The Army operates the largest number of helicopters of any US military service. If you choose to fly helicopters in the Army you will start at Ft. Rucker, Alabama, which is the home of Army Aviation. Once you’ve completed your training the real fun begins. Army aviators fly some of the most advanced helicopters in the world.

The AH-64 Apache attack helicopter is the most advanced attack helicopter in the U.S. inventory. It’s able to operate day or night in good or adverse weather. The Apache is armored and can withstand hits from shells as large as 23mm. The pilot’s sit in a titanium tub offering them protection not seen in any other helicopter. The Apache is able to carry an assortment of rockets and missiles in addition to its 30 mm chain gun. The Apache has a crew of two pilots. It has a maximum speed of 180 mph and a combat radius of 270 n.m.

The OH-58 Kiowa Warrior is a scout, observation, and light attack helicopter. The job of the OH-58 Kiowa is to locate the enemy and call in fire from other units such as artillery, naval gunfire, tactical aircraft or AH-64 gunships. The Kiowa also has the ability to engage targets. It can carry rockets, missiles, and gun pods. The Kiowa has a crew of two pilots and can carry two additional people in the rear seats. It has a maximum speed of 140 mph and a combat range of 170 miles.

The AH-1F Cobra is a generation older than the Ah-64. The Ah-1F is a tandem seat attack helicopter. It’s used in much the same way as the AH-64 Apache. It can carry rockets and missiles in addition to its 3-barreled 20mm gatling gun. It has a crew of two pilots and a combat radius of 150 mi.

The UH-60 Black Hawk is a medium lift assault/utility helicopter. The black hawk is able to carry 11 fully armed combat troops. It also has the ability to lift the 105mm M102 Howitzer along with its 4-person crew and reposition it. The crew consists of two pilots, a crew chief, and a gunner. The Blackhawk has a maximum speed of 200 mph and a combat radius of 370 mi.

The CH-47 Chinook is the Army’s heavy lift helicopter. It has two engines and is a tandem rotor design (one rotor behind the other). The Ch-47 roles are troop movement, re-supply, and artillery placement. To help in loading and unloading supplies the Chinook has a large loading ramp in the rear of the fuselage. It also has three external hooks from which it can sling loads. The CH-47 has a crew of three, two pilot and a crew chief. It can carry 33 troops or 24 litters and three medical personnel or 28000 pounds of cargo. The Chinook has a maximum speed of almost 200 mph and a combat radius of 650 miles.

The OH-6 Cayuse is a small helicopter that is used for personnel transport, escort, and light attack missions. The OH-6 has a crew of two. Its max speed is 175 mph and its combat radius is 115 nm.

The MH-6 and AH-6 LOACH were originally variants of the OH-6 but know they are a separate platform based on the McDonnell Douglas model 530. The MH-6 and AH-6 are special operation helicopters. They’re used to insert and extract special operations troops, to support special operation troops and other missions relating to the conduct of special operations warfare.

Army aviators have a long and proud tradition of flying helicopters. They are very skilled and serve the nation with honor and distinction.
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Data from public opinion polls indicate that nearly fifty million people would like to visit space. In fact as many as two million people each year would take the journey beyond the outer limits of Earth’s gravity. The public’s fascination with space travel means the potential development of a space travel tourism industry with revenues that could amount to $10 billion or more every year.

Therefore, it really is not hard to understand the interest in commercial space travel by private business. In fact, more than six companies are working to making commercial space travel a reality. However, the company that is closest to becoming the industry pioneer is Virgin Galactic. The company is a well funded joint venture of Richard Branson, Burt Rutan, and Paul Allen.

Eager future space travelers should consider that the development of Virgin Galactic’s Space Ship Two is nearly completed and could be performing test flights by the end of the year into space. The spacecrafts successful predecessor, Spaceship One, last reached space on October 4, 2004, winning the $10m Ansari X Prize. The larger and more powerful, Space Ship Two, is being built to accommodate two pilots and six passengers. Indeed, there will be enough room on board to experience the freedom of movement in the zero gravity of space. Initially, Virgin Galactic has ordered five spaceships to begin the business of commercial space travel and tourism.

The Spaceships will launch from the Virgin Galactic’s spaceport which is currently under construction in the state of New Mexico. The spaceport will be the first commercial space launch and control facility in the United States. The $200m spaceport project is designed to cover 27 square miles. It will feature a mission control station, runways, and the Virgin Galactic headquarters. Much of the facility will be built underground.

Customers that want to experience commercial space travel have been lining up for tickets. 75 people have already paid the entire $200,000 fee. William Shatner, Sigourney Weaver, and Paris Hilton are reported to be among the early space tourists while hundreds of others have put down more than thirty million dollars in deposits to reserve their seat for a flight on Virgin’s Spaceships. However, the initial experience of commercial space flight will be brief and it will not exactly represent a bargain ride. Passengers will spend just under 10 minutes in space at an altitude of only 65 miles, high enough to experience free fall and to see the curvature of the earth.

Of course, the creation of the new space travel tourism industry comes with government regulations. Already the United States Federal Aviation Administration has published its guidelines for commercial space travel, one hundred and twenty three pages of regulations that require disclosure and passenger training. Requirements include a disclosure on the number of trips the spacecraft has made into orbit and a history of its problems as well as a notice that the spacecraft has not been government certified. Also required is pre flight training for passengers in order to be properly prepared to handle emergencies such as a fire or loss of cabin pressure. Passengers will also be subject to the no-fly list currently operating in the US which is designed to stop terrorists boarding regular passenger flights.

It is expected that once people experience future commercial space travel, that they will want to make space their ultimate vacation destination. Therefore, the next innovative commercial space business venture may be the orbiting space hotel. Robert Bigelow, who made his fortune with hotel chain Budget Suites Of America, is already working on a prototype orbiting hotel. Bigelow has invested $75 million into the project, with a estimate of $425 million more a necessary commitment for the future.

His orbiting hotel venture is being developed under the corporate name of Bigelow Aerospace. The firm has successfully completed the first phase of the project by launching a small pod that inflates aloft called Genesis I. It is the first in a series of launches scheduled every six months for the next two and a half years. Genesis I has marked the beginning of what could be the first privately funded space station. The project is a prototype for cheap, livable, interconnecting rooms for commercial use in space similar in design to the International Space Station. In fact, Genesis I was an early concept for the ISS that was researched through funding by NASA. Robert Bigelow has since purchased the rights to the patent of the technology for his Genesis prototype.

Spaceports, flights to space, and orbiting hotels in space, indicate that a new era of commercial space travel and tourism is on the horizon. It will surely represent another small step for the creativity of man and a potentially giant leap to profitable opportunity for business and commercial enterprise of every kind.
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Sometimes pricing your products seems like an adventure into a strange new world. The process can seem too complicated for anyone but a rocket scientist to comprehend. Our goal is to bring this process back to Earth for you by explaining some pricing basics.

How do you price your product now? Answers from businesses can vary from “less than our competition” to “the highest price my customer will pay.” Either tactic has a negative side that can cost your company customers and profits. Because most of you are too busy to be rocket scientists in the pricing galaxy, we developed this series of steps to help you understand pricing – no space ship required.

1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK

Know Costs: There is no substitute for thoroughly understanding your product costs and the variability of those costs – that means the resources used to create, produce and market your product. Unless you know all your costs by product and by customer you could be losing, rather than making, money with each sale.

Understand Market Value: Realistically compare your company’s product to your customer’s expectations and perceptions. You must also understand your competition and trends in your target industry.

Set Objectives: Once you have a thorough understanding of your costs it’s time to explore two of the ways your company can set pricing objectives. Generally, pricing philosophy is based on company goals such as:

Sales Growth – For a variety of reasons, such as immediate expansion needs, a company may set sales growth as an objective. When selecting this as an objective, it is critical to remember that higher sales do not automatically produce higher profits. In fact, sometimes the cost of expanding sales volume, such as increased costs of production, distribution or customer service, becomes so great that profits actually decrease.

Profit Growth – Frequently, corporate goals such as a targeted return on investment or a profit maximization philosophy necessitate a “pricing for profit” objective. Be sure you take both short and long-term profit goals into account when implementing this objective. Also, study the implications of each pricing change on the health of your business.

2. SELECT YOUR STRATEGY

It’s now time to select your pricing strategy based on your costs, company objectives and the perceived market value of your product. Although strategies can become quite complicated and detailed, the following list discusses basic options most companies find useful. Your choice depends on an internal assessment of your company’s objectives and an objective analysis of the market in which you compete.

Cost-Based Pricing:

Definition: Price is based on a product’s total fixed and variable costs.
Example: Typical pricing in commodity markets. For example, a commodity-type raw product such as steel is priced using a standard formula based on cost.

Caution: If you use this exclusively, you must be able to stay in business with a very low profit margin. In non-commodity businesses, this option should be only one aspect of the total product pricing strategy.

Demand-Based Pricing:

Definition: Price depends upon your customers’ perception of your products’ value and the level of demand for your item. Your product must provide a unique benefit to your target market.
Example: Your product has prestige appeal so it can be priced in a range well above the cost of production. For example, luxury cars and gourmet food have prestige appeal.

Caution: Success depends on your knowledge of your customers and your market. You must have an uncanny skill for accurately estimating customer demand to avoid disappointing sales results.

Competition-Based Pricing:

Definition: Price is set in relationship to your competition’s prices. In some cases this may be below cost and is usually indicative of a product that has no competitive edge.

Example: You are caught in an industry “price war” where all products must compete on the basis of price or risk losing their market share.
Caution: Your company’s long-term goals may be sacrificed in the interest of competitive pricing. Also, you are at the mercy of the larger companies in your industry that can afford short-term losses in order to play this expensive game of war.

Value Pricing:

Definition: Gives your customer more quality for less than they expected to pay.

Example: Used when you want to gain market share, position your product with customers, or obtain market acceptance of a new product.
Caution: Product quality must be consistent and your company must operate efficiently for this to be an effective strategy. Using this strategy means that you understand your customers and competitors very well. In addition, you may find it difficult to raise prices to more profitable levels once your initial distribution goal is achieved.

3. TEST YOUR PRICING THEORY

Pricing your products is almost as complex as rocket science but not quite as predictable. At best, your product pricing is based on information that can change daily or even hourly. For that reason, it is critical that you test the validity of your pricing strategies with a small customer sample or market segment and evaluate your pricing periodically to adapt to changing market conditions.
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