Indonesia has warned Adam Air that the airline may be grounded because of repeated accidents—most recently, a runway overshoot on Batam Island in which five people were hurt on Mar. 10.
Joris Janssen Lok (Washington), Amy Butler (Washington)
The U.S. industrial base for unmanned systems is “not mature,” senior Defense Dept. officials say. “We are not as thick as we’d like to be as far as our industrial base is concerned,” warns Ellen Purdy, enterprise director for joint ground robotics programs in the Pentagon’s procurement office. “We’re doing well on first-tier contractors, but there’s a lack of robustness among second- and third-tier suppliers,” notes Purdy. “In certain types of platforms, there’s only one guy that can supply a certain component.”
S. Daniel Johnson has been named president of General Dynamics Information Technology , Fairfax, Va., effective Apr. 1. He will succeed Michael E. Chandler, who is retiring. Johnson has been executive vice president-operations.
Russell W. Meyer, 3rd, has been named director of new product development for the Hawker Beechcraft Corp. , Wichita, Kan. He was Citation Mustang program manager at the Cessna Aircraft Corp., also in Wichita. Dan Keady has become divisional vice president-sales for the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Jason Liao regional vice president for China and Southeast Asia. Keady was OEM and regional sales manager for Allied Signal Aerospace. Liao, who is based in Beijing, was Hawker Beechcraft sales director for North Asia.
When it comes to preparing young men and women to be effective military officers and then succeed in practically any career field that may follow, the U.S. service academies have no equal. The nation’s Air Force Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, the Military Academy and the Naval Academy have a legacy of serving as wellsprings for tomorrow’s leaders, and all are larger than life.
Robert J. Friedman (see photo) has become president of American Airlines ’ AAdvantage Marketing Programs and Mark E. DuPont (see photo) vice president-airport services planning. Friedman was managing director for reservations and succeeds Kurt Stache, who is now vice president/general sales manager. DuPont was general manager of American’s airport operations at JFK International Airport in New York. He succeeds Marilyn DeVoe, who is now vice president of American’s Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport operations. Rajat K.
Amy Butler (NAS Patuxent River, Md.), Robert Wall (NAS Patuxent River, Md.)
The Pentagon may expand the mission set for the AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (Aargm) as it grapples with how to quickly strike moving targets. Although Aargm development trials are only now moving into high gear, the service is exploring how to better exploit the high-speed missile, which features a sophisticated multimode seeker. Destroying mobile air defense radars is still a challenge for U.S. forces, according to a retired senior USAF officer, and therefore a priority for all services.
The newest AWACS aircraft in the world—Northrop Grumman’s E-2D—is well into its flight test program. Moreover, its unique, 360-deg. sweep, electronically scanned array (ESA) radar is installed and gathering data on both airborne and ground targets. The program is managed by Navy Capt. Randy Mahr, who, in addition to the Advanced Hawkeye, also has responsibility for the Hawkeye and C-2 systems.
China Southern is pushing Beijing to bring the country’s Big Three airlines, itself included, under a single state holding company. Company Chairman Liu Shaoyong says the government should begin to recapitalize the airlines and hopes for 30-40 billion yuan ($4.2-5.6 billion). Liu urges the government to reduce taxes on aviation, including tariffs on imported aircraft.
John F. Bergstrom, Jonathan Garfinkel, Richard P. Schifter, David N. Siegel and Elizabeth T. Solberg have all been named to the new board of directors of TPG Capital-owned Midwest Air Group Inc. Timothy E. Hoeksema, who is CEO of Midwest Airlines, will be chairman. Bergstrom is chairman/CEO of the Bergstrom Corp. and is a director of the Kimberly-Clark Corp., Wisconsin Energy Corp. and Green Bay Packers. Garfinkel is vice president and Schifter a partner of TPG Capital. Siegel is chairman/CEO of the Gate Gourmet Group, and Solberg operates Communications Partners.
Election pressures and annual budget-making musings are lining up to make 2008 a decisive year for long-term U.S. missile defense planning as policy debates inside Washington heat up. November election pushes are clashing with end-of-administration efforts to secure ground-based ballistic interceptors in Eastern Europe, as well as annual appropriations for various missile defense elements. Potential or alleged foreign missile developments also loom over Beltway discussions.
The latest FAA Aerospace Forecast proves once again how quickly fortunes can change in the U.S. airline industry. A year ago, the FAA’s prognosticators foresaw healthy growth in airline demand in Fiscal 2008. Now they believe domestic traffic growth will sputter almost to a standstill as weakening market conditions hit home.
FAA reauthorization legislation this year? Not a chance, says Rep. John Mica (R-Fla.). the senior Republican on the House Transportation Committee. Why? For starters, the House bill is “bad, bad, bad,” Mica tells airport executives. The Senate version of the bill includes $25-per-flight user fees for aircraft operators. That is supported by large airlines but opposed by the general aviation community. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), who chairs the Senate aviation subcommittee, blames GA and its supporters in the House for the impasse.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has extended the compliance date to Mar. 5, 2009, for pilots holding an airman certificate issued by the FAA to meet language proficiency requirements. ICAO’s Annex 1 requires a language endorsement on the airman certificate for all private pilots flying airplanes and helicopters, and commercial or airline transport pilots as well as flight engineers and navigators operating internationally as required crewmembers.
Robert J. Friedman (see photo) has become president of American Airlines ’ AAdvantage Marketing Programs and Mark E. DuPont (see photo) vice president-airport services planning. Friedman was managing director for reservations and succeeds Kurt Stache, who is now vice president/general sales manager. DuPont was general manager of American’s airport operations at JFK International Airport in New York. He succeeds Marilyn DeVoe, who is now vice president of American’s Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport operations. Rajat K.
F-22 supporters are getting antsy about what looks like the upcoming closure of the Lockheed Martin production line in Marietta, Ga. The Pentagon’s top acquisition official prefers to improve existing F-22 Raptors rather than acquire new ones. “Upgrading F-22s that the Dept. of Defense has already purchased should be considered ahead of any other F-22s,” acquisition czar John Young tells defense oversight committees in Congress. Upgrades include software improvements, expanded electronic surveillance modes and the first electronic attack capabilities.
It is a sad day when USAF stabs its country in the back by not buying American. I hope it was not the statement by USAF Gen. (ret.) Charles Horner that the Airbus design is newer, in a Point-Counterpoint (AW&ST Nov. 19, p. 58). The Airbus is a stretched A300 with a modified wing from the early 1970s. The 767 is an early ’80s aircraft. Horner may have led USAF down an un-American path.
Avionics, engines, radars and weapons systems will be upgraded for five Indian air force MiG-29 squadrons under a $964-million contract with RAC MiG. First proposed three years ago for $104 million less, the contract covers about 70 aircraft and will bring work to government-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and Bharat Dynamics Ltd., besides foreign contractors. The original N-019 radar is to be replaced by the Zhuke-ME passive radar and a glass cockpit.
The Satellite Users Interference Reduction Group (Suirg) has issued the formal findings of a field test that it says conclusively demonstrate WiMax communications pose a significant interference threat to C-band fixed satellite service (FSS) communications, even for signals well in excess of 12 km. (7.5 mi.) away. The study showed data in the best of conditions to be degraded to 10-4, compared to a nominal figure of 10-8. Subsequent calculations indicated FSS antennas cannot coexist with WiMax systems unless they are 50-200 km.
Kevin Vandeberg has become an aviation planner in the Huntsville, Ala., office of Barge Waggoner Sumner and Cannon Inc. He was director of operations at Huntsville International Airport.
Two Los Alamos scientists are developing a concept for recovering carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and producing carbon-neutral synthetic fuels.
Cessna is preparing to take the first production 162 SkyCatcher light sport aircraft skyward this spring, following initial flight of the prototype. The manufacturer’s entry into the light sport aircraft market lifted off from Cessna Aircraft Field shortly after 7 a.m. on Mar. 8. Engineering test pilot Dale Bleakney flew the SkyCatcher for 1 hr. to test aircraft controllability and stability over Wichita, Kan.
