With regard to Craig Covault’s article “Moon Stuck,” questions come to mind:If the Moon is “so yesterday” as backers of alternate architectures claim, why do the Japanese have a probe orbiting it? Why is there interest in international missions as you reported in “Bandwagon” (AW&ST Oct. 1, 2007, p. 24)? Would a President who eschewed lunar missions be hailed as a visionary, or be caught in a public relations disaster when other nations landed and we did not? President Bush’s successor should be prepared to ask those questions about alternate architectures.
Agam Sinha, senior vice president/general manager of Mitre’s Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD), has received the Air Traffic Control Assn. ’s 2007 Chairman’s Citation of Merit Award. Winners are people who have added to the quality, safety and efficiency of air traffic control. Sinha has led research projects and programs for CAASD—a federally funded research and development center Mitre operates for the FAA. He was recognized for more than 30 years of work on initiatives to advance the National Airspace System.
NATS, the air navigation service provider in the U.K., says Farnborough and London City airports continued to show strong traffic growth of 12.3% and 10.2%, respectively, in January compared with the same month a year ago. The strongest European market growth to the U.K. was for flights from Poland, up 38.4% from January a year ago. Traffic between the U.K. and Switzerland and Norway recorded increases of 16.3% and 10.3%, respectively.
Underwriters say the recent string of satellite industry disasters, including last month’s in-orbit failure of Rascom-QAF-1, will not impact insurance rates or capacity, provided there are no further mishaps.
Iberia management intends to unveil a new cost savings road map this year, to replace the “Directors Plan” launched in 2005. That initiative led Iberia to curtail its domestic flights, focusing on Madrid operations, and traffic to feed the profitable long-haul routes. The strategy is paying dividends. Iberia last week announced 2007 results that included a €327.6-million ($485-million) net profit. The carrier this year is further curtailing some domestic capacity. But Iberia also faces a 10% increase in fuel costs this year.
The Czech Republic broke ranks with the European Union this week by signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the U.S., a first step toward participating in the Visa Waiver Program.
The shootdown of a defunct intelligence satellite (see p. 28), was “extraordinary” and “doesn’t set a standard of how you would do anything in the future,” says Col. Mike Carey, deputy operations director at U.S. Strategic Command, which oversaw the engagement.
The French defense ministry this year hopes to achieve important progress on two defense industrial initiatives: revitalizing exports and further improving program performance.
Robert Wall (Singapore), Douglas Barrie (Boscombe Down, England)
U.S. and European engine-makers are looking deep into their technology base to devise radical powerplant offerings for the next generation of unmanned aircraft, with the hope of providing a leap in performance that has eluded them so far. When it comes to development of high-end unmanned surveillance and combat aircraft, the technology focus has been on the airframe, payloads and command-and-control infrastructure. The propulsion system, for the most part, has been almost an afterthought.
Hassle, horror, hell. Those are some of the words associated with London Heathrow Airport in recent years, as security procedures and traffic disruptions turned the U.K.’s main airport into a nightmare even for premium passengers. Along with travelers, British Airways has also suffered under London Heathrow’s problems. The airport is the carrier’s main operating location; BA accounts for 41% of Heathrow flights.
Pratt & Whitney is poised to make a key decision on simplifying the configuration of the production version of the geared turbofan (GTF) following the successful outcome of compressor rig tests.
Matthew Ganz has been appointed president of the Boeing Phantom Works . He was president/CEO/general manager of HRL Laboratories. Ganz succeeds Bob Krieger, who has retired.
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is worried about minors hopping on an airplane without their parents’ permission and threatens to introduce legislation requiring “proof of age” before unaccompanied minors can board an airliner. The senior Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee cites the case last year in which an Alaska teenager booked a flight to visit someone she connected with on the Internet. “Young people are very capable of buying a ticket and disappearing. I just don’t think that ought to be possible,” Stevens told Transportation Dept. officials.
Mar. 10-11Technology Training Corp.’s Airborne Networks Conference. Harrah’s Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas. Also, Mar. 13-14—Unmanned Aircraft Systems. San Diego Sheraton Hotel and Marina. Call +1 (310) 563-1223, fax +1 (310) 563-1220 or see www.ttcus.com Mar. 10-14—UCLA Extension Winter Aerospace and Mechanical Course: “Airframe Stress Analysis and Sizing.” Los Angeles. Call +1 (310) 825-3344 or see www.uclaextension.edu
Jin Ju, minister-counselor for science and technology at the Chinese Embassy, says he doesn’t spend much time on space cooperation. “We have very low expectations, and we don’t expect any results,” he says. He cites “lack of trust” as the roadblock in the U.S., and blames it on a media message that China is a threat to U.S. interests. “China is lonely and isolated in the international space community,” Jin says. “Just like in school, a city boy looks down upon the boy coming from Texas or Alabama.
TAP Portugal is continuing its aggressive expansion strategy in spite of concerns over high fuel prices and a slowdown in the European economy. The Lisbon-based airline plans to increase its capacity this year by another 10% after receiving more Airbus A330-200s for its long-haul network. The Star Alliance member has deployed the aircraft on new routes to Brasilia and Belo Horizonte, Brazil, and says it is already enjoying high load factors and good yields.
James Culmo (see photo) has been named vice president of Bethpage, N.Y.-based Airborne Early Warning/Battle Management Command and Control-Navy Programs for the Northrop Grumman Corp. He succeeds Thomas Vice, who is now vice president of Integrated Systems Eastern Region. Culmo was the program’s integrated product team deputy and director of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye and NC-130H Risk Reduction programs. Patricia McMahon (see photo) has become deputy of the Integrated Systems Eastern Region.
The Italian coast guard is buying a third ATR 42 maritime patrol aircraft to join the two that are already in use. The third is due to be fielded in early 2010, according to prime contractor Alenia Aeronautica. The current contract covers the ATR 42 turboprop purchase, with a follow-on arrangement still required to install and integrate the mission system. To date, Alenia has booked orders for 10 ATR 42MPs from Italy’s coast guard and customs police, the Nigerian air force and the Libyan General Security Corps.
USAF Maj. Gen. Frank Gorenc has been named director of air and space operations at Air Combat Command (ACC) Headquarters, Langley AFB, Va. He has been commander of the Air Force District of Washington, Andrews AFB, Md. He will be succeeded by Brig. Gen. Burton M. Field, who has been commander of ACC’s 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, Balad AB, Iraq. Brig. Gen. Jonathan D. George has been named principal assistant deputy administrator for military application/deputy administrator for defense programs in the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration in Washington.
Eurocopter has delivered the first EC225 to a U.S. customer after receiving FAA type certification late last month. Era Helicopters is scheduled to take eight of the heavy twin-turbine helos—four this year, two next year and two in 2010. The FAA granted the type certificate on Jan. 30 to the 11.2-metric-ton Super Puma. European certification was obtained in July 2004, but the process with the FAA did not begin until 18 months later when the first U.S. customer was secured. The order was announced at the Helicopter Assn.
The NTSB is investigating what caused a United Airlines Airbus A320 to veer off Runway 19 during landing at Jackson Hole, Wyo., on Feb. 25. Flight 267 came to rest in 3 ft. of snow at a 90-deg. angle to the runway. One inflatable slide did not deploy during the evacuation of six crew and 119 passengers. No serious injuries were reported.
United Space Alliance contractor layoffs at the Kennedy Space Center between 2008-11 are likely to total about 3,500 out of the center’s 15,000-person workforce as the space shuttle program ends, a NASA assessment is expected to report this month. Some of those job losses should be recovered later as shuttle follow-on programs mature, NASA Administrator Michael Griffin says.
Alfred T. Spain, a former senior vice president-operations for JetBlue Airways, has been named to the board of directors of the Pinnacle Airlines Corp.
In warfare, the effectiveness of communications is a life-or-death issue. It is why the efficient establishment of links among our soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines is one of the first orders of business in the field. It is also why we at home must do more to support the use of the latest technologies among our troops.
He may be the most unpopular U.S. President in modern history, but investors in defense stocks owe thanks to George W. Bush. Shares in the Pentagon’s leading contractors have appreciated dramatically as U.S. military spending reaches levels not seen since World War II. Even with the overall stock market’s recent swoons, shares in Lockheed Martin Corp. are up 247% since Bush was elected in 2000, while L-3 Communications Holdings has risen 242%, General Dynamics Corp. 167%, Northrop Grumman Corp. 125% and Raytheon Co. 121%.
