Engineers Who Fly
9er Systems exists because Pete saw a couple of products on the market and felt every one of them fell short of his expectations and desired feature set — so he convinced his lifelong friend of thirty years, John, to help him create something better. Together they cover the engineering and business disciplines that go into a product like this — from circuit design and firmware to the desktop software that ties it together, all the way through supply chain, inventory, marketing, and the e-commerce that gets it into customers' hands.
They initially tested their designs on Pete's own headset and simulator, but have since built up a variety of test components and equipment that let them validate each revision against the wider range of headsets and configurations their customers actually use. They sign off on every revision, and personally assemble, test, and package every adapter that leaves Knoxville, TN. If you have a question or a problem with one of their products, the email you send goes directly to both of them.
The Founders
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Pete Laurina
Software Engineer · B.S. Computer Science
Pete brings business chops to 9er Systems — he’s run a portfolio of five real estate rentals at a time, doing renovation-to-rental work himself under his contractor’s license. On the engineering side he has decades of experience as a software engineer, with stops at audio- and data-oriented companies including an interactive voice response (IVR) firm and a major telecom. He’s coded on, led, and managed development teams across API platforms, software security hardening, real-time data pipelines, major e-commerce websites, reservation and accounting systems, and cloud software distribution. He also brings hands-on experience from basic PCB design up through deploying Android IoT devices at scale.
A second-generation pilot, Pete grew up on family trips in a Cessna 172 and now flies a 177 Cardinal — slowly indoctrinating his two boys (1 and 4) into the world of aviation. Off the airport, he’s finished Ironman Triathlons and 50k / 50-mile ultramarathons, and twice attempted the Leadville 100. He’s been happily married for seven years.
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John Carlson
Electrical Engineer · M.S. Electrical Engineering
John brings deep electrical engineering experience along with a Master’s degree in the field. His career has spanned hardware and the software layers that talk to it — PCB layout and design, embedded Linux, firmware, and cloud device management. He’s shipped across industrial IoT and robotics, printer and scanner firmware, and precision civil engineering — surveying and machine-control software for heavy equipment.
John is part of a multi-generational family race team that competes 3–4 times a year in the 24 Hours of LeMons endurance series, maintaining and driving the family’s roll-cage-protected Oldsmobile Cutlass. He’s the proud father of three girls and has been married for over 20 years to a woman he’s known since high school.