As the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft passes the quarter-century mark, India is seeking international investment in its design and development, a process that’s already arousing interest from companies abroad that are looking for leverage in other Indian programs. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) was started in 1984 to oversee and try to shorten the LCA’s development cycle. ADA’s focus has been on the flight-test program, flight-test envelope and engine development.
Southwest Airlines says it is bucking the industry trend and adding six routes Nov. 2 while eliminating service on only two, under a new “optimization model” it is using to adjust its markets and schedule. Under the model, Southwest is eliminating 31 flights, mostly by reducing frequencies rather than abandoning entire markets, but simultaenously adding 40 flights in “key growth cities” such as Denver and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Fla.
The Sudan Civil Aviation Authority on June 25 reversed its no-fly order and will allow national carrier Sudan Airways to continue operations for at least one month. According to local press, the authority suspended the carrier’s operating certificate June 23 over administration issues and not the June 10 accident in which a Sudan Airways Airbus A310-300 crashed on landing at Khartoum in poor weather, killing an estimated 100 of the 217 people on board.
C. David Cush TITLE: President and CEO of Virgin America AGE: 48 BIRTHPLACE: Shreveport, La. EDUCATION: Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in broadcast/film, BS in psychology and MBA from Southern Methodist University.
British Chief of Defense Staff Air Marshal Jock Stirrup last week pointed out that as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.K. forces are operating beyond their configuration. The BBC quoted Stirrup as saying: “We are not structured or resourced to do two of these things on this scale on an enduring basis but we have been doing it on an enduring basis for years.”
China’s Xi’an Aircraft planned to roll out the 50/60-seat MA600 regional turboprop on June 29. The MA600 is an improved version of the MA60 with lighter structure, Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 integrated flight deck, upgraded interior, airstair door and other changes. First flight is expected in September, and first delivery next year.
Kay Sears has been appointed president of Bermuda-based Intelsat Ltd. ’s subsidiary Intelsat General. She succeeds William Shernit, who has retired. Sears was senior vice president-sales and business development. CEO David McGlade has been named acting chief financial officer of the parent company. He succeeds Jeffrey Freimark, who has resigned.
The Royal Air Force faces an airlift capability shortfall as a result of Airbus A400M delivery delays, coupled with far greater fatigue on the Lockheed Martin C-130J Mk. 4 than originally anticipated. The British Defense Ministry is now looking at eking out a further two years on some of its C-130Ks to partly bridge the gap around 2011-13, but it is also confronted with potentially having to begin to refurbish the center wing box of its C‑130Js possibly as early as 2012. Delivery of the aircraft only began in 1999.
The FAA has certified an Elbit enhanced vision system on a FedEx MD-10 aircraft as the airline moves to equip its entire fleet of 362 aircraft with the capability by 2015. Gulfstream Aerospace was the first manufacturer to equip its business jets with enhanced vision, forward-looking infrared (Flir) in 2001, but no Part 121 air carrier had installed the equipment until now, FedEx notes. Airline officials say the move is being made purely for safety reasons.
USAF Lt. Gen. William M. Fraser, 3rd, has been nominated for promotion to general with assignment as commander of United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill. He has been assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lt. Gen. Donald J. Hoffman has been nominated for promotion to general with assignment as commander of Air Force Materiel Command, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. He has been military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. Fraser will be succeeded by Maj. Gen. Paul J.
High fuel prices and public clamor to reduce aviation’s environmental footprint may provide the catalyst for Europe to finally implement its Single European Sky initiative after years of much talk but little progress.
Boeing is poised to start tests of the 777 Freighter using a redesigned, centralized flight test approach in preparation for an unprecedented surge of new and derivative models including the 787, 747-8 and 767-200 Special Freighter.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to beef up military space capabilities as part of France’s first major change in defense strategy since the end of the Cold War. Annual space spending would more than double, to nearly €800 million ($1.2 billion) per year, with the bulk of the upgrades conducted in cooperation with European partners to bring them online by 2015.
Engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center are in the early stages of developing a robotic Lunar Surface Manipulation System (LSMS) that could be deployed to the Moon after 2020. John Dorsey, senior research engineer at Langley’s Structural Mechanics and Concepts Branch, says the multipurpose device would be used to unload cargo from lunar landers, lift and position loads, and help prepare base sites, roads and landing pads, as well as assembling large structures for human habitation.
Work by AgustaWestland and Turkish Aerospace Industries to build 51 AW129T attack helicopters for the Turkish army is underway. The first of the helicopters should be ready in 60 months. Options could add another 41 units to the deal. The two industrial partners hope the upgrade of the basic AW129 Mangusta will find appeal beyond Turkey, owing to its modern avionics and other subsystem improvements being introduced. AgustaWestland puts the value of the deal at €1 billion ($1.57 billion), not covering contractor logistics support that is still in negotiation.
Regional manufacturer ATR is speeding efforts on a next-generation family of 70-98-seat aircraft, and won’t pursue a further stretch of the ATR 72. Propulsion options being considered include propfan and geared turbofan, as well as a conventional turbofan. CEO Stephane Mayer says the only way to meet emerging requirements for improved performance, coupled with reduced operating costs and emissions, is with a new design.
Sen. Barack Obama’s positions on aviation, aerospace and defense and space issues are starting to emerge—slowly. But insiders say Obama’s stance on a range of topics—from export controls to the Next Generation air traffic management system—remains a question mark.
Regarding Robert Crandall’s remarks, I guess some old dogs never learn new tricks. Crandall and American Airlines have never been able to compete in the open marketplace with Southwest Airlines. During the 1970s and ’80s, American and its management had to rely on the federal government to try and hobble Southwest with the Wright Amendment, which is finally going away.
Alabama Aircraft Industries, formerly Pemco Aeroplex, is suing the U.S. Air Force over its loss of a $1.1-billion contract for KC-135 maintenance to Boeing. The Government Accountability Office reviewed the source selection and dismissed the company’s protest claims.
Airline transportation is an integral part of the American way of life. The infrastructure of a safe, efficient system stimulates diverse parts of our economy, and is clearly in the national interest. Reorganization through bankruptcy removes the disincentive for predatory pricing to preserve market share. In this regard, the incompetence of airline executives has been exceeded only by the ignorance of investors. With due regard to Robert Crandall and his legacy, I propose a less complicated remedy.
I was 14 years old when Sputnik was launched. I remember how incredible it was to imagine a man-made object actually orbiting Earth as if it had always been there. Like many young Americans, I began reading Missiles and Rockets magazine (later combined with Aviation Week) and devouring everything I could find about space. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy electrified the country when he proposed putting an American on the Moon before the end of the decade. Six years and 10 months later, we had done it. It was a time of boundless optimism and great excitement.
After waffling support—and an extensive study of alternatives—from the Pentagon this year, the Transformational Satellite (TSAT) program now appears to be moving forward. USAF is expected to ask for revised proposals by the end of July and announce a contract award in September. Boeing and Lockheed Martin are locked in a duel for this effort, which will replace the Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) constellation providing secure communications for the U.S. and, eventually, Australia.
Aerion is assessing whether the ability to fly at Mach 1.2 over land without creating a sonic boom on the ground could increase the appeal of its supersonic business jet (SSBJ) to potential customers and manufacturing partners. The capability to fly supersonically over populated areas is considered key to opening up the market for high-speed aircraft. But the goal of unrestricted supersonic flight is still years away as certification standards for an “acceptable” level of sonic boom do not exist.
