Robert G. Robinson’s letter “The Carbon Dioxide Circle” (AW&ST Apr. 20, p. 8) clearly explains that biofuels eliminate the problem of carbon dioxide caused by fossil fuels. However, an article in the Apr. 11 issue of The Economist (p. 81) reports the International Council for Science has concluded that using biofuels aggravates rather than ameliorates global warming. The cause is the nitrous oxide associated with farming the plants used for biofuels.
The former vice president of cargo sales in Europe for Martinair has agreed to plead guilty, serve eight months in jail and pay a $20,000 fine for participating in a conspiracy to fix cargo rates for international air shipments, the U.S. Justice Dept. said Apr. 29. Franciscus Johannes de Jong also has agreed to cooperate with the department’s ongoing investigation. Fifteen airlines and four executives now have pleaded or agreed to plead guilty in the case.
There is no question that the U.S. Army has a requirement for an airborne armed reconnaissance platform. How the service eventually fulfills it though, will have far-reaching effects on the industry and the Army itself, depending on results of an analysis of alternatives (AOA) that could take up to two years to complete.
NASA will use part of the $1 billion in economic stimulus package funding it receives this year to advance a commercial route to the International Space Station for its astronauts. Acting Administrator Christopher Scolese tells Congress the agency’s Fiscal 2009 operating plan contains $400 million in stimulus funding for human exploration activities. That includes $150 million for what is known as COTS D—human-rated versions of the Commercial Orbital Transportation System cargo vehicles being developed with almost $500 million in NASA seed money.
Two key U.S. unmanned aircraft systems are embroiled in a heated debate over how the Pentagon can rapidly field surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities while sticking to traditional acquisition processes demanding rigorous testing.
Nettie R. Johnson has become corporate vice president-worldwide media relations for the Lockheed Martin Corp. , Bethesda, Md. She was director of communications for Lockheed Martin Simulation, Training and Support, Orlando, Fla.
Gary K. Boekenkamp (see photo) has been appointed vice president-marketing, acquisitions and strategic business development for the Legacy Products Group of BBA Aviation , Chatsworth, Calif. He was vice president-strategy and business development for the BBA Aviation Flight Support Group. Honors and Elections
Turkey is finally inching closer to meeting a long-standing requirement for a new attack helicopter, with the pending first flight of a T-129 demonstrator this summer. The T-129 is an AgustaWestland derivate of its AW129, with Turkish modifications, that is produced in part with Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI). It is slated to be fielded in late 2013. The Turkish army is buying 50 of the helicopters, with an option for another 41. That contract, estimated at more than $3 billion, was finalized last year, after a source-selection announcement in 2007.
British Forces last week began the final withdrawal from their contingency operating base near Basra, Iraq, bringing a six-year combat deployment to an end. Apr. 30 saw a formal handover of authority ceremony, and all U.K. military will be withdrawn by July with the exception of up to 400 personnel who will remain to provide training support to Iraqi armed forces.
All Nippon Airways will overhaul its network, limit investment and undertake “the most ambitious cost-saving initiative in the history of the airline” in fiscal 2009, which began Apr. 1. The network plan includes replacing Boeing 747-400s with 777s on flights to Paris and Frankfurt. Cargo operations will emphasize use of Overseas Courier Service and other partnerships.
China’s new national helicopter champion, Avicopter, will take an increasingly demanding approach to international cooperative projects as it seeks to build an independent brand rivaling the likes of Eurocopter and Sikorsky. Future joint helicopters will have to fit into Avicopter’s own emerging product lineup, says President Wang Bin. And his company’s own technological development path will dominate its approach to business, with foreign cooperation playing only a supporting role.
Your article “Building Green” contains gushing accolades for a green Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified aircraft hangar (AW&ST Apr. 20, p. 63). “This project is proof that the bottom line in green construction is black,” says John Picard, an architect and environmental consultant who works with Shangri-La Construction. May I see the economic analysis? How about the acquisition and maintenance cost of solar panels that will produce “110% of the power requirements” over 30 years?
The third prototype of the Sukhoi Su-35 variant of the Flanker was destroyed Apr. 26, following an incident during taxi trials, at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur manufacturing site, prior to first flight.
Reflecting the continuing tempo of operations in Afghanistan, the British Defense Ministry is extending an urgent operational requirement with Thales to sustain Hermes 450 operations until the company’s Watchkeeper system enters service in 2011. The Hermes 450 contract began in July 2007, with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support provided in both Afghanistan and Iraq. The “fly-by-the-hour” agreement covers the air vehicles and training to operate and maintain the system, along with contractor logistics support.
Sikorsky Aerospace Services has opened a regional spare parts stocking facility with Times Aerospace Korea at Gimpo Aerospace Industrial Complex. The Trumbull, Conn.-based company handles the aftermarket business of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. The new facility, near Incheon and Gimpo International Airports, will receive, stock and ship parts to support the VX/H-92 helicopter, flown by South Korea’s air force. A mix of civil and commercial rotorcraft, including the S-61, S-76 and S-92, will also be supported.
USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael A. Hamel has become senior vice president-corporate strategy and development of the Orbital Sciences Corp. , Dulles, Va. He was commander of the Air Force Space Command’s Space and Missile Systems Center and Air Force PEO for space.
Cap-and-trade? Let’s definitely make it fair but by not questioning the need for it, you are betraying your readers in the airline industry. There are three questions you failed to ask. •Are humans the cause of global warming? There has been a 1.5-deg. rise in temperature since 1850. But there is evidence of much greater increases in the past.
Aer Lingus says losses this year will be even worse than expected, a stark reversal over what the company said only a few months ago when it was trying to ward off a hostile takeover by Ryanair. The revised outlook also has the company reconsidering fleet plans for long-haul capacity. The carrier operates Airbus A330 widebodies and has committed to buying A350XWBs.
Finnair will end the year in the red, the airline said in releasing first-quarter results. To maintain keep load factors, average ticket prices are down 13% and cargo prices 20%. Yield in the first quarter was down 9.8%.
There may be additional repercussions from the photo shoot of a U.S. Air Force Boeing 747 over New York City that alarmed residents still jittery from the memories of 9/11. The jumbo jet—part of the VIP fleet at Andrews AFB, Md.—was accompanied by two F-16 fighters and flew over the New York area to get some iconic photos of one of the airplanes that carry the president. Officials in Washington say they notified authorities in New York, but the public was not informed, causing panic in lower Manhattan.
The European Defense Agency and European Commission are working on an agreement to improve cooperation between the two European institutions. The EC has no military mandate, but there is some overlap with EDA activities in the realm of security and air traffic management, for instance. Currently, the EDA and EC cannot jointly launch a request for proposals under Europe’s framework research program. The goal is to change that mandate, possibly in time for Framework Program 8, due to start in 2013. European officials hope to unveil the outlines of an accord by May 18.
Northrop Grumman Corp. employees Nora Lin and Harry Chen have been honored for contributions to science and engineering at the 2009 Asian American Engineer of the Year Awards . Lin is manager of supportability engineering for the Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Sector in Rolling Meadows, Ill. She led the campus’s Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) initiative that resulted in the achievement of CMMI Maturity Level 3 accreditation for Systems and Software Engineering in 2007.
The British Royal Air Force last week hit the 50,000-flying-hour mark for its fleet of six Boeing C-17s. Around 80% of the hours accumulated since the type entered service in 2001 has been in support of operational deployments in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Boeing has been awarded a one-year contract with four annual options that could total $250 million for Mid Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System information-gathering, target surveillance and reconnaissance services in support of SOC. Work is to be completed by the spring of 2014.
