Dave Piatak
Aerospace Engineer with NASA Langley Research Center
Pet: Alistair, 8, Labrador-Blue Heeler
Is being a real rocket scientist as cool as it sounds? Well, yes, according Dave Piatak. “What’s there not to love?!” Dave says, “I get to work on and impact the things that I dreamed of as a child.” Specifically, Dave specializes in aeroelasticity, keeping aircraft, spacecraft and rockets safe from damaging vibrations during flight, including on their way to the International Space Station. But 8-year-old Alistair, picked out of a litter as a puppy at an Amish Farm in Pennsylvania by Dave’s oldest daughter, keeps him down to earth. Alistair is a faithful protector and king of the “leave it” game and is always up for a drive, a swim or a hike into the mountains.
Coastal Virginia Magazine
Offering up stellar editorial and photography on a range of feature topics from personal and business profiles to the region's cuisine and style scene, Coastal Virginia Magazine provides an in-depth glimpse into what's happening in the region. Each issue offers up something new, from the annual Top Docs feature to Best Of CoVa Readers' Choice Awards, while still always providing insight from the regular columnists and news on the latest local events in the Datebook section.
