Embraer Thursday delivered the first ALX Super Tucano multi-purpose military turboprop to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB). The ceremony, which took place at the Gaviao Peixoto facility in the interior of the state of Sao Paulo, was attended by high-ranking military and civilian authorities, Embraer executives, employees and technical personnel, as well as partners and suppliers that participated in the project.

CMC Electronics has been selected by the Dubai Air Wing as the avionics systems integrator for their C-130 Hercules, L100-30 cockpit upgrade. CMC Electronics is teamed with Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company (GAMCO), the prime contractor for the project. CMC Electronics will supply its CMA-900 Flight Management System (FMS) as the core of the upgrade, while GAMCO is responsible for all Program Depot Maintenance (PDM) inspection requirements, a new cargo handling system, aircraft painting and the installation of the cockpit upgrade systems in full coordination with CMC Electronics.

Wings Over Miami Museum, Inc. is pleased to announce that, effective January 1, 2004, Betty Amos Righetti of Miami Florida was elected to the position of President and Chairman of the Board for the Wings Over Miami, Museum. Ms. Righetti replaces Walter H. Orth, Jr., a co-founder of the museum, who will remain as Vice President-Operations for the Museum.

It's not a huge contract -- at least, not yet. But it seems to have major technological promise. Proton Energy Systems, a subsidiary of Distributed Energy Systems Corp. says it's gotten the nod for a NASA Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR)to develop lightweight regenerative fuel cell technology. The new technology will be used in unmanned aerial vehicles. Proton also announced the award of a SBIR Phase I contract from the US Army Missile Defense Agency, or MDA, for development of lightweight regenerative fuel cell technology for high altitude airships.

We think of Coast Guard Aviation in their brilliant White and Orange paint scheme, using a variety of aircraft, some unique to the service, which is now part of the Department of Homeland Security. They are known as lifesavers. From the air station at Opa Locka, Florida "The World's Busiest" to long-range search and rescue bases on both coasts with C-130's, plus their North Atlantic Iceberg search, they've been in the air for more than 80 years. Yet, for the first time in peacetime, the "Coasties" are flying armed aircraft on routine patrol on drug interdiction missions. The first squadron is based at Cecil Field, west of Jacksonville, and is the only U.S. unit flying the MH-68A "Stingray". Civilians would know the aircraft as the Augusta A-109E. About 140 total aircraft are