As the Mexican government cracks down on the narcotics trade there, criminals are moving their operations south to Central America, posing significant challenges for security forces in a region that lacks state-of-the-art radar surveillance and aircraft. However, regional air chiefs took a small step last month that could pave the way forward for procurement of new cargo aircraft for military operations, helicopters and, potentially, interdiction platforms.
Lightweight composite parts for the hot section of future military and commercial engines will take a step closer to reality through tests now underway on the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 for the Joint Strike Fighter.
Initial reports of “pilot error” in NTSB findings on the cause of the Feb. 12 Q400 crash at Buffalo, N.Y., are perplexing. If any pilot were to respond to an incipient stall warning from a horn or stick-shaker by pulling back on the stick, the most important issue for the NTSB should be to find out exactly what happened and why—before the media publicizes such an incredible conclusion. Ice protection technology is probably the least well developed of all aircraft technologies conceptually, by implementation, and by certification procedures—and not without reason.
A Proton K rocket launch and a new Proton M contract have Proton prime contractor Khrunichev and launch provider International Launch Services off to a solid start in 2009. The Proton K launch, at 7:10 a.m. Moscow time on Feb. 28, successfully orbited a Raduga-1 military communications satellite. It was the first Proton K mission of the year and the second government launch for the Proton vehicle. On Feb. 11, a Proton M Block M lofted a pair of civil telecom satellites, Express AM44 and Express DM-1, into orbit for Russian Satellite Communications Co.
To combat current weakness in the air cargo market, International Air Transport Assn. (IATA) CEO Giovanni Bisignani says that as air cargo security costs continue to rise, world governments need to realize that different sets of requirements and definitions from country to country are not the answer (see p. 50). Instead, he says “we need a globally coordinated approach that looks at the entire supply chain.” IATA’s director general also called for a strong industry campaign to convince the U.S. that plans to implement screening of 100% cargo in 2010 are misguided.
Brian T. Hunt has been appointed vice president/general counsel of the Pinnacle Airlines Corp. He was senior vice president/general counsel/secretary of ATA Airlines.
Joel T. Raymond has been appointed executive vice president and Marysue Kelsen vice president-finance of Champlain Enterprises Inc. , Burlington, Vt., parent of Continental Connection and CommutAir.
USAF Lt. Gen. Gary North, the combined air operations center commander in the Middle East, says he wants to get the F-22 there for an exercise “soon.” This was attempted last year, but dashed over concerns the stealthy, twin-engine fighter’s presence in the region would cause tensions. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said this week he made a proposal to Defense Secretary Robert Gates on whether to continue producing the Lockheed Martin jet. Schwartz declined to disclose his advice, but a decision is expected by March.
British Airways and Iberia have narrowed their differences on a range of merger issues, although one hurdle about financial governance remains.BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh says the issue is how TopCo, which would be set up to oversee the Iberia and BA operations—which will retain their air operator certificates and brand identities—will exercise financial control throughout the business. Walsh says there’s no disagreement the umbrella entity will have financial control over the two operating companies, but translating that into a formal agreement is proving difficult.
Eric P. Hinson (see photo) has been named executive vice president of New York-based FlightSafety International . He was president/CEO of Piaggio America.
Regardless of whether the Pentagon opts to buy a single refueling tanker or split the purchase between Boeing and Northrop Grumman/EADS North America, USAF expects a heavy bill to keep its KC-135s flying. Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Arthur Lichte said last week the KC-135s would require new skins beginning in 2018. The modification would extend the aircraft’s life to 2040, making the oldest KC-135 about 80 at retirement.
The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite that will launch with the Lunar Reconaissance Orbiter has been compared to a Lego project made of pieces collected from here and there, but it won’t be a toy when it bombards the Moon looking for evidence of water and hydrogen about three months from its launch. In a one-two punch, Lcross will photograph the impact of its own Centaur upper stage burrowing a hole likely to be 30 yd. wide and 15 ft. deep in the bottom of a crater near one of the Moon’s poles.
Canadian research and development company Marinvent has introduced the Dynamic Non-Linear Display (DNLD), which aims to overcome problems with conventional airspeed and altitude tapes on electronic flight instruments. Conventional tapes sacrifice display range for display resolution, so the altimeter scale loses its ground reference, and critical airspeed limits only appear as they are about to be exceeded, the Montreal-based company says.
Robert P. Whearty (see photo) has become Washington-based senior vice president of Marsh ’s U.S. space practice. He was director of satellite sales and business development for Thales North America.
The European Defense Agency steering board has agreed to include Europe’s Multinational Space-based Imaging System (Musis) initiative as an agency project. The move will permit EDA nations to participate in harmonizing requirements for the system, such as ground segment architecture, and to seek synergies with civil systems such as Europe’s Global Monitoring for Environment and Security network. Work on the space segment of the system, which is backed by Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and Spain, is underway.
It is ironic that simple, low-cost spacecraft built on a fast pace with minimum testing require the most sophisticated management of mission risk. When Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems joined with NASA Ames Research Center in the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (Lcross) mission, the company found itself refining its management processes to ensure the program’s success. Now, it is likely that what it learned will ripple back into its more sophisticated, higher-priced missions.
China’s first orbital station will be the national space program’s testbed for automatic docking, one of four technological hurdles that must be cleared before launching a big space station a decade from now. The small, short-life space station, already identified as Tiangong 1, will be launched as soon as next year. Its mass has grown from the 8 metric tons (17,600 lb.) previously stated and is now given as 8.5 tons, still within the capability of several members of the Long March 2 and 3 family of rockets.
Sikorsky will start flying the prototype S-76D medium helicopter with composite main rotor blades within days, marking the resumption of full flight tests that are to include three aircraft by early June. The blades form a key element of the upgraded design that will also include a new tail rotor, more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PW210S engines, a Thales-developed integrated avionics cockpit, active vibration control and an advanced health and usage monitoring system (HUMS).
Six months on from the insolvency of Grob Aerospace, Bombardier has transferred all work on the Learjet 85 from its erstwhile airframe partner to new locations while keeping the new midsize business jet on track for entry into service in 2013.
After several consecutive years of rapid growth, Russian airlines are facing falling traffic and revenues and the specter of multiple failures, as the effects of the global economic downturn on the economy and credit institutions begin to be felt. Though no carriers have collapsed yet, some are close to bankruptcy and casting about for a financial lifeline from the government.
Russia plans to start testing a new manned space vehicle in 2015, after kicking off its development in 2010. Alexi Krasnov, head of human spaceflight at Russian space agency Roskosmos, says a competition for development of the vehicle will be completed this year, with initial operational capability by 2018. The government has agreed to fund the effort, Krasnov said in Moscow Mar. 5, according to the Interfax-AVN news agency.
EADS Astrium affiliate Spot Image has opened a subsidiary in Brazil, joining others in Australia, China, Japan, Singapore and the U.S. Spot is working with Infoterra, another Astrium affiliate, to develop services for the Brazilian farming sector.
Giovanni Bisignani has been director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Assn. since 2002, and is expected to head the organization through 2011. Bisignani recently met with Aviation Week & Space Technology Editor-in-Chief Anthony L. Velocci, Jr., and Senior Air Transport Editor Adrian Schofield to talk about the dire condition of the airline industry, the urgent need for liberalization, and the steps being taken on safety and environmental issues.
USAF Col. (ret.) Michael R. Gallagher (Hillsboro, Ore.)
Reader Capt. Judkins points out correctly the aft center-of-gravity shift caused by the shearing away of the left engine when US Airways Flt. 1549 ditched in the Hudson (AW&ST Feb. 23, p. 8). What has not been mentioned in the coverage is the fact that the pylon attaching the engine to the wing performed exactly as intended by allowing the engine to separate without destroying the wing.
Mark another casualty of the struggling airline industry. Career specialist AIR Inc. closed its doors last month after 20 years of operation. In a farewell notice to members, President Kit Darby said the state of the airline industry and the economy combined to render the business “unsustainable.” The Atlanta-based company is transferring its current memberships to FltOps.com— a web-based pilot career information provider that also specializes in job fairs.
