Pentagon approves 767 Tanker deal

The U.S. Department of Defense approved in May a plan to lease 100 Boeing-built KC-767A tankers to replace the U.S. Air Force's aging fleet of KC-135Es.

At press time, the multi-billion dollar accord was headed to the U.S. Congress for final review.

The agreement provides for leasing 100 KC-767 aircraft from Boeing for six years beginning in 2006, at a lease price of $131 million plus an additional $7 million in "lease-unique" costs per aircraft. The total cost will be less than $16 billion. The initiative also includes a provision to purchase the aircraft for about $4 billion at the end of the lease in 2017, according to Boeing and the Pentagon.

The strategy allows the Air Force to begin replacing the KC-135E tanker fleet three years earlier than planned. With an average age of more than 43 years, the KC-135E fleet is the oldest combat weapon system in the Air Force inventory.

The KC-767 will be the world's newest and most advanced tanker. It can offload 20 percent more fuel than the KC-135E and, unlike the E-model, can itself be refueled in flight. It will also have the capability to refuel Air Force, Navy, Marine and allied aircraft on every mission.

Jim Albaugh, Integrated Defense Systems president and chief executive officer, thanked the Boeing 767 Tanker team as well as supporters inside and outside the company for their efforts.

"By utilizing capabilities across the Boeing enterprise, our team was able to identify a key customer need and provide a very innovative solution—not only in product but in financing and support," Albaugh said.

The first KC-767A tanker is scheduled for delivery in 2006.

JAG actress visits Long Beach

Actress Karri Turner, who plays U.S. Navy Lt. Harriet Sims on the TV series "JAG," in May visited the Long Beach C-17 plant, along with several close friends.

Turner was part of a United Service Organizations' tour that flew by C-17 into Afghanistan last December.

During the trip, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Henry Steenken, mission commander on the VIP trip, surprised the 36-year-old Arkansas native with a birthday cake.

"Karri is a very, very nice person and huge supporter of our military troops," said Steenken, a career C-141 pilot who now flies C-17s with the 14th Airlift Squadron at Charleston Air Force Base, S.C. "She said the USO experience is one of the best things she's ever done."

Turner was one of several celebrities who made the trip to Afghanistan to entertain troops. Steenken heard about her birthday occurring during the trip so the crew surprised her with a cake during the long flight.

"She genuinely enjoys interacting with our troops—visiting Veteran's hospitals and signing autographs for her fans," he said. "When she invited me back to attend a JAG cast party … the tour was a small way to reciprocate."

Twisters affect Oklahoma City facilities, employees

Tornadoes in Oklahoma City last month damaged Boeing facilities and the homes of several employees. A tornado May 8 destroyed an office building Boeing shared with another company, forcing about 20 Boeing employees to relocate to other company facilities, and inflicted minor damage upon two Boeing warehouses. Although the storm caused short delays in business, programs are now reported to be on schedule. Twisters also destroyed the homes of two Boeing workers and severely damaged the homes of 15 others. No injuries to Boeing employees or their families were reported. The Boeing Employees Community Fund in Oklahoma City will make a donation to two organizations that assisted the affected employees

Boeing hosts Mediterranean media for 'Airplanes 101'

Boeing Commercial Airplanes in May hosted members of the Southern European media for an "Airplanes 101" course in Madrid, Spain. Boeing designed the program to educate the media on aircraft design, production and maintenance. Media representatives from France, Spain, Italy and Greece participated in the two-day seminar, which featured presentations by Director of Airplane Safety and Airworthiness Bob Kelley-Wickemeyer and 777 Manufacturing Manager Kathleen Moodie. Organized in cooperation with Iberia Airlines, the course included a visit to Iberia's maintenance facilities at La Muñoza and Iberswiss' catering facilities. Future courses are planned for Budapest and Prague.

Red Barn designated as historic aerospace site

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics designated the Red Barn, the 1916 birthplace of The Boeing Company and now located at the Museum of Flight in Seattle, as a Historic Aerospace Site. In an award presentation May 1 at the museum, the company's original manufacturing plant was honored for its contribution to aviation history. Alan Mulally, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO, attended the dedication event.

William E. Boeing, Jr. on May 3 reaccepted the award during a museum open house for Boeing employees.

Former Boeing employee inducted into Inventors Hall of Fame

Harold Rosen, a consultant and former 37-year Boeing employee, is among 17 aviation and aerospace inventors inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame on May 3 in Akron, Ohio.

Rosen was selected for his pioneering work developing the world's first 24-hour commercial communications satellite and his subsequent contributions to satellite communications. Considered a founder of the satellite industry, Rosen lead the team at Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, Calif., that developed Syncom, the world's first synchronous communications satellite.

"Today's satellites that deliver video, voice and data communications to an information-hungry world are all descendants of Syncom, which Rosen and his teammates built in 1963," said David Ryan, Boeing Satellite Systems vice president and general manager. "When Rosen and his colleagues launched Syncom, they launched a revolution and changed the world."

From the early 20th century, theories held that an object placed over the equator at a height of 22,238 miles and a speed of 6,878 mph would match, or synchronize with, Earth's daily rotation. To a ground observer, an object in this orbit would seem to stand still, thus the term "geostationary."

In 1959, working for the company that is today BSS, Rosen and his team of Donald D. Williams and Thomas Hudspeth began work on the first geostationary communications satellite.

At that time, communications satellites used low orbits requiring huge swiveling ground antennas. Expensive tracking computers were needed to stay in contact during the brief time they raced overhead. In contrast, a synchronous satellite could communicate directly and continuously with any ground station in its line of sight, using fixed antennas.