Wanda Austin, CEO, The Aerospace Corp. Marion Blakey, CEO, Aerospace Industries Association Alfred Grasso, CEO, Mitre Corp. Paul Graziani, CEO, Analytical Graphics Inc. Greg Hamilton, President, Aviation Week Clayton M. Jones, Chairman, President and CEO, Rockwell Collins Marshall Larsen, Chairman and CEO, Goodrich Corp. Scott Seymour, CEO, Aerojet Rick Stephens, Senior VP-Administration & Human Resources, The Boeing Co.
Wanda Austin, CEO, The Aerospace Corp. Marion Blakey, CEO, Aerospace Industries Association Alfred Grasso, CEO, Mitre Corp. Paul Graziani, CEO, Analytical Graphics Inc. Greg Hamilton, President, Aviation Week Clayton M. Jones, Chairman, President and CEO, Rockwell Collins Marshall Larsen, Chairman and CEO, Goodrich Corp. Scott Seymour, CEO, Aerojet Rick Stephens, Senior VP-Administration & Human Resources, The Boeing Co.
Voluntary attrition levels in the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry have plummeted during the past two years, as young professionals and those nearing retirement age alike have opted to stay put in a poor U.S. economy. What concerns A&D leaders is what will happen as the economy rebounds and the competition for talent ratchets up again.
Juana Delgado Hitco Carbon Composites The pay range for a non-exempt production laminator varies by location and bargaining unit and is normally stated as a per-hour average. Monster.com lists entry level for an assembler at $24,068; a Level III precision assembler makes an average of $43,351 per year. Background
Employees may question how their company executives are planning for the future and dealing with change, but A&D leaders are well aware of the challenges. Data from Aviation Week's 2011 Workforce Study shows that A&D employers are carefully balancing their cost-cutting efforts to assure they deliver in three areas employees feel are most important: Technological Challenge, Valuing the Individual and Learning/Career Opportunity.
NASA studies are underlining the advantages of solar electric in-space propulsion for manned exploration missions, but highlighting the challenges ahead in scaling-up the technology from the puny systems already flown. Studies of missions to near-Earth objects (NEO) and the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos show that, compared with chemical propulsion, solar electric propulsion (SEP) could dramatically reduce the mass that must be launched into Earth orbit.
Sept. 12—A&D Finance Europe. London. Sept. 14-15—Airlines/MRO/Aircraft and Engine Lessors: “The Tricky Triangle.” Dublin. Sept. 26—Aircraft Composite Repair Management Forum. Madrid. Sept. 27-29—MRO Europe 2011. Madrid. Sept. 28—MRO Military Europe. Madrid. Oct. 12-13—Fifth Edition of Lean Six Sigma for MRO Forum. San Francisco. Oct. 20-21—MRO IT Conference and Showcase. Chicago. Oct. 24-26—A&D Programs. Phoenix. Nov. 2-3—Engine MRO Forum. Istanbul.
Aug. 30-31—Technology Training Corp. Military Vision Systems Conference. Holiday Inn, Alexandria, Va. Also, Aug. 30-Sept. 1—Unmanned Aircraft Systems Conference. Paris Las Vegas Hotel. Call +1 (310) 563-1210, fax +1 (310) 563-1220 or see www.ttcus.com Sept. 1-4—Barberton-Lowveld Airshow. Barberton Airport, South Africa. Call +27 82-490-5721 or see www.bushair.co.za/fly-in.htm Sept. 8–11—2011 Tailhook Association's “100 Years of Naval Aviation Centennial” Reunion/Symposium. Nugget Hotel, Sparks, Nev. See www.tailhook.org
Dislike Boeing's decision to follow Airbus and reengine its single-aisle product? You are not alone. Many analysts and commentators have expressed disappointment.
Once viewed primarily as a forward-based set of eyes and ears for gathering intelligence, unmanned aerial system (UAS) operators have begun to expand their thinking on how to use their growing fleets. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) is experimenting with the concept of forward-basing a UAS equipped with an electro-optical/infrared sensor to provide early tracking and targeting data for ballistic missile launches. Tests have been ongoing since 2009 with Raytheon's MTS-B on a General Atomics Reaper.
“Time For Change” (AW&ST July 12/25, p. 50) presents a truss-braced wing design as a potential option in the field of research for fuel-burn reduction.
I saw my one and only shuttle launch in November 2009 as Atlantis lifted off as part of the STS-129 mission. I will always remember the spectacular sight as Atlantis climbed to orbit, but just as ingrained in my memory was the sound of thousands cheering her on. A sense of pride washed over me. As an engineer, I know the technical genius it took to develop such a vehicle. But I was even prouder of being an American, where dreams like the shuttle program can be made possible.
Airlines are now stuck with the Airbus/Boeing duopoly, so the time could be right for Lockheed Martin go back into the commercial jetliner business. Lockheed has designed and built great commercial airplanes, has a unique expertise in cargo aircraft, and the facilities and workers ready and waiting. In the face of shrinking U.S. and international defense markets, this good be a good move. Outremont, Quebec
Aw, come on guys, look again at your photograph promoting your coverage of the 2011 AirVenture show (AW&ST Aug. 1, p. 6). Nobody goes to Oshkosh to look at a Bonanza! Houston, Texas
On Things With Wings blog see some new patents for dealing with bird strikes: One calls for “a conical mesh screen, attached Madonna bra-style, to the inlet cowling of a turbofan engine.”
In response to an Ares blog on the U.S. Army, since 2004, using $3.8 billion/year on canceled programs: Pappy writes: $18 billion on the scuttled Future Combat System (FCS)? Just to figure out what . . . would not work? Somebody should be behind bars for this travesty. Jenn-N says:
In response to an AW&ST editorial (Aug. 8, p. 66), about the “manufactured federal budget crisis”: KME points out: You say: “No other serious nation, save Denmark, puts a gun to its own head by imposing a debt ceiling to deal with such a problem.” As a Dane, I guarantee we have no such stupid law. We define the next year's budget [and approve it] well ahead of deadline . . .”
Wes Bush has been named chairman of the Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp. He already is president/CEO. As chairman, Bush succeeds Lewis W. Coleman, who has been non-executive chairman and will continue as the lead independent director.
Jim Kane (see photo) has been appointed VP and program manager for the Northrop Grumman Information Technologies Agency program, McLean, Va. He succeeds Sam Abbate. Kane was the company's director of Information Technology Services on the U.S. Missile Defense Agency Joint National Integration Research and Development Contract.
USMC Gen. (ret.) James L. Jones has been appointed a director of General Dynamics, Falls Church, Va. He was President Barack Obama's first national security adviser and had been commander of United States European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
