The numbers are staggering: If you're between the ages of 45 and 55, your heart has beat approximately one and one-half to two billion times.

On Sept. 11, 2001, the day terrorists turned commercial transport aircraft into weapons of destruction and America turned itself into a no-fly zone, U.S. airlines put their economic problems aside and focused their efforts on getting back in the air again. But resuming operations is a much taller order than suspending them.

The death and ruin rained on U.S. military and commercial interests last week herald more of the same, because mass-casualty terrorism is a cheap and simple way for an enemy to take America to war without frontally engaging its superpower might, international security experts agree.

Aviation Week's Airline 25 stock index continued to lose ground last week, dropping 2.7% from the prior week and is off nearly 22% year-to-date.

The moment had arrived. Suddenly the normally courteous and gentle Tracy Lyznicki became the flight attendant from hell.

Nestle into the cabin of a Galaxy and you might mistake it for a Gulf-stream II, if it weren't for the Galaxy's four-inch dropped aisle, plus the numerous and smaller cabin windows.

It may be months before there is a clear indication of just how hard the Boeing Co. and other aerospace contractors will be hit by the softening in Asia/Pacific air traffic.

Imagine flying with an instrument panel display system that produces a virtual VFR window to the outside world, one that provides a clear, daylight view of terrain and aircraft attitude in three-dimensional perspective.