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John Harmon's Story
Born in Hanford, CA and raised in Lemoore, CA, John Harmon moved to Bakersfield in the early 70’s along with his father Darrell to form D&J Harmon Co., Inc. and began manufacturing the Harmon SO2 Generator. The Harmon SO2 Generator is installed at hundreds of golf courses world wide, plus many agriculture applications relating to treatment of water and soil problems. The Harmon SO2 Generator is referred to as a sulfur burner, which controls the pH of irrigation water as well as carbonates and bi-carbonates. With flying originally as his hobby, John Harmon built the very first RV-3 in California in 1975. An RV-3 is a single seat home built experimental aircraft.
The Harmon Rocket
There are modified motorcycles, autos, race cars, boats and many other things. Then there is the Harmon Rocket. The Rocket I was a modified RV-3 sport plane built in 1986 while the Rocket II is a modified van’s two place RV-4 built in 1992. Kits for this are available through Harmon Rocket LLC and over 120 Harmon Rocket II’s have flown. The Harmon Rocket III (built 2000) is just another notch up on the performance ladder, with only one in existence. It has been featured in the Reno Air Races for several years and has record breaking performances with the CAFE Triaviathon (Comparative Aircraft Flight Efficiency). The Harmon Rocket has done what few other planes could dream of doing. Autos have been modified for decades by people seeking to make a vehicle meet their needs and desires and the Harmon Rocket is no different.
Rocket Shop Café Story
100 yards due north of the building where Harmon Rocket parts are built (known as the Rocket Shop), the Rocket Shop Café is the newest venture for John Harmon. For 30+ years before, the Skyway Coffee Shop operated at the Bakersfield Airpark, but burnt down in December of 2001. So John took it upon himself to give this area of Bakersfield a much needed place to meet, eat, drink and socialize once again.
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