Jim Petersen

Jim Petersen has both a BSEE and BSCS from University of Utah. He also has completed MSEE course work at the U of U. He has both the Private Pilot & muscle car restoration diseases. He has done Digital Design work for Univac Defense Systems Division working on classified Air Force projects during the Viet Nam War. This included U-2 projects, early Ryan RPV's, secure communications, fire control systems, helicopter helmet sight systems, and ruggedized mag tape controllers. I co-designed an RISC based bit-slice computer for airborne applications. He also worked for a company doing commercial automation systems, then founded a control systems company which was primarily involved with real-time computer control of equipment for manufacturing and warehousing automation. We also completed electronic equipment designs, one of which was a commercial version of the X-Ray Fluorescent Spectrometer used on the Viking Mars Lander which analyzed Martian soil samples. The 'crusade' to save Wendover Airfield came after a trip and tour to the airfield in 2000. After some research and a realization of the critical importance of this base to the WW II bomber training program and the secret work done for the Manhattan and Alberta projects, it became apparent that someone needed to save the base, thus arose the Historic Wendover Airfield 501 (c)(3) non-profit foundation.