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A conversation with Ted Bates
Sep 27, 2009 (The Wichita Eagle - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
When Boeing Wichita faces its biggest and most challenging technical issues, Ted Bates gets the call.
"I'm known as a troubleshooter," Bates said.
He's worked on B-52s, KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, E4B, the Comanche helicopter, Air Force One and NASA's Shuttle.
His expertise is on aging aircraft. Bates, 67, has also worked with radar, communications, nuclear issues, avionics, paint and polymers.
He helped NASA with aging shuttle issues following the Columbia explosion.
Bates grew up in Chino Valley, Ariz., and graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in electrical engineering.
In 1978, joined Boeing Wichita to work on a number of programs, including putting cruise missiles on the B-52.
He and his wife, Lana, have three children. In his spare time, he is an aviation historian.
You've worked with nuclear weapons since 1965 and continue to work on nuclear issues with the B-52. How have things changed over the years?
"We still have to keep this airplane protected from nuclear (attack). There's four things that come out of nuclear weapons -- thermoblast, wind blast, one of them is the radiation and the other thing is the electromagnetic pulse. In today's world, that's even more an issue than it was before."
You began studying aging polymer issues on aircraft before others realized it could be a problem. Then you gave the polymer manufacturer 675 questions about the issue. What was its response?
"They said, 'Well we've read it six times... (and) we've laid out our research for the next 15 years based on your 675 questions."
Work with aging issues on the B-52 and KC-135 led to a request from NASA to work through aging issues on the shuttle. You did a thorough design review. How has that helped you today?
"I knew I'd never get the B-52 community to go spend millions of dollars on aging polymers research....
(On the shuttle,) we looked at all the different systems, the fluid systems, mechanical systems, the structural systems besides the avionics. Out of that, we built this database on aging polymers."
How has that work transferred over?
"Now we use that in our programs here. When they bring me an aging polymer problem, for example, with fuel hoses or seals, we can go back into that fundamental materials work."
A colleague told you this week that you can't ever get sick or retire because of the depth and breadth of your knowledge. You mentioned your "Pearl Harbor" files. What are they?
" (The files) are hard copies. They're printouts from computer systems that no longer exist. You have to have that. The B-52 was designed in the 50s.... I still have boxes on that B-52 that have vacuum tubes in them."
The communications infrastructure on military executive aircraft is important, you said. All the systems and people in the air and the ground must communicate with one another.
"We have to go tie those all together."
Reach Molly McMillin at 316-269-6708 or mmcmillin@wichitaeagle.com.
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