YUMA, AZ , September 24, 2008—Airborne Systems, a world leader in parachute design and manufacturing, announced they successfully completed a test drop of a precision guided cargo delivery system capable of carrying 42,000 pounds under a single ram-air parachute. The new system, called the GigaFly, was successfully deployed from a C-130 aircraft at 15,000 feet carrying a 33,000 lb load. The system landed fully autonomously at a gentle 14 feet per second rate-of-descent less than 275-m from the intended point of impact.

GigaFly is a 10,400 square foot ram-air parachute, also known as a parafoil, with a wingspan of 195 feet it is nearly as wide as the wings on a Boeing 747 (211-ft).  Designed for airdrop at altitudes as high as 25,000 feet, GigaFly guides itself to a designated point on the ground from up to 22 kilometers away using its specially designed on board GPS guidance unit and software.

16th SAFE Europe Symposium, Prague 2009 The 16th SAFE Europe Symposium and Exhibition will be held in Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, at the Inter Continental Hotel on Tuesday 31st March to Wednesday 1st April 2009. Our event begins with a cocktail reception on Monday 30th March at 1900hrs. The symposium will be held in the centre of Prague, situated on the River Vltava in central Bohemia, the political, cultural, and economic centre of the Czech state for over 1100 years.

This central location will allow convenient access to this beautiful city which has been described as the "Jewel in the Crown" of Central Europe. It boasts numerous historic landmarks, including Prague Castle, Wenceslas Square, Charles Bridge and the Old Town Square. SAFE Europe provides an excellent forum for the exchange of information between Industry, Military and research establishments, establishing strong relationships and providing both a formal and informal environment for discussions on new and innovative science and technology in this specialist area. This year it is hoped that papers will cover, but not exclusively, developments and research in some of the following areas: survival and life support equipment, civil aviation, marine environment, laser eye protection, standards for evaluation of equipment and safety, survivability in harsh environment, cold stress / strain / physiology and space tourism.

Persons wishing to present a scientific presentation, at the SAFE Europe symposium 2009, either in the more traditional formal style or through a poster presentation are requested to submit an abstract and biography via the website.

The following diary dates apply: Registration is now open and we encourage you to register by 31st December Submission of Abstract & Biography: 7 November 2008 An electronic copy of PowerPoint presentation: 6 February 2009 For further details, please visit the website www.safeeurope.com or contact the committee at info@safeeurope.co.uk.

Members of the SAFE Europe committee will be attending SAFE Symposium in Reno please call by our booth.