Writers from "The Late Show with David Letterman" came to Charleston Air Force Base, S.C., to do a live-to-tape feature with 10 crewmembers taking turns reading one of the comedian's infamous Top Ten List items with a C-17 Globemaster as a backdrop. The segment aired May 2 to about 4 million viewers. Since January, Letterman has been occasionally shooting the Top Ten List at various military installations around the world to recognize servicemembers for their ongoing efforts to thwart terrorism.

Digital Cinema debuts 'Attack of the Clones'

Boeing Digital Cinema on May 16 began beaming George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones" to 23 movie screens in the United States and London. The movie was sent to theaters via satellite, encrypted to prevent piracy. And, because the movie is digital, it is free of defects in the picture typically associated with 35-millimeter film, such as scratches, dirt or mechanical jumps. To see if there's a movie theater near you equipped with a Boeing Digital Cinema system, see http://bts.boeing.com/defense-space/space/cinema/cinemasites.html

A Boeing Commercial Airplanes representative on May 2 told a Congressional subcommittee that the risk of losing an airplane from a stray bullet is "very slight." Speaking at a U.S. House of Representatives Aviation Subcommittee hearing on whether flight crews should be allowed to carry guns aboard commercial transports, Ron Hinderberger, Boeing Commercial Airplanes director of Aviation Safety, said the commercial service history of Boeing "contains cases of gunfire onboard in-service airplanes, all of which landed safely." Boeing is not taking a position on the issue of whether flight crews should be armed. In late May, the Bush administration announced a ban on firearms in cockpits; some members of Congress vowed to fight to overturn the decision.

The Boeing-sponsored National Symphony Orchestra's European Tour wrapped up in May, after performing in 15 cities in 10 European countries. Boeing's sponsorship is part of a strategic program to build and enhance business relationships and further establish a localized presence in key markets worldwide. In Berlin, more than 80 customers, government officials, suppliers, and partners attended a reception and performance. The event was hosted by David Swain, Chief Technology Officer and Office of the Chairman; Tom Pickering, Senior Vice President, International Relations; and John Hayhurst, President, Air Traffic Management. Guests included U.S. Ambassador Dan Coats, former U.S. Ambassador John Kornblum, and Johannes Kindler, Deputy Economic Advisor to German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.