I'm back!

Hi all,

I have successfully completed my Beechjet transition and am home for a few days before I actually get to go out on the road and fly it. A great big stack of mail and numerous emails have been awaiting my return, so I will get back to all of you as soon as I can. I am further tied up in searching for my cat who escaped during the night, unfortunately.

One of the emails sitting in my inbox was the following. I am posting it here because there is such short notice. Maybe you'd know someone interested. Email me if you have questions not answered by this paste. I will hold on to the original email just in case.

IT'S TIME!! The NASA Space Pennant Challenge has begun.

Please pass this along to any of your colleagues, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, schools or museums that may be interested in participating. Attached are Teacher and Student Flyers, official entry template and an updated presentation on the challenge.

We would love to have museums, science centers, schools and libraries place the flyers in their venues to promote the contest and display student pennants.

Below is a press release for the Challenge, please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

NASA, AOL, Mad Science Host the Space Pennant Design Challenge

For some scientists and engineers, designing something that flies in space might be the pinnacle of a career. NASA now is offering that opportunity to grade school students. NASA, AOL's Kids Service KOL and Mad Science are teaming up for the NASA Space Pennant Design Challenge, which begins Thursday, March 15. Students will design pennants based on either the upcoming STS-118 shuttle flight or America 's long-term exploration strategy, known as the Vision for Space Exploration. The winning design will fly on the shuttle Endeavour during the STS-118 mission, targeted for launch in summer 2007.Students need more than just a creative design for their pennants. They must research their topic, apply what they learn, and write an explanation of their design and how the pennant incorporates their knowledge about STS-118 or the Vision for Space Exploration.Entries may be submitted online or through the mail. The deadline for entries is Tuesday, April 10. Ten semifinalists will be chosen in each of three age groups: 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12. Judges from NASA, KOL and Mad Science will then select two finalists from each group. On May 3, those six finalists will be announced, and one overall winner will be selected through online voting. The STS-118 mission will be the first flight of an educator astronaut and an important step in the ongoing assembly of the International Space Station. The Vision for Space Exploration is the program that will see humans return to the moon then travel to Mars and beyond. Through the process of designing a pennant, students have the opportunity to learn about the requirements of spaceflight and the science surrounding NASA's programs while gaining a lasting understanding about the importance of space exploration.The grand prize will include a trip to the STS-118 launch for the student and a parent or guardian. Each of the six finalists will receive an autographed picture of the STS-118 shuttle crew, and an online NASA game will use their pennant design. A NASA Space Day, featuring a speaker from the agency, will be held at the finalists' schools. The schools also will receive NASA education resources, including seeds that have flown in space. All students who submit entries will receive certificates of participation.Through the NASA Space Pennant Design Challenge, NASA continues its tradition of investing in the nation's education. To compete effectively for the minds, imaginations and career ambitions of America's young people, NASA is focused on engaging and retaining students in education efforts that encourage their pursuit of disciplines critical to NASA's future engineering, scientific and technical missions. For more information about the
challenge, visit: http://www.kolexpeditions.com/
For details on the STS-118 mission and its crew, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/sts118