Cowings chat. We're here now.
Mr. Thompson, we're glad you logged on. Linda is ready for your questions
now.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 18 - 12:22:45
]
RE: [MrThompson] Do you think career
guidance tests are good or did it in your case discourage you?
No career guidance test I took said I should be an engineer, but it didn't
discourage me. I think there was a lot of gender bias in the guidance
tests back then (high school class of 77).
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 20 - 12:24:47
]
RE: [Claire/UHS] What do you do to handle
both raising a daughter and working so much?
Compromise a lot! The workplace has gotten so much more family-friendly
in the last few years. I don't know how people managed before flex-time.
Still, there are things that don't get done, but I try to keep perspective
and omit the things that won't matter in the long run.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 25 - 12:29:53
]
RE: [Guadalupe] What problems(if any)
did you have to overcome to be were you are today?
In the week between senior year finals and college graduation, we had
a faculty-senior softball game. I was the only woman, and ended up taking
a line-drive in the face. I missed graduation, but after surgery to repair
the broken bones, I was fine - except my confidence in my ability to make
good judgements was shot for awhile. This was when I was just starting
a new job, and being "the new kid" was confidence-shattering enough. It
just took time and experience to regain my ability to trust my judgement
again. I still don't play softball though...;-)
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 27 - 12:33:07
]
RE: [marie/OR] How did the men treat
you when you worked on the fighter planes? Were you the only woman?
I was usually the only woman in any meeting. I worked with engineers,
not the pilots, and I think that was easier. I think I was generally treated
well, and chalked up any questioning of my abilities to my relative lack
of experience instead of my gender.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 30 - 12:36:45
]
RE: [bonnie/OR] Where there any accidents
when you worked on the military planes? Do you think they cover up accidents
or do we get accurate information? What do you think about the pilots
who crashed into the gondola?
As an NASA research engineer, the planes I was working on were years from
flying. Some haven't even flown yet. I don't feel qualified to comment
on the gondola accident. The press seemed pretty sure about where to place
the blame, but on the rare occasions when I knew first hand what had happened,
the press rarely got all the details correct. I'm sure that accidents
involving classified airplanes don't get reported completely.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 32 - 12:38:02
]
RE: [Claire/UHS] Do you ever work from
home to take your daughter with you?
No, although telecommuting is now an option for me. She's 3, and I don't
think I'd get much meaningful work done at home while I was keeping her
out of trouble.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 35 - 12:39:19
]
RE: [Maxine] do you ever aspire to be
an astronaut?
I was 9 when we landed on the moon. You bet I wanted to be an astronaut!
As I got older, I realized that the reality wasn't nearly as cool as I
thought, and designing airplanes seemed much more interesting.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 36 - 12:41:16
]
RE: [Sabrina] What is your research
used for? Is it for shuttles or other types of aircraft?
I was still in college when the shuttle became operational, so I have
never worked on it. NASA is now looking at various replacements for the
shuttle, and other reusable launch vehicles. I think I'll probably end
up working on those some in the next few years. What I've worked on up
until now have been airplanes - fighters, bombers, and lately, a supersonic
civil transport.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 39 - 12:44:05
]
RE: [Jenny] what else do you do with
your spare time???
Spare time? I have a 3-year old! :-) Actually, I have more spare time
now than I did when she was 2, so I read (lately mysteries set in medieval
times) or participate in a e-mail discussion list for a rock band (the
Moody Blues). Both are things that can be done in short bursts and won't
be a big deal if I don't get to them for a week or two.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 43 - 12:47:29
]
RE: [Bettina] how do you the time for
a private plane and being working a NASA?
I married a guy who was a pilot and had a plane. He's nice enough to share,
especially the upkeep. ;-) I don't fly much lately by myself, but he keeps
current instructing and is usually ready to go anytime I want to. Our
daughter thinks it's fun too, as long as we don't go on really long trips.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 44 - 12:49:19
]
RE: [Jenny] do you enjoy working with
nasa? how old were you when you decided to work with nasa?
I wanted to work for NASA since the moon landing when I was 9. I didn't
know they also worked on airplanes until I was in college. Like any workplace,
NASA isn't perfect (read Dilbert - sometimes I think Scott Adams sits
down the hall!), but I believe it is better than most.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 45 - 12:51:41
]
RE: [LoopyFL] DO you think that Nasa
will ever build a super sonic transport?
NASA won't because it's not our job to compete with airplane manufacturers.
Since Boeing just recently announced that they won't build one until at
least 2010, I think it won't be soon. I wish someone would, because I've
been working that technology area for the last 2 years, and I know I would
like to get places faster.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 49 - 12:53:54
]
RE: [kristina] how long did it take
you to get through college i mean years?????
I packed a 4-year undergraduate program into 6. ;-) I started out as a
physics major, then changed majors and schools to do aerospace engineering.
Then I worked alternate semesters at NASA while I was going to school.
I don't regret it though, the experience was wonderful. Then I did my
Masters degree part time while I was working, so that took another few
years.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 50 - 12:55:48
]
RE: [Bettina] what is your goal for
the future?
To ride out the current uncertain times in NASA aeronautics and find a
new niche where I can continue productive and interesting work. To raise
a happy, healthy daughter. To have more time for my own hobbies again
as she gets older.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 52 - 13:01:15
]
RE: [Sabrina] Do you still know a lot
about attack planes and what is being used in the war now? What had changed
since you worked on them? How long do they work on new advanced planes
before they use them? Are there new ideas now that we would see in later
years?
The planes being used now are the same ones we've had for years. B-52
bombers were first used when I was still in high school. The things I
worked on haven't flown yet. In the current military funding situation,
they may never fly. Concepts are continually being worked, and they make
their way on to an airplane if they technology is mature enough and there
is a new airplane to put them on, or it is sufficiently attractive to
put it on an old one. A typical fighter design-cycle time is 10 years.
The future? Look for planes without pilots, so that people don't have
to go in harm's way and possibly get shot down.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 53 - 13:02:15
]
RE: [kristina] have you ever brought
your daughter to work?
Yes. She likes seeing her pictures and artwork hung in my office. She
gets bored pretty quickly though, watching me work at a computer.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 58 - 13:04:30
]
RE: [shananaFL] what would you like
your daughter to be when she is grown?
Something she enjoys and is lucrative enough that she can move out on
her own. ;-)
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 60 - 13:05:23
]
RE: [Bettina] would you agree with the
saying "terible two" from your own expieriences
Yes! although it doesn't start at 2 and end at 3. When she gets mad now,
she has more stamina. ;-)
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 61 - 13:05:41
]
RE: [kristina] in your bio. it sayed
your daughter was 2 did she resently have a birthday?
Yes, in January.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 62 - 13:07:23
]
RE: [LOOPY] what was the scariest moment
while you were flying.
I scared myself pretty badly once when I took off downwind. There was
plenty of runway and no other planes anywhere around, so I was in no immediate
danger, but it could have been really bad if there had been. This was
at the same time I was having those confidence problems I mentioned, so
I probably was extra hard on myself.
[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 63 - 13:07:35
]
We will now be ending our chat with Linda Bangert. We would like to thank
everyone for joining us today. Our very special thanks to Linda for her
very thoughtful responses to our questions, and for sharing her personal
and career experiences, and expertise with us.
[ Jenny - 64 - 13:07:43 ]
THANK YOU FOR TALKING TO ME! :-) ;-)
[ kristina - 65 - 13:07:43 ]
goodbye
[ Kristina - 66 - 13:07:43 ]
u are sooo cool
[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 67 - 13:08:30
]
Check the Virtual Take Our Daughters to Work Day events schedule page
at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/women/TODTWD99/schedule.html
to learn more about today's upcoming chats. Also check our schedule of
events page at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/common/events to learn about
other upcoming chats with NASA experts.
[ Oran/NASAChatHost - 68 - 13:09:04
]
Be sure to share your thought about today's chat with us at http://quest.arc.nasa.gov/qchats/qchat-surveys.
[ LindaBangert/LaRC - 69 - 13:09:37
]
You are pretty cool yourselves! Thanks for asking good questions! Bye
now.
[ TomSarkoteacher - 70 - 13:16:20 ]
I thought Linda did a super job with her chat: great answers and a lot
of neat insights for the girls who participated. Thank you!
