12 Nov 09. First female pilot takes flight as historic reds line-up unveiled. The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, today unveiled its historic 2010 line-up at Royal Air Force Scampton, its home base near Lincoln. The 2010 team includes the first-ever female pilot, Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore (Red 3), as well as new Officer Commanding and Team Leader, Squadron Leader Ben Murphy (Red 1), and fellow newcomer Flight Lieutenant Ben Plank (Red 2). Flight Lieutenant Kirsty Moore, 31, was born and raised in Lincolnshire. She attended Stamford High School, before studying for her Masters in Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College, London. A Flying Scholarship granted by The Air League Educational Trust launched Kirsty’s flying career and she subsequently became a member of the London University Air Squadron before joining the Royal Air Force in 1998. Following her flying training, Flight Lieutenant Moore spent three years as a Qualified Flying Instructor, teaching students how to fly the advanced fast-jet trainer aircraft at Royal Air Force Valley. Kirsty was then posted to XIII Squadron, based at RAF Marham, where she flew the Tornado GR4, serving on two operations in Iraq in support of British, American and Iraqi ground forces. Kirsty was not the first female pilot to apply to be a Red Arrow. However, she was the first to make the applicant shortlist and subsequently be selected to join the team. Looking to the future, there is every chance that there will be more female Red Arrows pilots.
30 Oct 09. A brand new exhibition aimed at helping people to use the Internet safely, has opened at the National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park. Called ‘Security and Privacy for All’, it helps to de-bunk some of those urban myths about the Internet and explains how we can all use it safely and protect ourselves on-line. The exhibition has been set up in conjunction with the Open University, The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, The National Museum of Computing (which is based at Bletchley Park) and The Bletchley Park Trust. It answers all those questions we ask about the Internet – is it really true that a hacker can control your home computer without you knowing? What does the Internet know about us all and is it alright to use wireless to connect to the Internet? ‘Security and Privacy for All’ runs until 15 December 2009. (Source: Technology4Media.com)