Singapore Technologies Aerospace is planning a components repair facility in China as its next move in a strategy to serve the country’s potentially enormous budget-airline sector. The company is taking a fairly long view, since the highly regulated Chinese market now has few budget airlines, and rules issued during the past year have made starting them harder.
Buffalo, N.Y.-born Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) became chairman of the House air and land forces subcommittee last year when Democrats won control of Congress. Aviation Week & Space Technology Congressional Editor John M. Doyle spoke with him in his cramped Capitol Hill office about the need to reconcile defense spending with long-term defense strategy and readiness. AW&ST: Considering the trouble Congress and the White House had last year reaching agreement on legislation, are you less optimistic about getting anything done this election year?
Mesa Air Group attributes its $2.8-million, first-quarter net loss to costly aircraft transitions and a revenue-damaging reduction in operations as its fleet declined in the calendar year to 183 aircraft from 200. During the quarter, Mesa posted a $90-million cash bond—the lion’s share of its restricted cash—as security for a court judgment. The court ruled against Mesa last fall and in favor of Hawaiian Airlines in a breach of confidentiality case. The alleged breach was reported to have occurred during Hawaiian’s bankruptcy. Mesa is appealing the ruling.
I was troubled by the Jan. 21 “Inside Avionics” column in which it is noted that soon “aircraft control functions and inflight entertainment will be running on the same server on a passenger jet.” I cannot understand why aircraft designers want to do it this way. To save money? How expensive can servers be? Any savings or efficiencies realized from the use of a common server will be negated by the trouble and expense involved in hack-proofing the system. A common server will never be 100% hack-proof and is just a disaster waiting to happen.
Las Vegas-based Allegiant Air hosted its first invitation-only Air Service Conference Feb. 5-7 to meet representatives from existing and potential airport destinations, eliminating the need for the carrier to attend multiple air service-related conferences. Allegiant operates a fleet of MD-80 aircraft to provide low-cost service to U.S. leisure destinations such as Phoenix, and Orlando, Fla.
A large infrared sensor designed to detect rocket plumes will equip a high-flying surveillance drone that the Japanese defense ministry proposes to build as a counter to missile threats from North Korea and China. The aircraft, which would operate at a higher altitude than the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, would also use an active electronically scanned radar to detect cruise missiles.
International Aero Engines’ first V2500 SelectOne engine is poised to begin test and certification flight tests on the prototype Airbus A320 in Toulouse.
Indonesia proposes to tighten capital requirements on airlines, mandating that they own at least two of their aircraft. The others can be leased. The regulation will apply to companies that are already operating and is expected to go into force next month.
Brazil’s aviation authority ANAC has awarded type certification to the Bombardier Challenger 300 and Challenger 605 business jets, and one each of the twin-engine airplanes have been delivered to customers in Brazil. The Challenger 300 is capable of flying from Sao Paulo-San Juan nonstop with eight passengers and a full payload, while the Challenger 605 can fly Sao Paulo-Miami nonstop with eight passengers.
Cessna Aircraft Co. has completed wing mate on the first Citation CJ4 business jet that is scheduled for first flight later this year, followed by entry into service in 2010. The wing features moderate sweep and three speed brake panels on the upper surface of each wing. Cessna has received orders for 130 CJ4s. The twin-engine jet is projected to have a cruise speed of 435 kt., a full fuel payload of 1,000 lb. and a maximum payload of 2,100 lb. Collins Pro Line 21 avionics will be standard equipment with four 8 X 10-in. flat screen displays.
Extended operations in Iraq and elsewhere have had significant consequences for military readiness, particularly for the Army and Marine Corps, a congressional report says. The Defense Dept. also is relying more on Navy and Air Force personnel and contractors to perform some tasks formerly handled by Army or Marine Corps personnel. Those jobs include: engineering, security, intelligence, medical, communications, logistics and explosive ordnance disposal personnel.
French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, along with airlines, airports and Gifas, the French aerospace industries association, late last month signed a broad environmental pact. In a theatrically staged, deceptively impressive show of strength, they jointly stressed determination to significantly (and quickly) slash the nuisances that plague commercial air transport—emissions and noise among them.
TerreStar says problems with the feed array on its first satellite, being built by Space Systems/Loral, may push back launch of the spacecraft another three months. The potential delay, which will only be confirmed after more tests in April, comes on top of a 10-month deferral announced early in 2007. The hybrid geostationary mobile service satellite operator still hopes to have the unit aloft by late 2008 or early 2009. The first hybrid Mobile Satellite Services spacecraft, funded by rival ICO Communications, is slated for launch this spring.
It was a very good year—2007 yielded record high billings and shipments for general aviation manufacturers. But the aviation sector faces dynamic challenges in sustaining that level of success. Last year’s billings reflect a 16.5% increase compared with 2006 (see chart), with shipments the highest recorded in about 25 years, noted GAMA Chairman Alan Klapmeier at the Feb. 12 General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. Annual Industry Review and Market Outlook briefing. He is also chairman and CEO of Cirrus Design Corp.
In his article on the Chinese Chang’e lunar probe, “Deep Freeze” (AW&ST Jan. 7, p. 59), Bradley Perrett says the probe “has begun taking pictures of the Moon’s dark side.” It is disappointing that Perrett was not corrected in his allusion to a great Pink Floyd song. Either the Moon has a side that always faces away from the Earth, or it has a side that always faces away from the Sun.
AgustaWestland last week conducted air-to-air refueling trials of the AW101 Merlin medium-lift helicopter using an Italian air force Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules as the tanker aircraft.
France intends to support deployment of a space situational awareness system and a second-generation optical/radar reconnaissance satellite system when it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union in July. And it might even agree to turn over its Kourou, French Guiana, spaceport to the EU, says President Nicolas Sarkozy.
Aerospace and defense companies thrive by engineering aircraft that can cruise through turbulence and by building battlefield-hardened weapons systems. But now their biggest challenge may be how well they can weather the currency-market wind shears that have pushed the U.S. dollar into a nosedive—and position themselves for its next eventual ascent.
Boeing says it is sticking to plans to fly 787 ZA001 first and denies reports that it is considering shifting focus to the second aircraft, ZA002, because of its more advanced completion status. Asked about this question in January, Pat Shanahan, 787 vice president and general manager said, “I doubt it, that’s not our plan.” Boeing says Shanahan’s response “is still accurate.” Renewed speculation over a possible leapfrog in the flight test sequence was fueled by the levels of completion of the new sections for ZA002 that have now arrived at Everett.
Japan, host of the G-8 Summit to be held in Tokyo July 7-9, should take on a leadership role in the climate change debate, so says Giovanni Bisignani, International Air Transport Assn. director general. “I encourage the Japanese government to push the G-8 leaders to aim high and build the political will to achieve a zero-emission industry.” Japan’s plans to implement performance-based navigation systems at top airports are expected to help reduce fuel burn by 2% and save 162,000 metric tons of CO2 annually, notes Bisignani.
Jennifer A. Manner, who is vice president-regulatory affairs for Mobile Satellite Ventures, has been elected 2008 chair of the Washington-based Satellite Industry Assn. Donna Bethea-Murphy has been elected vice chair and David Cavossa treasurer. Bethea-Murphy is vice president-regulatory engineering at Iridium Satellite, while Cavossa is vice president-government affairs for Arrowhead Global Solutions.
Saudi Arabia has ordered a Samoc surface-to-air missile operations center from EADS to provide battle management command, control, communications and coordination for its ground-based air defense forces equipped with Patriots, Hawks and Shahines (Crotales). The Samoc system is to be built and tested by EADS Defense & Communications Systems in Ulm, Germany, and is scheduled for delivery to the Saudis by the end of April 2009, EADS says.
Various high-profile programs have suffered painful and embarrassing delays in development and delivery schedules in recent years. Just a few months ago, we learned the first 787 will be delivered 9-12 months later than what Boeing had forecast. Even more significant was the A380, which entered service two years later than Airbus had planned. More recently, EADS—Airbus’s parent company—has been warning that the delivery of its A400M military transport will be delayed by at least a year.
