Are your passengers tired of missing broadcasts of their favorite sporting events, financial analysts, sitcoms or public affairs programs because they were airborne? They will be happy to learn that in the near future, this will no longer be a flying inconvenience. Several companies, including CAL Corp., are developing airborne Direct Broadcast Satellite systems.

After nearly two years of development, users of Ac-U-Kwik's Navpak software now can lay out a multi-leg trip, including itinerary editing, scheduling and performance, and generate an estimate or a final invoice with only a mouse or a trackball.

If aviation's contribution to the global level of greenhouse gasses was gathered and measured together as if it were the entire output of a nation, aviation would rank about seventh or eighth on the list of the world's largest sources, according to Sandy Webb, ARINC's director of aviation environmental programs. Aviation contributes about 2.5 to 3.0 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emission.