Astronaut Robert "Hoot" Gibson on 10 May set a new speed record for the 1,000km (545nm) trip from Hawker Beechcraft's international headquarters in Chester in the UK to Geneva in 1h 13min 30s, representing an average speed of 445kt (823.8km/h). Gibson, at the controls, was accompanied by aircraft owner Robert Kay and Hawker Beechcraft pilot Aaron Comber. The company has submitted the data to the National Aeronautic Association for verification.