Chris Nassenstein has been named executive general manager for engineering for Qantas Airways. He has been general manager for engineering services for Air New Zealand.
Sherman N. Mullin, Retired President Lockheed Martin Skunk Works (Oxnard, Calif.)
Your coverage of innovation in the Oct. 26/Nov. 2 issue was written mostly by philosophers of innovation, not by innovators. Much of it is based on false premises: •Increased R&D funding increases innovation. •Innovators are influenced by philosophers of innovation. •Most aerospace executives are fond of finding and protecting innovators.
Dan Frahm has been appointed head of Great Lakes region sales and marketing for Hawker Beechcraft Services , Wichita, Kan. He was vice president-sales and marketing for Elliott Aviation.
The Pentagon’s industrial-base maven promises a bolder, albeit nuanced, approach to several endemic issues. Brett Lambert says certain sectors should receive tailored support, but all of industry should enjoy greater interaction and transparency. Currently, the Pentagon is more concerned about subtier providers than prime contractors, Lambert tells Aviation Week’s A&D Programs conference. “We need to think about skills rather than jobs.” Areas of interest include low-observable technology, vertical lift and underwater capabilities.
The Middle East is playing a lead role in the drive to make satellite-based inflight Internet and phone service available to airline passengers—a trend that is likely to mushroom following Lufthansa’s recent decision to opt for onboard broadband.
In the world of advanced weapons, the U.S. and its allies are pitted against loosely connected opponents, often stateless, who are unfettered by governments, laws or tradition. For now, the forces of chaos seem to be winning. Optimists say the U.S. is making progress in developing next-generation weapons—the kind that involve electronic attack, network invasion, information operations and other nonkinetic weaponry. However, as with stealth a few decades ago, it is difficult to pinpoint the scope, direction and success of the research.
The Iraqi government is pressing ahead with a plan to upgrade the country’s airport infrastructure, including efforts to build a new airport south of Baghdad. The transport ministry has signed a contract with ADPI, the engineering arm of Aeroports de Paris, to help in the planning for the facility to be sited near centrally located Al Hillah. The size of the contract was not disclosed. The Iraqi government is looking at a phase development, with the first phase allowing the airport to handle about six million passengers per year.
The U.S. Navy has demonstrated autonomous operations by swarms of unmanned air and ground vehicles and unattended sensors. The tests used a payload system developed using Augusta Systems’ EdgeFrontier networking middleware. This supported processing/sharing of data and enabled the unmanned vehicles, including AAI’s Aerosonde small UAVs, “to respond to events based upon rules and policies configured within the software,” says Augusta. The payload system also hosted swarming algorithms developed by Vector Research Center.
With an eye on its fleet, Royal Jordanian Airlines is seeking ways to boost frequencies while managing the rift in its modernization plan caused by the Boeing 787 delay.
American Eurocopter is expanding its flight simulation offerings. The company’s Grand Prairie, Tex., training program now uses an EC135/EC145 full-motion training device featuring day/night visuals; the company plans to upgrade the flight training device (FTD) to full flight simulator (FFS) status. The EC135 program recently received FAR Part 142 certification, which, along with approval by an operator’s principal operations inspector, authorizes American Eurocopter to deliver FAR 135-approved training.
Air Force officials are applauding Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Gary Roughead’s call to form composite units that could combine similar types of aircraft from different services. An obvious example might be the Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) airplane and the Air Force’s Global Hawk long-endurance, high-altitude UAVs, both built by Northrop Grumman. “Why the Navy went after BAMS alone, considering how long the Air Force had been working Global Hawk, is a mystery,” says a senior Air Force intel officer.
Effective Dec. 1, John Becker is resigning as president of Piper Aircraft to “pursue other career opportunities,” according to an internal communication to employees. Becker, formerly vice president for engineering, became CEO when Jim Bass resigned in June.
Adriano P. Ceccherini has become vice president of Trieste Airport , Italy. He was managing director of Jetrider International and remains a consultant.
The market downturn is not affecting Finmeccanica so far. The company announced revenues of €12.6 billion for the first nine months of the year—a 30% increase over the same period of 2008. In the first nine months, the company won new orders worth €13.6 billion—an 18% increase over 2008— pushing the company’s order book to a record high of €43.5 billion. Finmeccanica’s results are driven by its performance in military aeronautics and defense electronics, and a good show in its rotary-wing business. In particular, U.S.
Three companies are vying to secure an unmanned air vehicle demonstrator contract at the heart of the British Defense Ministry’s so-called Novel Air Capability Vision, but details of their respective proposals for the program are being treated as classified. BAE Systems, missile manufacturer MBDA and Cranfield Aerospace are understood to have submitted proposals at the end of October. The contract for the selected concept could be awarded early in 2010.
Masten Space Systems won the $1-million first prize from NASA’s Centennial Challenges program following a successful simulation of lunar landings with its “Xoie” vehicle at Mojave (Calif.) Airport on Oct. 30. Second-place prize of $500,000 goes to rival team Armadillo Aerospace, which flew its “Scorpius” vehicle at Caddo Mills (Tex.) Municipal Airport on Sept. 12. Managed by the X Prize Foundation, the Northrop Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge required vehicles to simulate descending from lunar orbit to the lunar surface, refueling and returning to lunar orbit.
Joe Pearson has been named managing director for air safety and regulatory compliance for the Federal Express Corp. He was regional chief pilot in Anchorage, Alaska, for international operations.
Lockheed Martin’s Joint Strike Fighter program expects to conduct new capacity studies next year for the multinational aircraft’s projected global sustainment center needs, according to Kimberly Gavaletz, vice president for the F-35’s autonomic logistics and global sustainment. She acknowledged at Aviation Week’s A&D Programs conference that several sites have been discussed in press accounts, such as Singapore or Australia, but she asserted it was too early to tell.
Jim Dolle (see photos) has become manager of New York-based FlightSafety International ’s Quality Management System. He was a quality specialist within the system. Debbie Jones has been appointed assistant manager of FSI’s Hawker Beechcraft Learning Center, Wichita, Kan. She was director of customer support. Nora Ann Brozek has been promoted to assistant manager of FSI’s Learning Center in Tucson, Ariz., from product marketing manager.
This fall, a summit of USAF four-star generals rejected establishment of a major intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) command that could coordinate operational planning for the emerging arsenal of non-kinetic and asymmetrical weaponry. Perhaps the rejection is permanent. “I don’t think we’re going to do an ISR command,” says Scott. “The way I explain that is manpower. It takes people, and manpower costs a lot of money.” Nor does it appear that the world of electronic warfare and attack will be brought under a single command.
Air New Zealand, in an effort to operate one narrow-body aircraft type on domestic and short-haul international routes, has ordered 14 Airbus A320s to replace the 15 Boeing 737-300s in its fleet. ANZ intends to use the new aircraft to increase capacity on routes that are facing constraints at peak travel times. The airline operates 12 A320s on short-haul international routes now. Under terms of the agreement announced Nov. 2, ANZ also holds purchase options for another 11 of the same aircraft type, including the larger A321.
Boeing is preparing to clear wetland forest adjacent to its facility in North Charleston, S.C., following its controversial decision to establish a site there for final assembly of the stretched 787-9 variant.
Eric Keim, a senior scientist working on a classified sensor in use by the intelligence community to track real-world targets, is among five employees of The Aerospace Corp. , El Segundo, Calif., who have received its President’s and Trustees’ Distinguished Achievement Awards. Keim’s project took him overseas, where he worked in hazardous conditions around the clock for three months.
The Pentagon’s new director of industrial policy, Brett Lambert, suggests administering Defense Contract Audit Agency-type inspections at companies of their cyber-preparedness. Speaking at Aviation Week’s A&D Programs conference in Phoenix last week, Lambert said there is a need to get companies to volunteer more information about preparations for being attacked in cyber-space. The issue has been highlighted by the revelation that federal agencies and U.S.
