During an attempt to break the around the world speed record in an AgustaWestland Grand helicopter, pilots Scott Kasprowicz and Steve Sheik have set a new speed record on the first leg of their trip from New York City to London. This flight covered 3,449 nautical miles and took the crew 40 hours, 41 minutes breaking the current record by over 35 hours. The record of the flight will be submitted to the National Aeronautical Association for ratification.

Kasprowicz and Sheik departed from New YorkLaGuardiaAirport at 3:14 am on August 7, 2008. The journey will cover over 20,046 nm, 18 countries, 49 states and make 78 fuel stops in less than 2 weeks. The team will also look to break the Washington, DC to New York record on the last leg of the world speed record attempt.

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Roads. The Roman legionnaires built a network across England which has
determined the routes of most major highways ever since.

Maps. The Ordnance Survey was founded in 1791 to chart the country
thoroughly, and its detailed maps were widely available almost immediately
thereafter.

GPS. The satellite base global positioning system to accurately target
missiles now sends commercial lorries into cul-de-sacs.

T'interweb. All power to Tim Berners-Lee, but it was hardened redundant
military communications networks that created the pathways along which the
electrons could buzz.

The jet engine. The military power pack that takes us on cheap holidays

Clocks. Without the winner of a Royal Navy competition for a ship's
chronometer where would we have got the travel alarm clock from?

Computers. Like this one. Bletchley Park code breakers started the
original "difference engine" on the path to every office and most homes in
the country.