A view of the ground underneath NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander adds to evidence that descent thrusters dispersed overlying soil and exposed a harder substrate that may be ice. The image received Friday night from the spacecraft’s Robotic Arm Camera shows patches of smooth and level surfaces beneath the thrusters. “This suggests we have an ice table under a thin layer of loose soil,” said the lead scientist for the Robotic Arm Camera, Horst Uwe Keller of Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Katlenburg-Lindau, Germany.

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One of the major appointments for paragliding lovers in Spain, the International Air Festival (FIA), will be back on July 3 to 6 at the foot of the emblematic mountain of El Yelmo in the Sierra of Segura, province of Jaen. Like in its previous editions, this great celebration of the aerial sports and activities developed in the air will have plenty of spectacles, by outstanding acrobats and flying teams of first level. Some of the highlights of the program are the paramotor night show of lights and fantasy by Paraddax (also known as “European Paramotor Team”); the return of the paragliding acro team SAT, formed by world champions of this discipline who perform the most radical manoeuvres; the Red Bull BASE jump team and the squad of parachutists of the Army, or the acrobatic airplanes of the RACE (Royal Air Club of Spain) carving the sky at full speed.

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On March 19, 1945, the fighter my father was flying crashed in Germany. My mother was 17 years old. She turned 18 less than a month after he was declared missing and presumed dead. I was born three months later. By the time I was old enough to understand he was gone, my mother had remarried and my father was not talked about. When I was eight years old, my father was declared “unrecoverable”. I do not know if my mother knew this, but if she did, she never mentioned it to me. When I became an adult, I had no knowledge of my father and no hope of ever finding information about him. When I was contacted by the Army and asked to come to the Family Update, I was skeptical; after all these years, why would anyone have any new information? I had literally spent my life wishing and wanting to know more about my father, but I did not realize that anyone else cared or was still looking for him. I went to the Family Update with high hopes and low expectations; it just didn’t seem possible that anyone could tell me anything because my family had not even mentioned my father. My search for my father was a personal search to find some kind of inner peace with the belief that he was gone and I would never understand what happened and why.

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Fort Worth, TX (March 30, 2008) — The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has appointed Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, as a holder of an Organization Designation Authorization (ODA). By FAA rules ODA may be granted only to organizations who have demonstrated a high level of competence in carrying out certain certification, production and airworthiness functions. Roy Battles, a Bell senior vice president and the company’s Chief Technology Officer in charge of product safety and integrity stated, “We have been working with the FAA for two years to achieve this authorization and are confident our procedures are at the highest level to successfully enable us to perform this significant responsibility on behalf of the FAA.”

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Two Airbus test aircraft, an A380 and an A340-300 have been deployed to help transport essential relief effort cargo to China’s South Western region following the devastating earthquake near Chengdu, in China’s Sichuan province on 12th May 2008. The two aircraft will carry over 2,000 tents between them to help shelter the thousands of people left homeless. The relief operation was set up by Airbus, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Paris and is undertaken in close cooperation with Air France Cargo, Air China and Aéroports de Paris. The A380 and A340 will be operated by Airbus crews. Around 1,100 tents are supplied by the Chinese Embassy with the remaining tents being provided by the Association Franco-Chinoise d’Echanges Economiques et Culturels as a result of individual donations.

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A record number of cruise passengers will transfer from ship to air at Copenhagen Airport during the period from May to September. For the second consecutive year, the check-in facilities at hangar 145 will be used for cruise passengers on peak travel days to ensure quicker and more flexible handling of traffic. Copenhagen Airport has invested in new and modern equipment for baggage screening after a close dialogue with the airlines. When the first cruise vessel docked at the pier in Copenhagen in mid-April, it was the start of a record year in terms of number of cruise passengers transferring from ship to air at Copenhagen. In 2008, Copenhagen Airport expects 175,500 cruise passengers, and some 68,000 of these passengers will check in at hangar 145 which will be in use on the season’s 38 peak departure days for cruise passengers.

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The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has recently been given new responsibilities in the fields of air operations, flight crew licensing and the authorisation of third country operators. In the coming months, the Agency will draft European-wide binding rules and continue its consultation with stakeholders. EASA Executive Director Patrick Goudou outlined the Agency’s extension of scope at the ILA (Internationale Luftfahrt-Ausstellung ) in Berlin. “I am convinced that this extension of remit is of benefit to European citizens and businesses. The authorisation of third country operators is a case in point. It will prevent unsafe airlines from operating into Europe and complement the existing European blacklist. New common rules for operations and flight crew licensing will further enhance our European aviation safety system. EASA is dedicated to open dialogue and full public consultation with stakeholders”, said Goudou.

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Budapest Airport (BA) purchased new, state-of-the-art X-ray machines, magnetic gates and other passenger screening equipment for more than 3 and a half million euros (nearly 900 million forints). The airport company already commenced the operation of the equipment serving Terminal 1 earlier this week. BA will use the devices to completely replace the passenger screening systems used on the departure levels of all three terminals. After the comprehensive testing by the Authorities, out of the 12 hand baggage screening devices, three will operate at Terminal 1, five at Terminal 2A and four at Terminal 2B. The X-ray machines are the latest models of the airport specialist company, Smiths Heimann. The machines work on the same principal as the computer tomography showing the contents of the baggage being screened from two different angles thus nothing can escape the observation of the passenger screening guard, not even objects that overlap. Explosives can be precisely defined by means of a computer-generated determination of the relative atomic weight and the density of the materials contained in the piece of carry-on baggage inspected.

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ST. LOUIS, May 30, 2008 — In a C-17 Cargo Compartment Trainer located at Altus Air Force Base, Okla., Lynn Gardner, a Boeing [NYSE: BA] C-17 loadmaster instructor, shows two students how to prepare the aircraft’s Container Delivery System gate for an airdrop. Boeing delivers and operates the C-17 Aircrew Training System, which, in addition to providing aircrew training, offers initial air/land qualification training for loadmaster students. Using a building-block approach to training, students first view computer-based modules, then move on to various training devices: a Cargo Load Model, where students use scale models of cargo to become familiar with different types of loads and how loads are placed in the cargo compartment; a Cargo Compartment Trainer, which is a full-size mockup of a C-17; and a Loadmaster Simulator, which can be connected with the Air Vehicle System trainer to link pilots and loadmasters in simulated operational missions.

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EVERETT, Wash., May 30, 2008 — The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and International Lease Finance Corp. (ILFC) reached a historic milestone this week with the delivery of ILFC’s 75th Boeing 777. The Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) is leased to ILFC’s customer, Cathay Pacific Airways. ILFC has ordered 79 777s from Boeing since 1992, more than any other customer. Cathay Pacific now operates 25 777s, with 22 more 777-300ERs scheduled to be delivered including two more to be leased from ILFC. The airplane delivered Wednesday will join the airline’s fleet of seven 777-300ERs, 12 777-300s, five 777-200s and 24 747-400s in passenger service.

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FORT WORTH, Texas – In the good ol’ summertime… airports get very busy and planes get very full. But at American Airlines and American Eagle, our employees have everything in place to get you to your destination safely and efficiently this summer, wherever in the world you’re traveling. You can help make your trip go as smoothly as possible by considering these items and tips from American, a founding member of the global oneworld® Alliance.

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South Woodstock, CONNECTICUT / May 30, 2008 — The Aero Club of New England honored decades of worthy accomplishment by Tom Peghiny, a lifetime resident of Massachusetts and Connecticut. The award recognizes those individuals from New England who made substantial contributions to aviation. The Aero Club of New England is the oldest aeronautical club in the United States and the Americas, and is the second oldest such organization in the world. To participants in the Light-Sport Aircraft community, Tom Peghiny is already a recognized name. As president of Flight Design USA, the importer of the Flight Design CT line of aircraft has achieved and maintained market leading status since the first Special Light-Sport Aircraft were approved in April of 2005. Peghiny also chaired the ASTM Airplane Committee during its benchmark creation of industry consensus standards covering the majority of LSA being sold.

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The RAF ensign was lowered for the last time at RAF Bentley Priory today, Friday 30 May 2008, marking the final chapter for one of the RAF’s most historic Stations. Bentley Priory, located near Stanmore in Middlesex, is famous for its significant role in British history with Air Chief Marshal Sir Hugh Dowding having commanded RAF Fighter Command from the site during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. Today’s ceremony was an opportunity for the Station to show its gratitude to Service and civilian personnel serving their and their families, along with contractors, local dignitaries and other stakeholders for their support to RAF Bentley Priory over the years. Squadron Leader Phil Reid is Bentley Priory’s last Station Commander: “Today is a sad occasion, as it is to lose any RAF station. But we are looking to the future, and as there is no longer an operational requirement for Bentley Priory we need to rationalise in order to meet the defence needs of today.

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May 30, 2008 (Redmond, OR) - X-Air announced today that they received the ASTM consensus standard acceptance from the Seattle MIDO for Special Light Sport Aircraft (SLSA). “We are excited about completing the requirements for the ASTM consensus standard and receiving FAA acceptance,” stated X-Air’s David McRae. “Not to be overlooked in what we have accomplished, is the direct involvement that the Light Aircraft Manufacturers Association had with us on the finalization of our program. We are grateful for the representation and professionalism that LAMA brings to the industry.”

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A Dakota D3 of the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight has today, Friday 30 may 2008, carried a symbolic cargo of coal, teddies and chocolate to Berlin to mark 60 years since the Berlin Airlift. The Dakota is an original 1940s aircraft, typical of the type the RAF would have used during the eleven months of the airlift, a humanitarian air operation to bring supplies to the people of West Berlin in 1948-1949 after all road and rail access to that part of the city had been blocked by the Soviets. Up to 12,000 tonnes of coal, food and fuel was flown into Berlin daily by an air armada landing, at the peak times, at the rate of one aircraft a minute. It was an unparalleled operation which, undoubtedly, prevented starvation in the city.

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM — May 30, 2008 — Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of the world’s first very light jet (VLJ), today celebrated its 10-year anniversary with its customers at the Eclipse Aviation Customer E-rrival, the company’s customers-only event. Nearly 300 customers and their guests touched down in Albuquerque for the three-day event, many of whom arrived in their own Eclipse 500 jets. The annual event commenced with an address from Eclipse Aviation President and CEO Vern Raburn. “What better way to celebrate ten years than with the people who have stayed with us through it all,” said Raburn. “We’ve come a long way, and have a lot to be proud of. The E-rrival is a way for us to thank our customers, and for the entire Eclipse Aviation family to look back at what we’ve accomplished and to celebrate what lies ahead.”

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NEW YORK, May 30, 2008 – Seabury Group today announced that Claude-Henri Hereus, an aerospace industry veteran, has joined its Aerospace Division as Vice President. He will help aerospace suppliers assess their competitive position, develop a strategy to optimize performance for their shareholders, and implement the necessary steps for growth. “Seabury is very fortunate to have Claude-Henri joining the company at such a critical time in the aerospace industry as suppliers are facing enormous pressures,” said Henri Courpron, President of the Aerospace Division. “His almost 20 years of experience will be valuable to Seabury clients as they explore ways to be more competitive and optimize shareholder value in a tight financial environment.”

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The “forty-size” trainer (for a .40 (6.5 cc) glow motor) is still the world’s most popular type of model aircraft. The MENTOR fits neatly into this class, but there is one major difference: with its modern brushless electric motor system there are no starting problems, and it is always quiet and clean! The ailerons are operated by two servos for better control precision. The robust aluminium “tail-dragger” undercarriage offers generous ground clearance, making it possible to take off without difficulty even from imperfect grass runways. The steerable tailwheel ensures accurate manoeuvring ability on the ground.

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May 30, 2008 — LYNN, Mass. - The Saab Gripen Demonstrator aircraft powered by a GE F414G engine successfully completed its first flight on May 27 at Saab, Linkoping, Sweden. The flight lasted 30 minutes and completed all planned goals. “This flight is a major milestone for the Saab and GE propulsion integration team, which adapted the Gripen aircraft and the F414 engine,” said Tony Mathis GE - Vice President. F414/F404 Programs. “This is the first adaptation of an F414 for a single-engine application. This team was able to meet all the integration and flightworthiness requirements while holding an accelerated schedule.” Volvo Aero has joined with GE to support this development program and the flight and demonstration testing that will continue beyond 2010. Cooperative relationships with both Volvo Aero and airframe manufacturer Saab have led to this milestone and will continue through the Gripen Demonstrator Program and beyond.

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TUCSON, Ariz.– Scientists have discovered what may be ice that was exposed when soil was blown away as NASA’s Phoenix spacecraft landed on Mars last Sunday, May 25. The possible ice appears in an image the robotic arm camera took underneath the lander, near a footpad. “We could very well be seeing rock, or we could be seeing exposed ice in the retrorocket blast zone,” said Ray Arvidson of Washington University, St. Louis, Mo., co-investigator for the robotic arm. “We’ll test the two ideas by getting more data, including color data, from the robotic arm camera. We think that if the hard features are ice, they will become brighter because atmospheric water vapor will collect as new frost on the ice. “Full confirmation of what we’re seeing will come when we excavate and analyze layers in the nearby workspace,” Arvidson said.

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Scientists around the world are excited about all the things that the Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope, or GLAST, is going to uncover after it launches on June 5 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. There are many reasons for worldwide excitement about GLAST. Not only is the equipment state-of-the-art, but it will allow us to see objects in space differently. “The Universe looks remarkably different outside the narrow range of colors in the spectrum that we can see with our eyes,” said David Thompson, GLAST Deputy Project Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. “GLAST will give us a spectacular high-energy ‘gamma-ray vision,’” said Thompson. Gamma rays are the highest-energy form of light in the electromagnetic spectrum and cannot be seen by the naked eye. Thompson noted “If you’re in space with gamma-ray vision, there are gamma-rays coming from all directions. The Milky Way would be a brilliant swath of light, and you’d see a sky constantly changing with objects dimming and brightening on different time scales. If you see a blinding flash, that would be a gamma-ray burst!”

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COROT recently discovered 2 new gas-giant exoplanets and an unknown celestial object, taking the total of exoplanets it has found to 4. Other signals detected by the satellite could also indicate the existence of another exoplanet with a radius 1.7 times that of Earth’s.

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May 30, 2008 — Eclipse Aviation announced its order book is now open to current customers for its new model 400 single-engine jet, a production version of the concept jet first displayed at EAA AirVenture last year. The announcement came Friday (May 30) at the annual “E-rrival” customer event in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Deposits from non-customers will be accepted starting at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, slated for July 28-August 3. Eclipse says the V-tailed, four-place jet will cruise at 330 knots jet at 41,000 feet, and be powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW615F, using less than one pound of fuel per nautical mile to make it “the world’s most fuel-efficient jet aircraft.” Priced at $1.35 million (June 2008 dollars), deliveries are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2011.

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM - May 30, 2008 - Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of the world’s first very light jet (VLJ), today celebrated its 10-year anniversary with its customers at the Eclipse Aviation Customer E-rrival, the company’s customers-only event. Nearly 300 customers and their guests touched down in Albuquerque for the three-day event, many of whom arrived in their own Eclipse 500 jets. The annual event commenced with an address from Eclipse Aviation President and CEO Vern Raburn.

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ALBUQUERQUE, NM - May 30, 2008 - Eclipse Aviation, manufacturer of the world’s first very light jet (VLJ), today announced at its E-rrival customer event that it will start taking orders for the Eclipse 400 single-engine jet, a production version of the Eclipse Concept Jet first displayed at EAA AirVenture 2007. Eclipse Aviation is rewarding its many loyal Eclipse 500 customers by allowing them to be the first to place deposits on an Eclipse 400. Additionally, Eclipse 500 customers will receive an exclusive $125,000 discount off the final delivery price provided their deposits are placed prior to July 25, 2008. Deposits from all others will be accepted starting at EAA AirVenture in July 2008.

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