In a News Breaks item in last week’s issue (p. 21), the worth of the MiG order book should have been stated as $4 billion, while the transfer of shares to the United Aircraft Corp. should have been for 3.5 cents.
Despite the industry downturn that has slammed premium traffic, British Airways CEO Willie Walsh believes a unique all-premium transatlantic operation—using Airbus A318s—can quickly prove a success.
The South Korean defense ministry is seeking a 29.6-trillion-won ($25-billion) budget for 2010, cutting its original request because of the country’s economic problems. The proposal is 3.8% greater than this year’s allocation. In June, the ministry asked for a 7.9% increase, similar to what it received for 2009.
China Lake, where the U.S. Navy comes to test its weapons, has a stunning diversity of terrain. One of its ranges can simultaneously offer snow, mountains and forest and—a bit farther along—heat, Joshua trees and desert. Nearby Etcheron Valley (also known as Junction Ranch) is big enough to fly an aircraft through with a 3,500-ft. vertical gradient on one side and 7,000 ft. on the other.
Space Systems/Loral has shipped NSS-12, a C-band and Ku-band communications satellite equipped with antennas able to beam signals to two-thirds of the world’s population. No liftoff date has been set, but launch of NSS-12 on an Ariane 5 from Kourou, French Guiana, is expected late this year. The satellite was ordered by SES World Skies as a replacement for NSS-8, which was lost in a January 2007 launch-pad explosion of a Sea Launch Zenit 3SL booster.
Some U.S. airports are reviewing whether they should get into the business of providing ground-handling services for airlines, especially at small- to medium-size facilities. Chattanooga (Tenn.) Metropolitan Airport, Springfield/Branson (Mo.) National Airport and Quad City International at Moline, Ill., offer “below wing” services such as push-back and baggage handling. Deicing and fueling also can be on the agenda, and even “above-wing” jobs such as providing manpower for gate duty and passenger boarding.
There are several reasons we are not producing as many scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians (STEM) as we once were (or as many as we need). In the 15 years since I became an engineer I have heard every excuse: Science is too hard; Educators aren’t doing their jobs; It’s not glamorous; It is all political; There’s no real money in it; Business owners (and managers) regard science types as just geeky resources . . . .” All of these reasons and many more can be valid.
Unexpected payoffs flowed from the strikes that spread among Air India and Jet Airways—India’s two biggest carriers. By temporarily shrinking the overall sector’s capacity by about 20%, the work stoppages underscored long-held assertions of numerous industry observers that the country simply is putting too many seats into the air to be profitable.
President Barack Obama on Sept. 30 nominated fatigue expert Mark R. Rosekind as a member of the NTSB. Rosekind is president and chief scientist of Alertness Solutions. The 10-year-old Cupertino, Calif.-based company provides services and products aimed at reducing fatigue-related human error, such as its AvAlert Alertness Management Program training course.
I applaud Charles J. Pellerin for taking responsibility for the Hubble Space Telescope mirror failure (AW&ST Aug. 24/31, p. 74). However, I am frustrated by the implication that “soft skills” have much to do with leadership, and find this to be a perfect example of why large companies are losing the next generation. Buzz words are obscuring a deficit in real leadership.
The House and Senate are in intense negotiations and racing to finalize spending for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, after the Senate passed its version of the Fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill that same day. The Senate’s measure largely hews to the Obama administration’s recommendations from earlier this year, but nonetheless includes unrequested funds for several more Boeing C-17s that critics on the Senate floor failed to strip out. Since the House also appropriated money for unrequested C-17s, conference negotiators will likely just decide how many.
Meanwhile, Gates remains squarely on the fence about what to do in Afghanistan. “Two areas where it is clearly worse are in the north, particularly in Kunduz, and in the west, particularly in Herat,” says Defense Dept. spokesman Geoff Morrell. “But I know of no decision that would mark a clear change of strategy toward those areas.” Gates has expressed opposition to “a limited offshore, remote counterterrorism operation,” Morrell says. But the Pentagon chief is also concerned about placing too many U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
The Air France Flight 447 case seems even more fascinating than Michael Crichton’s best-selling thriller Airframe, but unfortunately, Air France’s troubles are very real and the crash that precipitated them took 228 lives. French investigators are working hard to determine causes for the Airbus A330-200’s June 1 plunge into the South Atlantic, a difficult assignment in the absence of wreckage, flight recorders and air traffic control imagery.
The case for an alternate Joint Strike Fighter engine seems likely to be decided by the Pentagon alone. However, the JSF program involves nine countries. The wishes of the eight JSF partners are sorely absent. The alternate F136 is being built by General Electric and Rolls-Royce, with support from Italy and the Netherlands. The JSF will not only dominate the export market for a fifth-generation fighter, but will probably have a monopoly post-2020, when the current competitors will no longer be in production.
Singapore’s Tiger Airways is kicking off that country’s first use of multi-crew pilot license (MPL) training this month with six cadets in an Airbus A320 program. The two-year trial, which relies heavily on computer-based training rather than an extensive ground-school approach, will be provided by Singapore Technologies Aviation Training Academy (Stata) working in conjunction with the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Ground school will be in Singapore, but flight training will be held in Ballarat, Australia.
France will take delivery of its first four NH90 NFH frigate helicopters next year under a draft 2010 defense spending bill presented last week (see story below). The NFH is running several years behind the TTH transport version and is not scheduled to see its first delivery, to the Netherlands, until the end of this year. The French also anticipate delivery of seven Tiger attack helicopters in the “I” operational standard in 2010.
Even though low-fare airlines are defying predictions that the near-global economic downturn would drive the weakest players out of business, the sector is abandoning time-honored rules generally considered sacred to growing revenues and surviving long-term. Low-cost carriers (LCCs) are exploring adaptations of code-share agreements, interlining, the use of global distribution systems and transfer traffic that were “no-nos” to the disciples of the pure Southwest Airlines business model in the past.
The Aerospace Industries Assn. of America and AeroSpace and Defense Industries Assn. of Europe have agreed on a set of industry business ethics. The jointly developed Global Principles of Business Ethics include zero tolerance of corruption, and insist on compliance with anti-bribery laws and elimination of “facilitation” payments. The document also calls for companies not to solicit or accept proprietary information unless the owner of the data has approved.
In a parade reminiscent of the Soviet Union in its heyday, the Chinese military on Oct. 1 displayed a raft of systems—both tactical and strategic—in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the creation of the People’s Republic of China.
David A. Fulghum (China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center, Calif.)
Researchers here have to weave through political, technological and financial obstacle courses to design and field what many know will be necessary for success in warfare but few want to fund—such as the complicated integration demanded by “system of systems.” Some of those who slash budgets have justified their efforts by saying that cheap equals simple and simple equals efficient. But that reveals ignorance of the realities of today’s digital battlefields and the increasing complexities of future ones.
With flights beginning next January, Japan Airlines (JAL) will further blur the lines of what used to be the distinction between Haneda as Tokyo’s domestic airport and Narita as its international gateway. The carrier will include a daily direct connection from Narita to Okinawa starting Jan. 5, which will facilitate international-domestic transfers. JAL also will expand Narita services to Nagoya and Fukuoka as of Nov. 1.
The French government aims to maintain overall defense spending in 2010 at €39.18 billion ($57.2 billion)—a smidgeon below this year’s budget—despite the economic crisis. Under a draft spending bill presented last week, procurement would dip slightly to €17 billion from €18 billion in 2009. But Defense Minister Herve Morin notes that this year’s budget reflects a temporary spending peak and the proposed sum for 2010 is in line with the multiyear spending plan approved by parliament at the end of July.
Lufthansa has taken over SAS Group’s 20% stake in the airline BMI amid indications SAS could soon dispose of its British subsidiary. The cost of the transaction was €41.6 million ($60.7 million) plus a possible additional payment that is due when certain confidential conditions are met in an onward sale. Meanwhile, British Airways Chief Executive Willie Walsh says BA will make a “very credible offer” for BMI. The move would increase BA’s slot holding at London Heathrow Airport to more than 50%.from around 40%.
China Southern Airlines will sell its 50% share of engine overhaul shop MTU Maintenance Zhuhai to its state parent, shoring up its balance sheet with the proceeds, 1.61 billion yuan ($23.5 million). Hong Kong rival Cathay Pacific Airways last month said it would sell part of its stake in its maintenance business Haeco for the same reason.
