Navy Way
KEYPORT, WA — Butler resident Patrick Fullerton has been spending the summer building a self-flying blimp for the U.S. Navy.
The Butler High School 2015 graduate is working at a Navy research center on Puget Sound near Seattle through the Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program.
Fullerton attends Washington & Jefferson College in Washington County, where he majors in physics. The college gave him a grant to cover the costs of this summer project.
“A friend of mine actually told me about the internship,” Fullerton said. “I figured it was a bit of a long shot when I applied, but I thought the worst they could do was turn me down.”
To apply, Fullerton had to submit his information by the end of October, an early deadline compared to other internships he had investigated. The rigorous approval process saw Fullerton gaining security clearances, writing multiple essays about his interest and sending two letters of recommendation, his transcripts and personal information.
When chosen for the program, Fullerton was asked to identify which participating Department of Navy laboratory he'd like to work at. The base in Keyport, called the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, caught his attention and became his top choice.
“It was something that sounded unique and pretty interesting to me,” he said. “I then saw that, among other things, the base did work with 3-D printing, which is something that I like to do as a hobby when I am home from school. On top of that, the location is in the Pacific Northwest, which is an amazing place to be.”
The 10-week internship started at the beginning of June and runs through Friday.
Fullerton, 21, is the son of William and Ellen Fullerton of Butler.
“He has always been interested in science, I would say so, science and math,” said Ellen Fullerton.
Fullerton is working in the Test and Evaluation Department, which is responsible for the undersea range, as well as doing research, development, and testing.
He has been working on a project to build an autonomous blimp, for which he designed a 3-D-printed gondola and is now working on software to control the blimp. He hopes to go out on an operation and observe a range test.
“He's got a 3-D printer and he has to print the actual mechanism he's using,” said Ellen Fullerton. “He has to get the software to run that mechanism.”
Fullerton said of his work on the “autonomous platform,” “I'm not entirely sure what I can say about it.”
“But the experience has been awesome and valuable. I've learned a lot,” he added. “I've been working eight-hour days. I'm wrapping things up and then I have a presentation.”
Fullerton believes the experience he's getting this summer is valuable, and he's grateful he had his W&J background to help him in the program.
“There is a huge difference between being in the classroom and getting work experience in the real world,” he said.
Fullerton said he plans to stay on in Washington state after his internship ends, returning to Butler about four days before W& J begins its fall semester Aug. 22.
As for his future plans, Fullerton said, “There's nothing set in stone, but working out here (Washington state) would be pretty good.”
