The worst of the titanium pricing crisis is likely over, says Mark Donegan, chairman and CEO of Precision Castparts. Though he says the industry probably has seen the highest cost for the metal, “I’m not expecting any major drop” soon. One of the challenges is supplying fasteners for Boeing’s 787 production program. The new business model for the effort calls for more supply decisions to be made by Boeing’s partner companies, and planning by those partners is “not as robust as Boeing’s model was” on past production efforts.
The International Air Transport Assn. Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) certificate for Turkish Airlines has been renewed, and the FAA has determined the airline’s maintenance unit, THY Technics Corp., is compliant with the agency’s rules and standards. IATA mandates that all its members be IOSA-registered by 2008, and the certification is also a requirement for joining the Star Alliance, in which Turkish Airlines is to become a full member in 2008.
Air New Zealand’s Chief Financial Officer Rob McDonald praised the New Zealand government for new regulations on how charges are imposed at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch international airports. He says the decision will result in tighter regulation and oversight of airport charges by the Commerce Commission and should reduce what ANZ says are overcharges that put pressure on air fares. ANZ promises to pass any cost reductions through to passengers in the form of lower fares.
During a recent test at the High-Speed Test Track at Holloman AFB, N.M., researchers from Boeing Phantom Works and the Air Force Research Laboratory used a rocket sled and active flow control to release an Mk.82 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) standard test vehicle at a speed of about Mach 2 from a weapons bay with a size approximating that of the U.S. Air Force B-1 bomber. The technology involved in active flow control enabled this first-ever munitions test at high supersonic speeds.
The Airbus A318 is now fully cleared for steep approaches, which gives the aircraft and, importantly, the Elite business jet offshoot, access to some crucial airfields such as London City. The aircraft maker’s A318 powered by Pratt & Whitney PW6000s already had been cleared for such approaches. Now the European Aviation Safety Agency has also approved the same for the CFM56-powered A318.
An extended L-band communications spacecraft—based on a new large telecom bus developed by EADS Astrium and Thales Alenia Space—will help Inmarsat expand capacity of its global mobile satellite network, and pave the way for a next-generation system.
USAF has begun ground testing of a 50-50 mix of Fischer-Tropsch and JP-8 jet fuels on its General Electric F101 engine. A series of tests will follow, and officials hope the F101 will be the first high-performance, afterburning engine to be approved for use with the Fischer-Tropsch/JP-8 mix. Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne says he hopes to soon conduct a supersonic flight with the F101 on a B-1 bomber, using the synthetic mix.
Last month, with the loss of an F-15C over Missouri, USAF used the occasion to again push for more F-22s, an aircraft it cannot afford. There is no doubt it is the best air superiority fighter in the world, but underperformance by the contractor has made the F-22 unaffordable. At a conservative estimate of a $155-million-plus flyaway cost, USAF needs to start thinking about how it is going to fight the U.S.’s battles with fewer than 200 front-line aircraft.
Air New Zealand’s Chief Financial Officer Rob McDonald praised the New Zealand government for new regulations on how charges are imposed at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch international airports. He says the decision will result in tighter regulation and oversight of airport charges by the Commerce Commission and should reduce what ANZ says are overcharges that put pressure on air fares. ANZ promises to pass any cost reductions through to passengers in the form of lower fares.
The Russian government has finalized the setting up of a new state corporation encompassing most arms holdings. The group, called “Russian Technologies,” or Rostechnologii, will be headed by Sergei Chemezov, the former head of the Russian state arms trading monopoly Rosoboronexport. The business expects to have turnover of $15-$17 billion in 2008-09.
Emirates will be circling the U.S. on a pilot recruiting mission in December. The airline, which already employs 125 U.S.-based pilots—6.7% of its pilot workforce—has $30 billion of aircraft on order. It could soon replace Singapore Airlines as the largest operator of the Boeing 777, and says it needs more seasoned pilots.
Consolidation in the German air transport market is gaining speed as Lufthansa and TUI negotiate a merger of their low-fare subsidiaries. Germanwings and TUIfly would form the second-biggest low-fare carrier in the country behind hybrid Air Berlin. The parent companies have been talking behind the scenes for some weeks and a deal is likely soon, once some open questions are resolved. The resulting carrier would remain under the Germanwings umbrella, say sources close to the talks.
AMR Corp. is evaluating divestiture of its American Eagle regional carrier, the U.S.’s sixth largest airline in departures. Officials say Eagle could be spun off to AMR shareholders, sold to a third party or take another form of separation. The Eagle operation is connected to mainline American as a traffic feeder and operates independently with separately audited financial results. AMR Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey says Eagle is fully capable of standing on its own. In 2006, Eagle operated 555,911 departures.
Two USAF instructor pilots and two student pilots ejected from a pair of T-6 Texan II primary trainers and parachuted to safety following a midair collision on Nov. 28 near the Alabama-Mississippi border. USAF is investigating and searching for the ejection seats.
AgustaWestland says the U.K. has contracted for Phase II of the Sea King Integrated Operational Support (Skios) flying hour support program. Skios parallels the IMOS program for U.K. Merlins, contracted in early 2006. Skios Phase II includes an aircraft availability responsibility for U.K. military search-and-rescue aircraft that provide around-the-clock cover for the U.K. and Falkland Islands. The contract is worth £470 million ($950 million) for the first five years.
Cliff Gunsallus has been named vice president-engineering for Kaman Aerospace ’s Helicopters Div., Bloomfield, Conn. He succeeds Mike Bowes, who has retired.
Hawaiian Airlines, in the largest single investment in its 78-year history, signed a memorandum of understanding with Airbus and Rolls-Royce on Nov. 28 for up to 24 long-range widebodies. It intends to acquire six A330-200s and six A350XWB-800s with purchase rights for another six of each type. Hawaiian said it also may lease additional A330s as early as 2009.
Lockheed Martin aims to return to flight-testing of the F-35 this week, following a layoff due to a technical incident in May. Aircraft AA-1, an F-35A, was penciled in to return to the flight test program on Dec. 4. Flight-testing was halted following an “electrical anomaly” during Flight 19 on May 3.
U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Castellaw, deputy commandant for programs and resources, says the V-22 is performing as expected during its first deployment to Iraq. Ten of the tiltrotors were deployed in October via ship to the Anbar province in western Iraq, where much of the Marine Corps activity is concentrated. They are operating out of Al Asad Air Base there. “It’s been a long journey” to get the program up and running, Castellaw said at last week’s conference.
Dec. 10-11—Technology Training Corp.’s Space Security & Defense Conference. Caesar’s Palace Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas. Also, Dec. 13-14—Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Payloads Conference. Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. Call +1 (310) 563-1223 or see www.ttcus.com Dec. 10-12—AVIC II China Helicopter Expo 2007. Beijing International Convention Center. Call +1 (805) 963-4095, fax +1 (877) 564-4878 or see www.heli-china.com.cn/en/
Michael Fichtner has become business development director for high-powered lasers in Europe and Matthew Philpott his counterpart in North America, for Intense Ltd. , Glasgow, Scotland. Scott Grayman has been named an account manager, based in New Jersey, for Intense-HPD laser diodes.
Bill Bihlman has become an associate consultant in AeroStrategy ’s Ann Arbor, Mich., office. He has been manager of planning and analysis at the Conrad Hilton Resort, Punta del Este, Uruguay, and was a project engineer at then-Raytheon Aircraft.
The FAA reauthorization bill appears stalled in the Senate for at least the rest of this year, postponing showdowns with House lawmakers and the White House over policy issues that could lead to big changes for the aviation industry.
Brad Thomann (see photos) has been named senior vice president/chief operating officer and Greg Bowlin senior vice president-business and general aviation of Englewood, Colo.-based Jeppesen . Bowlin succeeds Kevin Collins, who has left the company. Thomann has been senior vice president-training for Jeppesen and chief operating officer of Alteon. Both companies are subsidiaries of Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. Bowlin remains senior vice president-rail, logistics and terminals.
