537.qxp 3/28/2007 11:43 AM Page 1 President’s Page It has been gratifying to serve as the president of the Aerospace Medical Association. The aerospace medical community continues to be an extremely di- verse and interesting group that strives to meet the challenges of civil, commercial, and military aviation and space operations in the 21st century. When intro- duced as the new president of the Aerospace Medical Association (AsMA) at Honors Night in Orlando, I an- nounced three major priorities for the Association for completion during this term. These included the devel- opment of a Foundation to support aerospace medi- cine, assuring that the meeting in New Orleans follow- ing Katrina would be successful, and making AsMA more responsive to the important aeromedical issues of Richard T. Jennings, M.D., M.S. the day. As most of you know, the Aerospace Medical Susan Northrup, with the help of Pam Day, has stream- Association Foundation has been established and ap- lined the Maintenance of Certification process and 126 proved by the IRS with the diligent help of Russell hours of MOC sessions will be available compared to Rayman, the AsMA attorneys, the executive committee, 21 hours last year. Special thanks go to companies and and the initial AsMA Foundation Board. Even before individuals that have offered to financially support our formal IRS approval, several companies such as Wyle meeting including Mayo Clinic, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic, Laboratories and individuals like Russell Rayman and Wyle Laboratories, UTMB, Environmental Tectonics the other authors of Clinical Aviation Medicine made Corp., Dick Trumbo, and Bob Johnson. In addition, major contributions to the Foundation. The Board will Kjell Lindgren has arranged a volunteer day for AsMA be working diligently in partnership with those in this members to help construct homes in New Orleans field to create the financial strength to support our through Habitat for Humanity. What a great way for young members in the pursuit of aerospace medicine. AsMA to be a good guest in this wonderful city that While initially fund raising will be the first priority, it is has experienced so much recent difficulty! anticipated that the Foundation will soon have general One must also mention disappointments, and un- funds that the Board can distribute for scholarships, fortunately we have not been that successful in making seed grants for research projects, and other avenues of AsMA more responsive to the important aeromedical support within the guidance of the Foundation bylaws. issues of the day. I had hoped that AsMA could de- In addition to unencumbered funds, we are confident velop a system to respond with evidence-based infor- that some members will want to endow specific pro- mation for the rapidly evolving issues that affect our grams or named scholarships or grants so that their gift industry. The advent of 24/7 cable news, internet text can grow and support this field for many generations. messaging and blogs, worldwide jet travel, short media While there may be certain pressures on AsMA’s mem- attention span, and the importance of issues that bership numbers due to research laboratory closures emerge periodically seem to make this capability im- and the reduced number of pilots in the military, there perative. We need to be responsive to issues like the are currently many areas of expanding activity, such as aeromedical implications of bird flu, emerging infec- in commercial spaceflight. It is my hope that the tious illness and biohazards, DVT in long-duration Foundation will be an important factor in supporting flight, cabin altitude and cabin air quality, pilot age-60 the growth of young members in the aerospace medi- rule, periodicity of medical exams, fatigue countermea- cine and related fields. sures in long-haul pilots, and medical certification of The second priority was making the New Orleans UAV operators. If AsMA is to be a player in the events meeting special and financially sound. With the help of the day, we need a system for timely response that Russell Rayman, the home office staff, Walt Galanty, goes beyond resolutions and the executive director an- Tom Dozier, the FAA, the AsMA Wing, program chair swering media inquiries. Those from AsMA who com- Joe Dervay and local events chair Bob Johnson, the municate with the media, public, and government New Orleans meeting looks fantastic. I am extremely agencies need quality position papers and timely evi- grateful to the physicians, nurses, physiologists, and dence-based information from AsMA’s committees and scientists who have submitted abstracts for presenta- constituent organizations. Our improved web site tion and to those who established the five state-of-the- could become a great resource for distributing this in- art workshops for Sunday and created several special formation. I have been disappointed that many assign- panels for the meeting. This is the heart of our meeting. See PRESIDENT’S PAGE, p. 541. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine • Vol. 78, No. 5, Section I • May 2007 537 538-540.qxp 4/2/2007 3:52 PM Page 1 Medical News NASA Administrator, master's degree in business administration tions for the emerging industry are his pri- from Loyola College; and a master's degree in mary goals. Michael Griffin to Present civil engineering from George Washington In his capacity as a company officer for TSC Bauer Lecture University. He is a certified flight instructor he is determined that the SS2 system and other with instrument and multi-engine ratings. systems to follow will mark a step change in levels of safety and affordability for human The 53rd Annual Louis H. Bauer Lecture is space access. scheduled to be given during opening Mr. Tai is also training to be a commercial Ceremonies of the Aerospace Medical Virgin Galactic’s Alex Tai to pilot for and is supervising the design and Association’s 78th Annual Scientific Meeting Give Armstrong Lecture construction of the new passenger-carrying May14, 2007, at the Sheraton Hotel, New SpaceShipTwo (SS2). In his role as COO for Orleans, LA. This year’s speaker is Michael The 42nd Annual Harry G. Armstrong VG, Alex is responsible for bringing the SS2 Griffin, NASA Administrator. Lecture is scheduled for Thursday, May 17, system into commercial service. He will build Nominated by President George W. Bush 2007, during the AsMA’s 78th Annual the flight operations programme at Mojave in and confirmed by the United States Senate, Scientific Meeting, Sheraton Hotel, New California before expanding operations to Michael Griffin began his duties as the 11th Orleans, LA. This year, Alex Tai, Chief Spaceport America in New Mexico. Leading Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Operating Officer, Virgin Galactic is the sched- the way, he will pilot the first commercial Space Administration on April 14, 2005. As uled speaker. Mr. Tai performs a number of flight of SS2. Administrator, he leads the NASA team and roles within the new Spaceflight industry. In manages its resources to advance the U.S. addition to his role as Chief Operating Officer Vision for Space Exploration. for Virgin Galactic (VG) he is Chairman of the Prior to being nominated as NASA Personal Spaceflight Federation (PSF) and an MEETINGS CALENDAR Administrator, Griffin was serving as Space officer of The Spaceship Company LLC (TSC). 2007 Department Head at Johns Hopkins Alex Tai first learned to fly gliders when he University's Applied Physics Laboratory in was 16 and received his pilot's license at 17. May 8-10, 2007, Tucson, AZ. 52nd Laurel, MD. He was previously President and Trained as a pilot in the UK Royal Air Force he Corporate Aviation Safety Seminar (CASS). Chief Operating Officer of In-Q-Tel, Inc., and went on to fly executive jets and holds a num- For more information, visit www.flight- also served in several positions within Orbital ber of World records for flights with the U.S. safety.org/seminars.html or contact Sciences Corporation, Dulles, VA, including adventurer Steve Fossett, including around the Namratha Apparao, Membership Services Chief Executive Officer of Orbital's Magellan world east and west about in class. He joined Coordinator, Flight Safety Foundation, 601 Systems division and General Manager of the Virgin Atlantic when he was 27 and became Madison St., Ste. 300, Alexandria, VA Space Systems Group. one of their youngest captains at 30. He re- 22314-1756; 703-739-6700; FAX 703-739- Earlier in his career, Griffin served as chief mains in active service as a Captain of the 6708. engineer and as associate administrator for Airbus A340 the longest airliner in the world May 23-24, 2007, London, UK. Flight Exploration at NASA, and as deputy for tech- at present. He then embarked on special pro- Simulation Data, Interoperability, and Re- nology at the Strategic Defense Initiative jects for Sir Richard Branson. Alex has been Use: Are We Achieving the Dream? For more Organization. He has been an adjunct profes- working on the Galactic project from concep- info, contact Marta Collins, Conference and sor at the University of Maryland, Johns tion, standing next to Paul Allen and Burt Events Organiser, Royal Aeronautical Society, Hopkins University, and George Washington Rutan in mission control at the first X Prize No. 4 Hamilton Place, London W1J 7BQ, University, where he taught courses in space- flight. UK; [email protected]; +44 (0)20 craft design, applied mathematics, guidance As Chairman of the PSF Alex believes that 7670 4342. and navigation, compressible flow, computa- building the regulatory and legislative founda- June 26-27, 2007, London, UK. The tional fluid dynamics, spacecraft attitude con- Future for Helicopters in UK Public Service. trol, astrodynamics, and introductory For more info, contact Marta Collins, aerospace engineering.