I wish to thank the complete staff of Frontiers for a wonderful professional and informative magazine. It provides full coverage of Boeing so that there is something of interest in it for everyone. It makes me proud to be a Boeing employee.

It is special in another way. Your first issue was on the month that I received my 35-year service award. A teammate who saw the magazine before I did told me my name was in it. My 35 years started with McDonnell Douglas and continues with Boeing.

Your Website complements your hard copy magazine. Thank you all for your hard work. Keep it up!

—Daryle Schroeder, Carson, Calif.

I just received my first edition of Boeing Frontiers and I want to thank those responsible for making a great change. I find it very pleasing, plus informative, and it helps retired employees keep up with this fast-paced world we live in. Well done.

—Vern Castor, Seattle, Wash.

Why a magazine in cost-cutting times?

In this day of extreme cost cuts and headcount reductions, I do not understand the benefit this expensive magazine gives to this company. I am sure the justification can be created, but the business case is beyond me.

—David C. Williams, Bellevue, Wash.

Editor's note: In switching to the monthly Boeing Frontiers in magazine format from the bi-weekly Boeing News newspaper, Boeing estimates it will reduce costs by about 20 percent. This is largely from savings in printing and mailing costs, as Frontiers is sent out monthly instead of every two weeks.

There were many employees who were not able to have a copy of your new magazine. Why is that? Because there were few distributed? Is it because many people wanted a "collectors" first edition? I don't know. But I would sure like to have a copy.

—Lindy D. Allen, Stanwood, Wash.

Editor's note: Although we added approximately 10 percent to the press run for the premiere issue of Boeing Frontiers, strong demand caused shortages at several locations. Frontiers is adjusting its press run and distribution accordingly.

I always thought Boeing was a global company, even back when I joined Boeing Commercial Airplanes in 1996. Although the workforce is much smaller today, just about everyone living in the free world and even those who never set foot on an airplane can probably recognize a 747 jumbo jet and name its maker.

But, I also understand the importance of Boeing's transformation: to veer away from just being renowned as a great plane maker and instead, broadcast a fresh globalization campaign that embraces our other great talents and all the quality products that Boeing employees dream, design and build — everything from unmanned vehicles to Hollywood digital movie magic.

We'll always be the "Big B." And, while Airbus attacks the commercial airliner industry, Boeing will capture the world industry.

—Jay Killpack, Renton, Wash.

I am one of many Boeing expatriates living and working in the United Kingdom. We just received our first issues of Boeing Frontiers magazine and are enjoying the new glossy format and the well-written articles. As always, the human-interest stories are one of the most enjoyable aspects of a company magazine.

The story about the two Boeing employees who ran the Los Angeles Marathon was an inspiring article. In a similar vein, there is a team of seven of us here on the Nimrod program (part of the Space and Communications business unit) that ran the London Marathon on April 14. Five of us are permanent Boeing employees; the other two are local hires working on contract.

All of us completed the marathon successfully, the slowest completing in 5 hours and 6 minutes. We raised more than 8,600 pounds (that's more than $12,000) for a local charity!

It is rare to see anything in the Boeing publications about our team over here and all the good work the program does for local charities. I thought this might be an ideal opportunity to recognize our efforts, not just our marathon team, but the program's employees as a whole, most of whom are very active in the community.

—Laura W. Mattler, Warton, England

I think we all agree that the company has taken steps for reaching a goal to be a global player and needs feedback as to its progress and if actions it has taken are being met with approval or not.

Also, I believe this momentum has carried us to a point where it is impossible to turn back to what was once a company focused on being a domestic supplier of products both military and commercial.

However, it is important that the company, in its zeal to become a recognized global player, doesn't forget that one-third of it's customers are domestic as well as the workers who create the products and facilitate the process flow.

What is most important for the company to keep in the forefront of all business decisions is that as long as this is an American company, a strong effort should be undertaken to allow work to be done in America.

I am sure that in order to become a global player Boeing must offer a certain amount of work to the foreign customer's workforce; however, this company must remember who made it strong and successful from the time when it was not a global player.

—Carl Dunn, Philadelphia, Pa.

I would like to share a story about how far-reaching and global the Boeing name has become. My niece, Crickette, is currently studying chimpanzees in pursuit of her doctorate degree in the remote forests of the Republic of Congo. The area she is in is a three-day hike from any sign of civilization — that being a small village of pygmies in central Africa. Their field crews consist of pygmies they have hired to assist them in the forest — tracking and studying chimpanzees and other wildlife. These are men and women who have lived their entire lives foraging and living in the forests.

Crickette wrote to us about one day in the forest:

"We were walking in the forest and we heard a plane flying overhead (which I have heard only two times in over six months). Being the thorough pygmy tracker that he is … Itoko, our first tracker pauses and says "Avio," the Lingala word for plane. Wanting to out-track Itoko, our second tracker, named Bakomba, points to the sky and in his most worldly voice says "Boeing!" They were both absolutely delighted and excited to hear my family worked for Boeing!"

So even in the remote forests of Africa — the Boeing name is known and recognized.

—Cathy A. Wolfgram, Seattle, Wash.

I have been in aerospace for 28 years and with Boeing for over 17 years (including McDonnell Douglas) and have observed an alarming trend. The company has been bringing in young employees as the old retire, but there has been very little effort to try and capture the knowledge the retiring employees have.

It would be money well spent to team up the older, seasoned veterans with young, new employees and have the seasoned veterans mentor them. I believe that Boeing would benefit greatly. I am one of those that will be leaving in the next few years, and this would be a prime time to team me up with a young employee and allow some of my experience to rub off.

—William Lindsay, Mesa, Az.