About Flying Turtle

The Cartoon Characters
Dr. Galapagos and his pedal powered ultra light

Doctor Barnabus Galapagos
Know-it-all genius

Knows almost everything

Clever inventor (Cartoon Laws of Physics apply, as described in Ask Turtle Boy
- ie., anything works).

Complete understanding of Cartoon Laws of Physics as well as human world of physics.

Provides brilliant and fascinating answers to readers' questions you'll want to read over and over again (because they're so hard to understand) in the Ask Dr. Galapagos section.
Send your Dr. Galapagos questions about science or technology to Dr. Galapagos .

Turtle Boy in his airplane

Turtle Boy
Most sensible person on earth according to indisputable mind scanning survey of all intelligent entities on earth by wise visiting cartoon aliens (Honest! They left him a certificate.)

Likes flying machines with horsepower. This is okay and doesn't set a foolish example (he's sensible, remember) because he is a cartoon and always bounces (literally) right back from a crash.

Uses amazing wisdom and insight to provide sensible yet earth shattering answers to readers' questions in Ask Turtle Boy
Send your questions concerning the really inscrutable mysteries of life to Turtle Boy.

The Non-Cartoon Characters
The Flying Turtle is primarily due to the efforts of David Watson, the founder, president, and "Top Turtle" of The Flying Turtle Company. Most of the drawings on this site (at least the good ones) are the work of his son, Tom "no-clip-art-here" Watson. Many other people have helped and inspired, but for some reason they have begged to remain nameless. Too bad for them.
Note added sometime later: The above is not quite as true now. We have had to occasionally add clip-art because Tom is so busy at school and life; or worse, we have had to add art by David Watson. But the good stuff is still Tom's. The not-quite-as-good stuff is either clip-art or done by David Watson. (See David's self-advertisement below.)

Tom Watson's Bio

Tom graduated from Capital High school in Boise, Idaho, in May of 2000. In the fall of 2000 he will begin his college adventure at Boston University (we think that's in Boston which we think is in Massachusetts). In addition to being a clever and talented drawer of pictures he is a clever and talented kid interested in a variety of fields from theater and film to physics and politics. Lot's of colleges wanted him.
November 2005 Update: Tom went to college at Boston University. Graduated in May 2004. The site has gone on without him and most of the drawings are now done by me, or (I'm so ashamed) clip-art. Right now Tom is exploring India with a friend.

David Watson's Bio
Since David is so humble, he has asked me, Dr. Galapagos, to write his little resume biography self-advertisement thing (sigh). Of course, he wasn't too humble to give me 23 pages of notes about himself (including nauseating anecdotes from his childhood). Somehow I found the strength to leave most of it out. Here goes, with hardly any exaggeration:

(Explanatory comment on pictures: "They were the most mature pictures of him we could find."
The cool kid is his youngest child Kent")
David Watson & D. Kent Watson

      Mr. Watson fancies himself a student of many fields, especially science, literature, education, and technology (fancying yourself a student is not the same as knowing a lot). Hence the Flying Turtle Company. As a child he was fascinated with all fields of science especially life sciences. His mother still says (at least once a month) that she can't believe he didn't become a zoologist. As a cute and charming child (gag), he had a lot of pets - box turtles, desert tortoises, snakes (lots), lizards (lots), rats, mice, hamsters, tarantulas, scorpions, guinea pigs, flying squirrels, ants, horned toads (which are a type of lizard), water turtles, crawdads, tadpoles, toads, praying mantises, (are you still awake?) etc., etc.

     Even stranger than the above is that he studied British Literature for 3 and 1/2 years before running away and joining the Coast Guard. After the Coast Guard he went back to school at the University of Arizona to receive a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

     Before founding The Flying Turtle Company Mr. Watson made his living as an engineer and David Watson

engineering manager. During the last 18 years he has worked for 3 different corporations - Caterpillar, GE, and MotivePower Industries (now a part of Wabtec). He did a variety of things, but mostly specialized in product development, diesel engine performance, turbocharger development, and engine emissions.

     He often boasts that since most "man made" air pollution comes from burning hydrocarbon fuels (gasoline, natural gas, diesel, coal, wood, kerosene, etc), mechanical engineers can pretty much take the credit for inventing it. His mechanical engineering specialty is turbocharger development and diesel engine performance. His last real job was as manager of a corporate emissions program to reduce some of the harmful exhaust emissions of locomotive engines.
So he is definitely an expert on how to make air pollution.

     Mr. Watson will occasionally accept writing jobs (occasionally means whenever he is paid). If you have an educational website, publication, or document that needs some energetic, entertaining, clear, descriptive writing please contact him at the e-mail address links above or below. He is the sole author of this website.  Examples of praise for his writing from adoring fans (both of them) are available.

     2005 Update: Mr. Watson is back working as an engineer in the "real" world.No more Flying Turtle Company, but the website is still up. Now he's working as a Program Manager on large natural gas burning engines, rather than diesels. They are much cleaner, but don't make your bones rattle like those beautiful locomotive diesels. Exciting new challenges.
The end.
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