The U.K. Royal Air Force’s Sentinel R1 airborne stand-off radar (Astor) aircraft is believed to be about to make its operational debut in Afghanistan. An announcement from the Defense Ministry is expected by this week about deployment of one or two of the aircraft to support combat operations.
After years of debate about the future of tactical, airborne electronic attack for the U.S. Air Force and Marine Corps, it appears the F-35 will become the next-generation, digital warfare aircraft for both services. The platform most in demand in combat today is some kind of electronic attack (EA) aircraft, say military operational experts. So the pressure for more aircraft and advanced capabilities is already an operational reality. But the basic question of who does what for whom and to whom remains unanswered.
I did read about the portable toilet and urine recycler on the Endeavour/STS-126 shuttle mission (AW&ST Nov. 10, p. 33). But nowhere was there mention of GRC’s combustion rack in the Fluid Combustion Facility also being a critical piece of Leonardo’s payload, along with its first experiment: Multi-user Droplet Combustion apparatus. It was inexcusable to mention an exercise bicycle and a refrigerator but not the first installment of a $150-million-plus cornerstone piece of scientific hardware for the U.S.
USAF Col. (ret.) Michael Gallagher’s warning against trying to outclimb a rapidly growing cumulo-nimbus (AW&ST Nov. 17, p. 10) was on the button. When it happened to me on a hot afternoon many years ago, I learned what the term “coffin corner” really means. As the cloud swallowed my T-33 somewhere above 45,000 ft. and I fought the turbulence to keep the airspeed indicator in the narrowing gap between the aircraft’s red-line speed and the stall speed, I didn’t need the St. Elmo’s fire running over the fuselage to tell me I had done something unwise.
British Airways has implemented an innovative flight crew training program tailored to meet the airline’s specific operational needs. BA’s flight training manager, Keith Dyce, led the development of the Alternative Training and Qualification Program (ATQP), which BA plans to roll out over the next 12 months to train its 3,300 pilots. The ATQP is founded on what is known as evidence-based or closed-loop training.
NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston plans to issue a draft request for proposals (RFP) for conceptual design work on the Altair lunar lander by mid-December, with a final RFP expected by late January and a contract award around Feb. 20.
Eclipse Aviation is hoping to secure a new owner in January after the pioneering very light jet manufacturer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Nov. 25. The petition, filed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for Delaware, lists more than $700 million owed to bondholders, suppliers and customers.
French airline pilots may now retire at 65, earlier if they wish to, according to a new rule devised by the European Commission and ratified last month by the French government. The measure is similar to the U.S. law of late 2007 that extended by five years pilots’ mandatory retirement age.
Jan. 20-22—MRO Middle East Conference & Exhibitions, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Mar. 3—Aviation Week Laureate Awards Dinner, Andrew Mellon Auditorium, Washington. Mar. 11-12—Defense Technology & Requirements Conference. National Press Club, Washington. Apr. 21-23—MRO Americas and MRO Military Conferences, Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Dallas. Sept. 23-24—MRO Europe Conference & Exhibition, Hamburg (Germany) Messe und Congress.
The structure of Greece’s tactical fighter force will change as the nation pursues an ambitious defense modernization program (see p. 58). In the meantime, a large fleet of F-16s, such as this one streaking skyward over the Aegean Sea, will remain the backbone of the Hellenic Air Force (HAF). Projected aircraft retirements will reduce HAF’s fighter inventory and capability in the near-term. Lockheed Martin photo by Katsuhiko Tokunaga.
Eglin AFB, Fla., will be busy with a couple of new contracts. Boeing snagged a $96-million award to provide small-diameter bomb aircraft weapon systems for an unspecified range of aircraft. Eglin also is giving a budget plus-up of $10 million to Raytheon to upgrade two guided weapons test sets to AIM-120D Amraam capability as well as provide spares and additional GPS equipment.
Evgeny Nikolaevich Lobachev, an adviser to the Russian transport minister of transport, and Nicolas Sabatini, associate FAA administrator of safety, have received Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) Presidential Citations. Lobachev was a permanent member of the Russian accident investigation group and helped draft the Russian air code. In 1992, he developed certification and safety oversight procedures that have become instruments for efficient regulation of civil aviation in Russia.
Jim Van Laak has become deputy associate FAA administrator for commercial space transportation. He was director of the Systems Management Office at the NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Va.
Capt. Lloyd D. Hill, President Allied Pilots Assn. (Fort Worth, Tex.)
Regarding the letter from American Airlines First Officer James E. Eaton concerning AA’s application for worldwide antitrust immunity with British Airways, Iberia, Finnair and Royal Jordanian (AW&ST Nov. 10, p. 8), the Allied Pilots Assn. (APA), representing the 11,500 pilots of American, has indeed been vocal in its opposition.
David D. Haines (see photo) has become vice president-rotorcraft programs, U.S. Army Brig. Gen. (ret.) Stephen D. Mundt (see photo) vice president-business development and strategic planning and Randy Hutcherson (see photo) vice president/program manager for tankers for EADS North America , Arlington, Va. Haines succeeds Hutcherson and was vice president-customer support for MD Helicopters, while Mundt was director of the Army Aviation Task Force. Also, former U.S. Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and Franklin C. Miller has been appointed to the board of directors.
A new regional safety oversight group for the Americas—the first of its kind—has emerged under the auspices of the International Civil Aviation Organization. The Regional Aviation Safety Group-Pan America will serve as a forum to implement the Global Aviation Safety Roadmap developed by industry for ICAO. Oscar Derby, director general of the Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, was elected first chairman at a recent gathering of safety officials in Costa Rica. The group will coordinate regional safety efforts in North and South America, the Caribbean and Central America.
The hearing mechanism of flies is being used as a model for miniature acoustic sensors and sound localization techniques by researchers at the University of Maryland. The work is projected to benefit the U.S. Air Force in its development of an “artificial fly” UAV that would use both hearing and vision to navigate to inaccessible locations. In addition, the technology would be available for micro-aerial vehicles and UAVs to improve homing capabilities.
Daniel Godin has become general manager of Circor Aerodyne Controls , Ronkonkoma, N.Y. He was vice president-continuous improvement/general manager of operations at Sermatech International.
Passage of an FAA reauthorization bill and implementation of the NextGen air traffic management system are among the top priorities of aviation organizations meeting with President-elect Barack Obama’s transportation transition team. Another is airport infrastructure funding, of special interest to team members including former FAA Administrator Jane Garvey and Duane Woerth, former head of the Air Line Pilots Assn. Infrastructure projects are expected to be part of the stimulus package they are helping to craft.
Although program go-aheads at the European Space Agency’s triennial ministerial summit went smoothly, efforts to smoothe the agency’s workings met with mixed success. The ministers agreed to a move to change industry procurement procedures so they are more in line with those in the European Commission, ESA’s partner in an increasing number of programs. But a decision to streamline decision-making was set aside because some smaller members were opposed.
London is considering options in light of further delays to the Airbus Military A400M, and senior Airbus officials acknowledge there is a worry Britain could walk away from the program. The concern comes as European governments face a range of policy decisions in the coming months with far-reaching implications for the aerospace sector, and Airbus in particular. At issue are program considerations, like those linked to the A400M, and broader demands such as whether to boost export credit guarantees.
The first six-person crew on the International Space Station will have much better power and life-support accommodations following the space shuttle Endeavour’s just-concluded visit than was considered likely for most of the time the orbiter was docked. After a sometimes-difficult STS-126/ULF-2 logistics and repair flight, Endeavour left behind a working water reclamation system that will ease the logistics load when the crew doubles to six next May, and an electric-power generating system that may not need expensive and time-consuming repairs after all.
James V. Anderson has been promoted to principal engineer in support of the U.S. Air Force Space Superiority Wing within the El Segundo, Calif.-based Aerospace Corp. ’s Space Superiority Systems Directorate from systems director/chief engineer supporting the wing, which is a unit of the Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB. Jeffery L. Emdee has been promoted to principal director of Mission Planning and Payload Integration in the Launch Operations Div. from principal engineer/chief systems engineer for the Atlas V Program. Stuart V.
USAF Maj. Gen. C.D. Alston has been named assistant chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration at USAF Headquarters at the Pentagon. He has been director of nuclear operations, plans and requirements/deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements. Brig. Gen. James O. Poss has been appointed vice director of intelligence for the Joint Staff at the Pentagon. He has been director of intelligence at Air Combat Command Headquarters, Langley AFB, Va. He is swapping positions with Brig. Gen. Larry K. Grundhauser. Brig. Gen. Robert C.
