“Why is a carbon-trading scheme better than increased fuel taxes?” asks Fred Bearden (AW&ST Apr. 7, p. 8). I have worked on this issue as a consultant for a number of years for clients such as the European Commission and several European governments. I agree that in terms of economic efficiency, a trading scheme is not better than a tax. A tax gives the same incentives as emissions-trading for buying fuel-efficient aircraft and flying more efficiently. Furthermore, a tax has a lower administrative burden than an emission trading scheme.
The U.S. Air Force plans to fill its long-standing capability gap to collect intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in defended airspace by using its next-generation bomber also as the basis for a highly stealthy recce aircraft.
The circumstances that led to the selection of the Northrop-EADS KC-45A tanker are curious. At the start of the competition, Boeing pitched a variant of the 777 as an alternative to the KC-767. But, the U.S. Air Force talked Boeing out of it. USAF wanted a “medium tanker.” The 777 would have trumped the Airbus A330 in all criteria that the selection committee cited as the A330’s winning advantage over the 767.
Manuel Lopez Aguilar, who is executive vice president-maintenance and engineering for Iberia Maintenance, and Joe Sirico, manager of Pratt & Whitney’s Regulatory Compliance Office and co-chairman of the Manufacturing and Maintenance Subcommittee of the Aerospace Industries Assn.’s Civil Aviation Regulatory and Safety Committee, have won the 2008 Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Aviation Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) from AVIATION WEEK’s Overhaul & Maintenance magazine.
I have read the letters predictably moaning about the loss of Boeing to the “foreign” competition. If this is about jobs, as some writers state, then the solution is easy: Use deficit spending to hire thousands of people to dig holes, and thousands more to fill them up again. The overall effect is the same as the standard government “jobs” program-—using deficit spending to pay uncompetitive companies to stay in business.
Bidders were lining up last week to submit offers to India for its 126-aircraft fighter procurement. Contenders include a variant of the Boeing F/A-18EF, the Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-16IN, MiG-35 version of the Fulcrum and Saab with a Gripen derivative. Technology access, industrial participation and the ability to integrate third-party systems and weaponry will feed into the final selection.
BMI Chairman Michael Bishop is cautioning that U.K. airport authority BAA needs to increase its efforts to ensure that the mess during the openings days of Heathrow Terminal 5 does not occur with Heathrow East, the intended replacement for Terminal 1. Bishop says many of the airlines at Heathrow were exasperated by being treated as second-class citizens while “being charged through the nose” to pay for Terminal 5.
USAF Maj. Gen. Robert R. Allardice has been appointed director of strategy, plans and policy at U.S. Central Command Headquarters, MacDill AFB, Fla. He has been commander of the coalition air force transition team of Air Combat Command’s (ACC) Multi-National Security Transition Command in Baghdad. Brig. Gen. C.D. Alston has been named director of nuclear operations, plans and requirements/deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements at USAF Headquarters at the Pentagon. He has been director of space and nuclear operations. Maj. Gen. Stephen J.
U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets will receive ITT Corp.’s ALQ-214(v)3 integrated countermeasure system for protection against enemy air defense and air-to-air weapons through a $111-million full-rate production contract. In addition, some of the systems will go to the Royal Australian Air Force’s newest batch of Super Hornets. But that’s nothing compared to the company’s $312-million contract with Special Operations Command for a suite of integrated radio-frequency countermeasures.
Northrop Grumman has snagged contracts worth $252 million from Lockheed Martin for development of the communications, navigation and identification subsystem of the F-22 Raptor. Software radios will allow simultaneous support of multiple tasks including identification friend or foe, flight aids, and both voice and data links.
SAS Scandinavian Airlines Boeing 737NG arrives at Stockholm’s Arlanda airport on Runway 01R. SAS 737NGs have flown 2,000 “green” approaches into the airport during the past two years. Using 4D trajectory procedures, the aircraft cross the threshold within 7 sec. of the required arrival time, on average (see p. 52). Avtech, an air navigation consultancy in Stockholm, is helping SAS to implement 4DT. SAS will soon add Required Navigation Performance approach procedures so aircraft can shorten their approach path to the runway. SAS photo.
Wayne S. Pennell has been appointed deputy executive director for operations and maintenance for the Maryland Aviation Administration . He was deputy executive director for maintenance, utilities and terminal services.
Executive jet operators Jet Aviation of Switzerland and Elite Jets of Dubai will create a strategic partnership to develop business aviation services in the burgeoning Middle East bizjet market. Elite, founded in 2004, will provide charter services in the region for Jet Aviation customers using its fleet of Challenge 604/605, Hawker 850 XP and Cessna CJ3 aircraft. Jet Aviation will provide line and scheduled maintenance, technical assistance and training services, and allow Elite to benefit from pooled purchasing of insurance, fuel and other items.
U.S. legacy airlines are preparing to cull dozens of older mainline aircraft from their fleets this fall, as they foresee even tougher times after the peak summer travel season. Deep first-quarter losses reveal the industry’s shaky condition due to record fuel costs. This alone would be enough to force carriers to review their capacity plans, but another blow is expected in the fourth quarter when the economic downturn could start to seriously bite into travel demand.
South Korea will loosen restrictions on budget airlines that bar them from flying internationally in their first two years of operations. The move will open opportunities for carriers that hope to begin flying in South Korea in the next year.
The European Space Agency is preparing to begin development work on the first three spacecraft for its Global Monitoring for Environment and Security system as it gears up for a second-phase expansion plan that is expected to more than double the initial fleet. Thales Alenia Space was awarded a €305-million ($488-million) contract Apr. 14 for Sentinel 3, the second of five dedicated Sentinel satellites that will form the backbone of the space segment of GMES, which is being developed under ESA responsibility.
Randy Mulvey has been promoted to director of SkyWest Inc. ’s Midwest Connect and Pearl Perrin as director of its Delta Connection service. Mulvey was Chicago regional director for SkyWest, while Perrin was a regional director for Delta Connection ground operations. Spencer N. Hyde has been promoted to director of SkyWest’s enhanced multimedia and business development group from manager of design and multi-media development.
Credit crunch? High oil prices? What economic slowdown? The financial woes that are battering the U.S. economy and airlines in particular haven’t filtered down to the bottom lines of commercial airplane manufacturers or their suppliers, who are still feasting on record orders placed during the past three years. Just look at the first-quarter gains in net income posted by Boeing (up 38% from a year earlier), Goodrich (58%), Hexcel (57%) and Rockwell Collins (20%).
Poor coordination among federal agencies involved in the export control system is creating “vulnerabilities” in the way sensitive U.S. technologies are kept out of unfriendly hands, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) says. The State Dept., which handles arms export licensing, and the Commerce Dept., which manages export licensing for dual-use (military and civilian) technologies, are not coordinating their efforts and have had jurisdictional disputes, the GAO says. “There are disconcerting gaps in the safety net,” says GAO’s Ann Calvaresi Barr.
Airbus is evaluating how best to build an industrial setup to handle its out-of-service aircraft with a minimum amount of waste. The company, along with several industrial partners, spent almost three years trying to figure out how to dispose of end-of-service aircraft more efficiently than the quick-and-dirty approach traditionally used. Several viable ideas have emerged and now the focus has shifted to devising a plan to establish a formal process that will be acceptable to airlines.
Ulrich Gehling (see photo) has been named managing director of Grob Aerospace , Tussenhausen-Mattsies, Germany. He was head of the Next Generation PC-12 program for Swiss-based Pilatus.
Aircraft diesel engine maker Thielert filed for insolvency after the board of directors ousted management last week, including founder Frank Thielert. The board took the action over concerns of improper bookkeeping between 2003 and 2005. Industry officials believe the business will still be bought, which is critical to the likes of Cessna and General Atomics, which rely on the company’s powerplants.
In flagrant denial of the obvious, the commercial aviation community—with few exceptions—seems determined to ignore an economic crisis on the horizon. Even worse, it appears that undetected by most, the downturn actually started several months ago, although it has recently picked up speed. It is surprising that few corrective actions have been taken to deal with emerging problems. Down the line, the airline industry may face even costlier disappointments for not reacting more quickly to the precursors of serious difficulties.
FlightSafety International is building a new learning center at St. Louis dedicated to regional aircraft training. The 80,000-sq.-ft. facility, scheduled to open in December, is to accommodate nine full-flight simulators. The new center is in addition to the current 40,000-sq.-ft. facility now in place; combined, they will offer 18 simulators for BAe, Bombardier, Embraer, Fairchild and Saab regional aircraft, as well as for the Sabreliner business aircraft. Last week, FlightSafety’s Embraer 170 simulator at St. Louis won FAA Level D certification.
Linda A. Mills (see photo) has been named corporate vice president of the Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp. and president of its Information Technology Sector. She succeeds James R. O’Neill, who is retiring. Mills has been president of the sector’s Civilian Agencies business group. Joseph K. Dodd (see photo) has been promoted to vice president from director of business development and marketing for the sector’s McLean, Va.-based Intelligence Group.
