The Shakers have Stilled...

a personal note today


As you gain experience in the business of Flutter, you are often required to support Ground Vibration Tests, commonly referred to as GVT’s. The purpose of the test is to identify the normal modes of an airplane, wind tunnel model, various components, etc., to help with refining the analytical model leading to accurately predicting the flutter speeds of the platform.

While this may sound glamorous and exciting, what it really means is that you get to spend time in some cold aircraft hangar in the middle of winter next to a howling hydraulic cart making thinking and conversation impossible, or third shift in a silent, dark wind tunnel section waiting for the ghosts to appear (all wind tunnels have spirits living in them), or a model shop in Dayton, Ohio working into the night to get the model verified. The team is usually comprised of the “lab” folks who actually run the tests, and the technology folk who are supposed to understand this stuff (me).

Obviously, the people around you in these situations offer the only possibility of making the experience at least tolerable. For the last several decades, my companion from the “Labs” was most likely Bob Dieckelman. Over the years, I got to know Bob fairly well. I was always amazed at the enthusiasm he brought to each test. Didn’t make any difference if it was the 100th or 3rd GVT, it was the most important test in the world, and he worked tirelessly to get the best data possible. Often, Bob understood more about the data than the “Flutter Guys”, who occasionally want the data to match their preconceived notions rather than believe what the airplane was actually telling you. I remember several heated discussions with him over the identity of a mode, or the frequency of same. I gained a lot of perspective by being associated with him. Bob had a slight speech impediment, and when he got “revved up” about something, it was a sight to behold.

Bob was also fearless when he was on point. On many occasions he would march into some unsuspecting manger’s office, usually leading off with “Just so you know…..” and then relaying that something had gone to hell and needed fixing. He was a true character, and that is meant to be of the highest compliment. He was respected by all that knew him.

When things were going good, we had some great conversations about sports. He was as up on the subject as he was on current events, and since he was a grad of Notre Dame, we had good debates regarding my Michigan State Spartans and the Domers. Always fun, he also had a great sense of humor.

So it was with great sadness that I learned he had succumbed to an advanced case of melanoma, and I’ll see him no more. The world of GVT’s and dynamics won’t be the same without his presence. His memory and legacy will remain with all of us that knew him, and the quality of the data from the McDonnell Douglas (sorry, it still is) labs will forever owe him a debt.

I also saw that there was a “Bob Dieckelman Day” in St. Louis, where everybody dressed in a white short sleeve shirt and jeans. I honestly can’t remember a time where Bob wasn’t dressed that way. I can only believe that he is chuckling about that somewhere, and I hope he’s shaking things up in heaven. Thanks, Bob.

all were

DFB(ob)