Improvements to ARC.....

For the past few years I have been restricted from following my goals on ARC.  My life seems plagued with one nasty event after another.

These have included:

  • A worthless P-3 computer system that I kept for far to many years despite it's constant crashes. I now use top of the line custom built machines. 

  • Spring summer 2004---My 6 month renovation of our old house over a 6 month period to prepare it for selling....this was to deal with endless cosmetic issues from living there for 17 years and neglecting the place for a number of years after our first daughter was born. 

  • Fall 2004---Settling into a newer house 

  • Dec 2004, Jan 2005---My Dad dying of cancer and my pre-occupation with that including two trips to England over a 10 day period to attend to him on his death bed and to attend his funeral. I had to fly home for a few days to clear out the remaining items from our old house (plenty of heavy tools from the garage) before the new owners took it over, before I flew back tot he UK to attend my Dad's funeral. 

  • Mar 2005---The death of my Mom from a stroke.

  • Aug 2005----Trip to Ontario (by the great lakes) with siblings to bury our Mom (I live on the west coast) My Mom's death hit me very hard and left me in a nasty slump of depression for a while (months). 

  • Spring/summer/fall 2006---My younger Brother's battle with cancer and his eventual death in Oct 2006 

  • My arm injury in late April 2006.....requiring 2 months off work from my real job.

  • Now add to that 2 hacker attacks on the forums that each took 2 weeks to fix. 

  • A real job that keeps requiring too much of my time 

  • Focusing as much time, attention and love on my 2 daughters and a wife. 

These dark times were full of distraction for me and my only goal during these dark times was to keep ARC open and running....update to update....one day at a time.  

I received tremendous support from the ARC family of members as they kept picking me up each time I stumbled from one tragic event to the next.  There was also special tireless help with moderating the ARC forums from such stellar, unselfish individuals such as Steve Filak, Ken Middleton and Alby Moore.  These three individuals have done more to help ARC behind the scenes than you will ever know.

Through all this and for the past 8 years, I've had the full unending support of Steve Filak.  Steve Filak stepped in years ago...many years ago....to help moderate the forums....and he's been doing this thankless job ever since....for many years.  He hasn't always enjoyed doing it, but he has stuck with it through thick and thin.  Recently, I realized if ARC was to move forward....changes had to be made.  I would need to fill the position of  ARC's Special Projects Director and I couldn't think of anyone better suited than Steve Filak.  Steve Filak's creative talents have been wasted for far too long moderating the ARC forums.  

Effective immediately, Steve Filak will be trading in his moderator's hat to take on some exciting new projects at ARC, at my request.  I'll be taking over the day to day responsibility of moderating the forums, although Steve Filak will be back as a guest moderator whenever I'm unavailable (during family vacations etc).

Steve Filak is by no means leaving the site or the forums, but his responsibilities will be changing, and his new role here will help me to take ARC to a new level....actually, SEVERAL new levels.  I can't reveal exactly what's up my sleeve just yet, but you'll be seeing some things on ARC in the next few months that you've never seen before on this site. Taking ARC to the next level is now my top priority......Steve Filak has indicated to me that he's up for the challenge, and he'll be working behind the scenes to help me meet this goal.

The Real Aviation Forum will be shut down and turned into a "Read Only" Forum.  

A new Research Corner Forum has been set up.  The Research Corner is the new forum to share photos of 1/1 aircraft and spacecraft, as well as being the new central repository for research info and technical information on aircraft.  The idea for this new forum is credited to Mike O'Hare.

One of the new changes will be the launch of the
ARC Armor site on Nov 15 2007....on the 8 year anniversary of ARC Air.

I knew eventually things would get better and I could focus my time on ARC in a more productive way.  This past summer required me working 6 and often 7 evenings a week at my real job (restaurant work)....this was more than I wanted to work at my job and it seriously cut into my family time and ARC time.  My ARC time is the time in the day I get to relax and do one of the things I truly enjoy......working on ARC.  I've recently been able to reduce my work week at the restaurant to 4 nights a week and I plan to reduce it to 3 nights a week in the coming months.

I will keep you updated with the latest progress on the ARC Armor site and the new projects planned for the ARC Air site in the New Year.  It is time to move ARC forward.

Steve Bamford

ARC Owner

Oct 1 2007