HGH Infrared Systems has introduced IR Revolution 360, a 20-deg. vertical, 360-deg. horizontal field of view panoramic infrared vision system. The sensor contains approximately 3 million pixels. It’s an advanced thermal imager that delivers extremely high-resolution imagery via the head that scans a full rotation per second. Other features include auto detection and tracking, a motion alarm and an area-of-interest zoom. The detector is based on mercury cadmium telluride (HgCdTe) imaging technology and operates in the 8-12-micron wavelength—the long-wave infrared region.
Keith Packer, former commercial general manager for British Airways World Cargo, has pleaded guilty to conspiring to fix rates for air cargo shipments. In a plea agreement, Packer consented to serve an eight-month jail term, pay a $20,000 fine and cooperate with the U.S. Justice Dept.’s investigation. Packer is the first foreign national and third person charged as part of the Antitrust Div.’s price-fixing investigation.
U.S. Army MSgt. (ret.) R.F. Rzesutek (Tacoma, Wash.)
The QT-2 aircraft was not used to monitor Viet Cong mine laying and if so, no commander in his right mind would send troops out at night, because losses would be great. Troops were put out at dusk in fixed locations to counter enemy movement. The QT-2 was configured with a long probe, to detect the presence of ammonia from large troop concentrations. If you got to go, you go. We were often called out to secure the airstrip from which the aircraft operated.
Like Pierre Sparaco, I miss the days when the Boeing 747 was new and flying was still a pleasure (AW&ST Sept. 8, p. 65). One of the first carriers to operate the 747 was American Airlines. At that time, I was corporate consultant on design, mainly focused on airplane interiors and exterior markings, which I’m pleased to say are still used unchanged. AA’s inaugural 747 flight was on Mar. 2, 1970. Following this, there was rarely a full load and American wanted to do something dramatic to attract passengers.
Once known mainly for its prop-driven aircraft, Cessna has been a leading force in the bizjet sector for more than three decades, pioneering in light and very light jets, moving into the midsize category with Columbus and making a bold pitch at the light sport aircraft segment with the piston-powered SkyCatcher. In the run-up to this year’s National Business Aviation Assn. convention, AW&ST European Editor Michael A. Taverna discusses with Chairman Jack Pelton the evolution of the company and the industry.
The U.S. Air Force’s 20th Expeditionary Special Operations Sqdn. conducted its final operational MH-53 Pave Low mission last month in Iraq. The entire fleet is now retired. The Pave Low provided low-level, long-range infiltration and exfiltration into denied airspace and has been a workhorse for Air Force Special Operations Command. The command’s fleet was once at 39 MH-53s. The CV-22 will now pick up the mission, and command officials are prepping the Osprey tiltrotor for its first deployment outside U.S. borders, to support a joint exercise in Africa next month.
Christopher R. Bidwell has been named vice president-security and facilitation, effective Oct. 13, for the Washington-based Airports Council International-North America . He was managing director of security at the Air Transport Assn. Christopher J. Oswald has been appointed vice president-safety and technical operations, effective Oct. 20. He was a director at the Jacobs Consultancy.
Mike Barger has been appointed senior vice president-fleet operations and Terry Dinterman vice president-technology services for JetBlue Airways . Barger was vice president-JetBlue University. Dinterman was vice president-solution delivery at the CNA Financial Corp. of Chicago. Rob Maruster, who is senior vice president-customer services, now also heads the system operations group.
Aspen Avionics’ new Evolution Weather Receiver will deliver the full suite of satellite weather aviation products featuring graphical inflight weather data, and presents integrated weather hazard data on Evolution multifunction displays (MFDs) and primary flight displays (PFDs). The receiver, made by Heads Up Technologies, is designed to deliver the data-link weather capabilities of Evolution Hazard Awareness built into the Evolution flight display system. It will be available in second-quarter 2009 as an optional upgrade for the Evolution MFDs and PFDs.
Prof. Berndt Feuerbacher, incoming president of the International Astronomical Federation, hopes China can be more closely integrated into the club of spacefaring nations during his two-year term. “I think the federation has already started in this way, and will in the future even more try to bring China into the world community as one of the partners like anybody else,” he said at the 59th International Astronautical Congress in Glasgow, Scotland, where he was elected to succeed James V. Zimmerman of the U.S.
A Russian Dnepr-1 rocket has finally orbited a Thai surveillance spacecraft, Theos, from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, following the resolution of a long overflight dispute between the Kazakh and Uzbek governments. The dispute, which concerned possible downrange damage from the first stage of Dnepr boosters launched from Baikonur, had held up the mission, initially due to be launched in late 2007, for months. The $130-million, 1,500-kg.
A bold move might pay proportionate dividends. The once-flagging ward of the state, Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica, S.A., best known as Embraer, that evolved to become the world’s third-largest commercial airliner manufacturer, changed its successful course in mid-2005. It was then that the company announced a redirection of a major part of its engineering resources toward developing a line of purpose-built business aircraft.
Oct. 13-16—Fatigue Concepts’ Short Course: “Fatigue, Fracture Mechanics and Damage Tolerance.” Calgary (Alberta) Airport. See www.fatcon.com/calg Oct. 14—Shephard Group’s “Aerial Firefighting 2008.” Hotel Quinta da Marinha, Estoril, Portugal. Call +44 (175) 372-7015 or see www.shephard.co.uk/aerialfighting Oct. 20-22—Airports Council International-North America’s Public Safety and Security Fall Conference. Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City Hotel, Arlington, Va. Call +1 (202) 293-8500 or see www.aci-na.org/conferences
A last-minute about-face by Italy could scuttle Europe’s ambitions to take a lead role in Mars and Moon exploration, just as planners are beginning to define a coordinated international exploration road map.
In an article published Sept. 22, p. 36, Royal Air Force Air Commodore Garfield Porter’s title was incorrect. He is assistant director of transformation within NATO’s Joint Air Power Competence Center.
The pilots’ union at United Airlines has called on parent company UAL’s board of directors to reduce CEO Glenn Tilton’s pay, claiming his compensation package is valued at $10.3 million, the industry’s highest. A United official said the Air Line Pilots Assn.’s estimate of Tilton’s salary was overblown.
Latecoere is in negotiations with EADS about taking a minority, 10-15% stake in the company’s Aerolia aerostructures operation in Tunisia. Latecoere was in talks with EADS this year about taking over Airbus aerostructures facilities in France, before those faltered because of deteriorating economic conditions. Latecoere is now focused on improving its operating earnings margin by 2011, bringing it to 8% from 3.8%, and on reducing its debt level. At the same time, Latecoere and EADS are in talks on A380 costs.
You know things are bad when your industry is underperforming the overall stock market in these tumultuous times. Between Sept. 12—just before the meltdowns of investment banks Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch sent investors into panic mode—and Oct. 1, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 7% and the S&P 500 index 5%. But many stocks with exposure to commercial aerospace have fared much worse, including Allegheny Technologies Inc. (down 31%), B/E Aerospace Inc. (30%), Precision Castparts Corp. (26%), Spirit AeroSystems Holdings (24%), Goodrich Corp.
BAE Systems has taken a page from its military technology repertoire to create a system that allows multiple first responders—whether they’re converging on the scene of something as chaotic as a bombing or as straightforward as a house fire—to communicate with one another.
The U.S. Coast Guard has selected Thales to supply electrical power generation equipment for 15 Dassault HU-25 Guardian Falcon 200 jets to be upgraded for the Guard’s medium-range surveillance fleet, which is used for search and rescue, drug interdiction, migrant and fisheries monitoring and other enforcement activities. The selection follows the successful replacement of the equipment on a prototype aircraft. The contract is part of a push by Thales to reinforce its beachhead in the business aviation market (see p. 83).
EU emission allowance (EUA) prices saw extremely volatile conditions in September, as the market reacted to sharp movements on underlying energy commodity prices and continuing uncertainty over the state of the global economy. EUAs for delivery in December 2008 exchanged hands at just over €25 ($35) per metric ton at the start of the month on the over-the-counter (OTC) market, but fell sharply to €22.60 by the close of trade on Sept. 10 amid what some traders say was short-selling by the financials.
Alenia North America scored its first win as a prime contractor for the Pentagon last week when it signed a contract worth up to $287 million to refurbish 18 Italian G222s into a common configuration for use by the Afghan National Army Air Corps.
Nivisys Industries has received the first FAA TSO-C164 approval for their NVAG-6 Night Vision Aviator Goggles, the first company to apply for and receive this unique certification, according to the company. The letter of certification was issued by the FAA’s Los Angeles Certification Office in July.
After decades of status quo, European airlines are finally entering into a major consolidation phase. High fuel prices, economic uncertainties and gloomy financial forecasts are key factors underlying the industry’s sudden awakening.
