Nick Lappos - only a rumor (Now - the facts!)
Join Date: Mar 2000
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Congratulations Nick. 
I'm sure I speak for all your friends here in wishing you as much success in your new position as you've achieved in your long career with Sikorsky.
Remember guys ............ you heard it on Rotorheads first.
Heliport
I'm sure I speak for all your friends here in wishing you as much success in your new position as you've achieved in your long career with Sikorsky.
Remember guys ............ you heard it on Rotorheads first.
Heliport
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: US
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Nick,
Sikorsky's loss
is Gulfstreams gain . Hopefully you won't forget your helo roots and continue to be a Rotorheads PPRuNer in the future. It just wouldn't be the same without seeing your posts on the site. Good luck to you. Say, does this mean that you'll get rated in the G-V? 
Sikorsky's loss
is Gulfstreams gain . Hopefully you won't forget your helo roots and continue to be a Rotorheads PPRuNer in the future. It just wouldn't be the same without seeing your posts on the site. Good luck to you. Say, does this mean that you'll get rated in the G-V?
Congratulations Nick....I reckon we can see a wide body Gulfthing coming now.....or at least cargo doors on the beasties so's you can get into the things.
Going to be a nostalgic place for you being so close to Cobra Hall....hot nights at Savannah Beach...what was the name of the place...the Black Garter or Black Lace Lounge or something like that? My whole class less two Candidates got arrested out there....drinking in public...underage drinking....the small fact that we happened to pick the SBPD parking lot was a slight tactical mistake. Ah, but you being a Teetotaller of world renown....you would not know of such places. Word has it Nick read the Huey Tech manual on the weekends while his classmates were out learning to be real helicopter pilots by drinking to excess and chasing the fair young damsels around the salt water marshes.
Do stop at the South of the Border and get yer Sombrero....see Pedro and all that. Shame the interstate did away with all the Alligator places....
For sure....take a few minutes to go by the Spec Ops Museum in Fayetteville....
Going to be a nostalgic place for you being so close to Cobra Hall....hot nights at Savannah Beach...what was the name of the place...the Black Garter or Black Lace Lounge or something like that? My whole class less two Candidates got arrested out there....drinking in public...underage drinking....the small fact that we happened to pick the SBPD parking lot was a slight tactical mistake. Ah, but you being a Teetotaller of world renown....you would not know of such places. Word has it Nick read the Huey Tech manual on the weekends while his classmates were out learning to be real helicopter pilots by drinking to excess and chasing the fair young damsels around the salt water marshes.
Do stop at the South of the Border and get yer Sombrero....see Pedro and all that. Shame the interstate did away with all the Alligator places....
For sure....take a few minutes to go by the Spec Ops Museum in Fayetteville....
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Where Men Are Men And Sheep Run Scared
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Nick,
Excellent news and congrats, well deserved.
Gulfstream is a great company with some cool products. Hope they give new a nice new GV as a company limo
All the best and good luck in Georgia.
Ned
Excellent news and congrats, well deserved.
Gulfstream is a great company with some cool products. Hope they give new a nice new GV as a company limo
All the best and good luck in Georgia.
Ned
Join Date: Jan 2001
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Congratulations Nick, Gulfstream is a great company. I hope you have as great a career there as you did at Sikorsky.
I'll certainly miss you at Sikorsky, but I make the occasional inquiry at Gulfstream as well.
Please accept my thanks for all of your past help, and best wishes in the new position.
Jeff
I'll certainly miss you at Sikorsky, but I make the occasional inquiry at Gulfstream as well.
Please accept my thanks for all of your past help, and best wishes in the new position.
Jeff
All the best Nick Lappos
I learned a lot from you.
IMHO Helicopter urban myth was by far the best thread I ever read. Thank you very much for the time you took to explain all that technical stuff, a lot of us would never understand or even know otherwise.
Rotorbee
(silly name I know, but somebody allready took mine)
What are we going to do with Lu now? He will miss his counter part a lot.
PS: Can we count on a book from you in a not so far future?
I learned a lot from you.
IMHO Helicopter urban myth was by far the best thread I ever read. Thank you very much for the time you took to explain all that technical stuff, a lot of us would never understand or even know otherwise.
Rotorbee
(silly name I know, but somebody allready took mine)
What are we going to do with Lu now? He will miss his counter part a lot.
PS: Can we count on a book from you in a not so far future?
Well now since Nick is working at a world renown site of engineering excellence, maybe he needs some expert engineering analysis done......and he could hire Lu out of the frozen north. They could share a condo down there and save on expenses.....Nick could put Lu into an office annex adjacent to his posh place in the Ivory tower. No telling how that collaboration would work out
Join Date: Nov 1999
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All is not lost fellow pruners
Think about it!!
Nick going to Gulfstream!!!
immagine this
A G5 with Rotors, would make a 609 look a bit tatty
Bliss
Please add my best wishes to all those recieved.
MaxNG
Think about it!!
Nick going to Gulfstream!!!
immagine this
A G5 with Rotors, would make a 609 look a bit tatty
Bliss
Please add my best wishes to all those recieved.
MaxNG
Hey Nick!
How about taking that wonderful Gulfstream head-up display with FLIR and synthetic vision, and engineering it to fit into the 76B cockpit? Combine it with TCAS to differentiate it from the Gulfstream product, patent it, and I'll go 50% with you on the profits.
Should be a piece of cake for a trained fella like you!
How about taking that wonderful Gulfstream head-up display with FLIR and synthetic vision, and engineering it to fit into the 76B cockpit? Combine it with TCAS to differentiate it from the Gulfstream product, patent it, and I'll go 50% with you on the profits.
Should be a piece of cake for a trained fella like you!
Join Date: Apr 2003
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This is one screwy thread!!!
Thanks to all my pprune friends for the kind words and thoughts, I feel like one of those characters on the reality tv shows. Considering the immediacy of the info on pprune, I am searching my house for tv cameras.........
Seriously, I am thrilled with the Gulfstream opportunity, the company is first class in their field (as I believe Sikorsky is, as well) and the job is a dream one.
I am trying to figure out how to keep rotorcraft current, and also on the lookout for a good club or even a personal airplane. I'll keep you all posted on the progress of this trek. I have no thoughts of giving up ppruning every evening - it is a great place to hang out, I think!
Thanks to all my pprune friends for the kind words and thoughts, I feel like one of those characters on the reality tv shows. Considering the immediacy of the info on pprune, I am searching my house for tv cameras.........
Seriously, I am thrilled with the Gulfstream opportunity, the company is first class in their field (as I believe Sikorsky is, as well) and the job is a dream one.
I am trying to figure out how to keep rotorcraft current, and also on the lookout for a good club or even a personal airplane. I'll keep you all posted on the progress of this trek. I have no thoughts of giving up ppruning every evening - it is a great place to hang out, I think!
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Congratulations Nick!!!
Also to the people at Gulfstream who obviously know a good man when they see one - and damn hard lines on the folks at Sikorsky who now have a big hole to fill (no pun intended!). Their loss.
Hopefully we can partake of your wise counsel for a long time to come.
Also to the people at Gulfstream who obviously know a good man when they see one - and damn hard lines on the folks at Sikorsky who now have a big hole to fill (no pun intended!). Their loss.
Hopefully we can partake of your wise counsel for a long time to come.
Join Date: Jul 2000
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Copy of open letter from Nick, announcing his departure from Sikorsky.
Gulfstream Press Release
To My Friends at Sikorsky
I spent 32 great years at Sikorsky Aircraft, and had the great pleasure of working with professionals from all the phases of Sikorsky's history - those who built the Flying Boats, the VS-300, the fantastic big machines of the 1950's that revolutionized flight, the Hawk generation that made our military a true vertical fighting machine, the Comanche that changed the way we think about systems integration and now the S-92, the first true 21st century helicopter.
There was not a day that I did not learn something new, something about helicopters, or about people or about the way folks work together. It was nothing short of wonderful!
How can I decide to move to a new company, and a new area? I was the Chief R&D test pilot!! I love change, and I love the sense of uncertainty and excitement when I am not certain what will happen, when I must try to make an outcome with only limited knowledge of what will happen. I also love flying machines of all kinds, and I love working with good teams to get great things accomplished.
Sikorsky provided all that in wonderful Technicolor, for three decades! Now I hope (and truly believe) Gulfstream will do the same. They are a great company, one founded through a philosophy very similar to Sikorsky - Dedication to technical excellence, customer service and safety. When I met with Gulfstream Executives, they all spoke glowingly of Sikorsky's reputation, and THEY made the comparison!
I sent this letter to my supervisors to tell them how I felt, let me share it with you:
I face the difficult task of announcing my retirement from Sikorsky Aircraft. I have had the ride of a lifetime with a great group of people here at Sikorsky, people who design, build, test and support the finest helicopters on the planet. In the past 32 years, I have had Sikorsky in my blood, flying, testing and building those great machines, and living in the shadow of our founder, Igor Sikorsky.
I have before me an exciting opportunity for career growth, meeting new challenges in a company that makes airplanes. I find that must move on, I cannot resist this next call. I have made this decision in spite of my complete faith in Sikorsky’s people, products and future, a future that will show Sikorsky continuing to be the finest in Vertical Flight. Please know that I will always have a Winged S stamped indelibly on me, and I will always have a warm spot in my heart for all my Sikorsky friends.
With Greatest Respect,
Nick Lappos.
I spent 32 great years at Sikorsky Aircraft, and had the great pleasure of working with professionals from all the phases of Sikorsky's history - those who built the Flying Boats, the VS-300, the fantastic big machines of the 1950's that revolutionized flight, the Hawk generation that made our military a true vertical fighting machine, the Comanche that changed the way we think about systems integration and now the S-92, the first true 21st century helicopter.
There was not a day that I did not learn something new, something about helicopters, or about people or about the way folks work together. It was nothing short of wonderful!
How can I decide to move to a new company, and a new area? I was the Chief R&D test pilot!! I love change, and I love the sense of uncertainty and excitement when I am not certain what will happen, when I must try to make an outcome with only limited knowledge of what will happen. I also love flying machines of all kinds, and I love working with good teams to get great things accomplished.
Sikorsky provided all that in wonderful Technicolor, for three decades! Now I hope (and truly believe) Gulfstream will do the same. They are a great company, one founded through a philosophy very similar to Sikorsky - Dedication to technical excellence, customer service and safety. When I met with Gulfstream Executives, they all spoke glowingly of Sikorsky's reputation, and THEY made the comparison!
I sent this letter to my supervisors to tell them how I felt, let me share it with you:
I face the difficult task of announcing my retirement from Sikorsky Aircraft. I have had the ride of a lifetime with a great group of people here at Sikorsky, people who design, build, test and support the finest helicopters on the planet. In the past 32 years, I have had Sikorsky in my blood, flying, testing and building those great machines, and living in the shadow of our founder, Igor Sikorsky.
I have before me an exciting opportunity for career growth, meeting new challenges in a company that makes airplanes. I find that must move on, I cannot resist this next call. I have made this decision in spite of my complete faith in Sikorsky’s people, products and future, a future that will show Sikorsky continuing to be the finest in Vertical Flight. Please know that I will always have a Winged S stamped indelibly on me, and I will always have a warm spot in my heart for all my Sikorsky friends.
With Greatest Respect,
Nick Lappos.
NICHOLAS (NICK) D. LAPPOS JOINS GULFSTREAM AS VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS
SAVANNAH, Ga.
SAVANNAH, Ga.
Gulfstream Aerospace, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has hired Nicholas (Nick) D. Lappos as vice president, government programs. In this new role, Lappos will be responsible for all business-jet aircraft programs for government and military use - from the bid and proposal phase through the delivery and post-delivery activities. He will be based at Gulfstream's Savannah, Ga., major manufacturing facility.
Prior to joining Gulfstream, Lappos was a 32-year employee with Sikorsky Aircraft. Most recently, he served as director of the VXX presidential helicopter program. Previously, he was program manager for the S-92 helicopter and director of test engineering for the company's West Palm Beach, Fla., flight-test center. Spending most of his career in research and development, Lappos served as both a test pilot and the chief pilot for R&D. He was also a flight instructor for various Sikorsky model helicopters and has helped train the flight crews of several heads of state, including that of the President of the United States.
"Nick's background, especially his R&D and program management experience, makes him ideal for this position," said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. "We look forward to Nick joining the organization and helping Gulfstream continue to advance in the government programs area."
Buddy Sams, Gulfstream senior vice president, government programs and sales, said, "Government and special mission aircraft have accounted for 10 to 15 percent of Gulfstream's annual production. The addition of Nick to our team will ensure our continuing focus on this important market sector."
A recognized leader in the aerospace industry and author of numerous technical papers and articles, Lappos has been awarded the Frederick L. Feinberg Award by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) for most outstanding achievement as a pilot three separate times - once for his individual effort and two times for team efforts. The AHS also appointed Lappos a Fellow in 1994 for outstanding achievement in the vertical flight industry. A member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, he won the Ray E. Tenhoff Award for the most outstanding presentation to the association's annual symposium.
Lappos earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. A helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, he logged 900 combat flying hours in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star. Lappos also holds helicopter and a fixed-wing pilot certificates with both instrument and instructor ratings. He has more than 7,000 flight hours of experience in more than 75 different types of aircraft.
Prior to joining Gulfstream, Lappos was a 32-year employee with Sikorsky Aircraft. Most recently, he served as director of the VXX presidential helicopter program. Previously, he was program manager for the S-92 helicopter and director of test engineering for the company's West Palm Beach, Fla., flight-test center. Spending most of his career in research and development, Lappos served as both a test pilot and the chief pilot for R&D. He was also a flight instructor for various Sikorsky model helicopters and has helped train the flight crews of several heads of state, including that of the President of the United States.
"Nick's background, especially his R&D and program management experience, makes him ideal for this position," said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. "We look forward to Nick joining the organization and helping Gulfstream continue to advance in the government programs area."
Buddy Sams, Gulfstream senior vice president, government programs and sales, said, "Government and special mission aircraft have accounted for 10 to 15 percent of Gulfstream's annual production. The addition of Nick to our team will ensure our continuing focus on this important market sector."
A recognized leader in the aerospace industry and author of numerous technical papers and articles, Lappos has been awarded the Frederick L. Feinberg Award by the American Helicopter Society (AHS) for most outstanding achievement as a pilot three separate times - once for his individual effort and two times for team efforts. The AHS also appointed Lappos a Fellow in 1994 for outstanding achievement in the vertical flight industry. A member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, he won the Ray E. Tenhoff Award for the most outstanding presentation to the association's annual symposium.
Lappos earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology. A helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, he logged 900 combat flying hours in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star. Lappos also holds helicopter and a fixed-wing pilot certificates with both instrument and instructor ratings. He has more than 7,000 flight hours of experience in more than 75 different types of aircraft.
Last edited by Flying Lawyer; 21st Mar 2005 at 07:36.
If I may add my congratulations too, Nick. I would imagine that "10 to 15 percent" will soon be on the increase.
And if you need anyone to oversee Electronic Engine Controls Software, I'm your man. I could do with a new company car and a G-V would do very nicely indeed, thank you very much !
And if you need anyone to oversee Electronic Engine Controls Software, I'm your man. I could do with a new company car and a G-V would do very nicely indeed, thank you very much !