Christopher Gleason has joined Avantair, Clearwater, Fla., as sales manager for Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado and Utah. He comes from Eluxe Group, where he was co-founder and CFO.
Anders Solem has been appointed VP-sales for China for Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, Montreal. He was corporate VP-new business initiatives for Lockheed Martin and had been a senior executive with General Electric.
Robert Hang (see photo) has been named technical services/pre-purchase maintenance supervisor for London-based Freestream Aircraft Ltd. Hang, an authorized FAA airframe inspector, recently retired as maintenance and facilities manager for Ford Motor Co.
Volker Fabian has been named chief commercial officer at Intrepid Aviation, Germantown, Tenn. He was co-managing director at Amentum Capital and held executive positions at HSH Nordbank and CIT Aerospace. John Shavinsky, who was a senior VP at CIT, joined Intrepid as chief operating officer.
Steven McCaughey (see photo) has joined the Lakeland, Fla.-based Seaplane Pilots Association as executive director. His career includes flight school and air operations management, as well as a stint in the USAF Special Operations Command.
Mark MacKeigan (see photo) has been reappointed as a member of the Canadian Transportation Agency for a three-year term. He was legal counsel for Nav Canada and senior legal counsel for the International Air Transport Association.
Rob Fox is the new regional sales director for StandardAero, Tempe, Ariz. Preceding his 21-year tenure with the company, he was an aircraft mechanic for Flight International, Learjet and U.S. Jet.
Orlando Carvalho (see photo) has been appointed VP and deputy of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter management team in Fort Worth. He succeeds Eric Branyan, who will become VP and program manager. A Lockheed employee for more than 30 years, Carvalho was president of the Mission Systems & Sensors unit and held management posts in the naval weapons systems area, including development and production of the Aegis anti-ballistic missile system.
Paul Goodrum has become key account manager at PAS Technologies, Kansas City, Mo. He was technical sales manager at Dunlop Aircraft Tires and had been global key account manager at Sermatech International and Praxair Surface Technologies. Honors And Elections
Wes Bush, CEO and president of Northrop Grumman Corp., has been named vice chairman of the Washington-based Business-Higher Education Forum for 2011-12.
Peter Bernard and Dr. Roy Montgomery have been appointed to the Transportation Appeal Tribunal of Canada. Bernard is a longtime practitioner of maritime law, and Montgomery was president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Prince Edward Island.
Anthony J. Vizzini, dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, is the new president of the 2011-12 Executive Cabinet of the Society for the Advancement of Material and Process Engineering.
During the past two decades, Embraer has demonstrated an uncanny ability to bring ideal aircraft to market at the right time. In the 1990s, it was 50-seat regional jets (RJs). The following decade, just as soaring fuel prices made smaller RJs uneconomical, the aircraft manufacturer rolled out its family of “E-Jets,” which span from 70-122 seats and have attracted more than 1,000 orders from 60 airlines. Now, with the industry's competitive landscape shifting once again, the question is whether CEO Frederico Curado and his team can pull another rabbit out of the hat.
Airbus has boosted its orderbook to 640 net orders at the half-year point, driven by a large intake at the Paris air show, but the aircraft maker continues to suffer cancellations, which have now reached 137 units—58 last month, including all 45 that leasing company DAE Capital ordered in 2007. Another lessor, CIT, trimmed its A350 commitment, canceling A350-800s but adding three A350-900s to the two already on order. Also gone from the order book are three A318 orders for VIP customers. The backlog for the A319 also has shrunk, by 15 units, including two VIP aircraft.
U.S. air traffic controllers can request to take leave if they are too tired to work and could take naps during work breaks, under an agreement reached by the FAA and National Air Traffic Controllers Association (Natca).
Long commutes by U.S. pilots could contribute to safety-reducing fatigue while flying aircraft, a National Research Council report says. But the authors of the report, ordered by Congress, also say there is not enough data to determine the extent of the safety risk. Instead, the report leans toward more study to fill in the numerous holes in available data, and voluntary efforts by airlines and the government to enhance pilot education and fatigue risk management. The authors found that more than 20% of U.S. pilots live more than 750 mi.
British regional carrier Flybe is pressing forward with expansion plans and has teamed with Finnair to buy Finnish Commuter Airlines. The deal, which requires regulatory approval, makes good on Flybe's commitment last year to expand its business to the European continent. The jointly owned business will be called Flybe Nordic, with Flybe controlling 60% and Finnair 40%.
Airbus and the German aerospace center (DLR) have conducted fuel-cell tests to validate the use of the technology in aircraft taxiing that promises big reductions in carbon dioxide production. Both Airbus and DLR have already conducted various fuel-cell research efforts to assess the utility of the devices on airliners with an eye to reducing fuel burn. One potential application is replacement of auxiliary power units. DLR and Airbus note that such a technology would not just yield a reduction in carbon dioxide output, but also noise.
Mexico has chosen the Alenia Aeronautica C-27J Spartan as its new tactical airlifter. Under a package deal worth $200 million, the Mexican air force is to receive four C-27Js, the first slated for delivery in September with more following by the end of 2012. Alenia is also to provide initial logistical support and spares for several years. These are the first of 11 C-27J orders Alenia says were sealed at the Paris air show.
The U.S. Air Force's first Space-Based Infrared System satellite, designed for ballistic missile warning, has been activated. The satellite carries staring and scanning infrared sensors. The payload will now undergo calibration tests.
A pivotal U.S. House panel recommends killing the Northrop Grumman-built James Webb Space Telescope, calling the Hubble successor “billions of dollars over budget and plagued by poor management.” NASA's future telescope is $1.5 billion over budget while its launch date has slipped at least three years.
A majority of Americans—even in the midst of a battered economy—believe it is essential for the nation to stand at the summit of space exploration, according to a new Pew Research Center poll. The survey, released July 5, suggests U.S. public support largely cuts across economic and educational boundaries, as well as political affiliation. The survey also found that a small majority of citizens believe NASA's 30-year shuttle program has been a good investment.
Minsheng Bank of China and Gulfstream Aerospace have signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding for the purchase of 50 Gulfstream aircraft. Minsheng apparently intends to make the aircraft available for lease. The bank already is a Gulfstream operator, having taken delivery of a G450 last month. There are three dozen Gulfstreams operating in China today.
With Europe's new Vega rocket slated to debut before the end of the year, prime contractor ELV is pushing a plan to evolve the small-satellite launcher for deep-space missions to the Moon and beyond. Vega prime contractor ELV, a joint venture between Italian rocket propulsion manufacturer Avio and the Italian space agency (ASI), is studying a Vega derivative that could carry relatively heavy payloads to the tune of 700 kg (1,540 lb.) to near-Earth bodies, including the Moon, Mars, Venus and Jupiter.
James Hoblyn, president of Bombardier Customer Services & Specialized and Amphibious Aircraft, died on July 3 in Montreal of an apparent heart attack while training for a marathon. He was 46.
