Friday, 1 May 2020, was a very interesting milestone in the remote-examination program being managed by the Anchorage Amateur Radio Club (AARC.) In a session that morning, Danielle Powell, KE8OIN, went from no license to a General license. In the same overall session, Kristopher Powell, KE8OIO, did the same, but Mr. Powell is visually impaired, so the examination went a bit differently. As has been the process for many years for testing visually-impaired individuals, one of the Volunteer Examiners (VE’s), Kent Petty, KL5T, read each of the examination questions – over the phone – to Mr. Powell and entered the answer selected by the examinee. Two other VE’s watched and listened to this process while it was on-going. VE’s on the session were located in Alaska, North Carolina, and New Brunswick, Canada. The examinees were in West Virginia. As far as the AARC can find, this is first time a visually-impaired individual was tested remotely, using a web-based testing and scoring system. Later that day, Mark Hare, AD2AL, became our second, remote, web-based, triple-crown winner – he started the process with no license and is now an Amateur Extra.
Congratulations are due to all these people who have had the persistence and dedication to find proctors, arrange scheduling, study, and pass examinations in the current difficult times.
Lara Baker, AL2R
President
