At the same banquet, the former ALEA president also received Bell Helicopter Textron's Robert L. Cormier Memorial Award for his contributions to airborne law enforcement, including the drafting of the Olympics' emergency management plan in 1994 and the Los Angeles civil unrest emergency plan in 1993. ALEA attendance appeared to be down slightly from previous years, with most vendors blaming the high heat and humidity of Mobile for keeping attendees away this year. ALEA's preliminary estimate placed attendance at just over 900 visitors. Cessna Aircraft promoted its Model 172 Skyhawk SP as a traffic observation and SAR aircraft, while Diamond Aircraft of Austria placed its new Diamond MPX motorized sailplane on static display. MPX's ability to stay aloft for long periods allows it to be used on missions normally reserved for helicopters.
External equipment includes a sensor pod under the right wing and FLIR-type mount under the left.
The Prince of Wales has opened the new headquarters of Pascall Electronics at Ryde on the Isle of Wight. A subsidiary of Intelek plc, Pascall designs and manufactures specialist electronics for defense and avionics applications in fixed-wing aircraft and rotorcraft. The new company is headquartered in Borgomanero, Italy. After successfully completing a contract with the United Nations World Food Program, Bristow Helicopters has secured a second, one-year contract with the UN peacekeeping effort in Kosovo. Fears voiced by officials at the World Food Program that returning Kosovar refugees faced imminent danger of starvation proved unfounded.