After establishing a solid aerospace beachhead in the U.K., Thales is aiming to follow suit in the U.S. Fresh from acquiring the space and homeland security activities of Alcatel--largely through a share swap--and ceding its French naval systems business to DCNS in return for a 25% equity share, the Paris-based defense contractor has seen its stock price rise 50% in the past year.
While I agree with Paul C. Smith's letter "In With the Old, Hold the New" with his kudos to the B-52 (AW&ST June 11, p. 7), one can't compare bombers and fighters. Yes, the B-52 is an aviation marvel that continues to defy logic and engineering. However, the lifespan of a fighter aircraft--both in technology and maximum airframe hours--is a lot lower than for the B-52.
United and American Airlines should gain a combined $180 million from the sale of their respective stakes in kiosk and communications platform supplier Arinc to private equity company The Carlyle Group through a deal to close in this quarter. United told U.S. regulators it should net $125 million for its shares in Arinc, and expects to record a gain of more than $40 million. American's proceeds from the deal should reach $194 million, and the carrier expects to post a gain of $140 million. In 2006, Arinc logged revenues of $918 million and net income of $10.2 million.
Bruce R. Kennedy, who directed Alaska Airlines' expansions along the West Coast and into Mexico as chairman and CEO, died June 28 in the crash of his Cessna 182Q (N735KP) on final approach to Cashmere-Dryden Airport, Wash. A pilot-rated witness told the National Transportation Safety Board that he heard a power increase prior to the Cessna's left wing striking 55-ft.-tall conifer trees. The aircraft descended into a parked vehicle and was destroyed by fire 600 ft. east of Runway 25. Kennedy, 68, had been a director of Alaska Airlines since 1972.
The European Space Agency has agreed to work with the African air navigation safety agency, Asecna, to use satellite navigation, including Europe's Egnos GPS wide-area augmentation system, to improve air safety in Africa. The agreement will seek to promote the extension of Egnos--in preoperational service and expected to start operations in March 2008--to Africa by siting ground stations there.
Ron Nakamoto (see photo) has been appointed CEO of Lockheed Martin subsidiary Savi Technology Inc., Mountain View, Calif. He was chief operating officer. Nakamoto was also vice president/general manager for the Global In-Transit Visibility Div. of Lockheed Martin's Integrated Systems & Global Solutions Co.
The Pentagon has approved full-rate production of the Army's UH-60M and HH-60M aircraft. The program is a major source of business for Sikorsky, which provides additional payload, range and survivability over existing Black Hawks.
Engineers at Kennedy Space Center will begin final flight verification tests of Canada's "Dextre" special purpose dexterous manipulator in preparation for its scheduled February 2008 launch on the shuttle Endeavour's STS-123/1J/A mission to the ISS. MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. delivered the complex robotic device to KSC. Once installed on the end of the Canadarm2 robotic arm, Dextre will give astronauts a sense of "touch" for delicate robotic operations outside, reducing the need for dangerous and time-consuming spacewalks.
Security at U.K. airports was heightened last week following a car-bomb attack on Glasgow airport in Scotland on June 30. Eight people are being held by British police as a result of the Glasgow incident, and two improvised car bombs that were found in London that failed to explode.
The International Air Transport Assn.'s Partnership for Safety Program has expanded to include Indonesia. The program helps airlines prepare for the IATA Operational Safety Audit, which is aimed at raising an airline's operating standards and assessing its operational management and control systems. Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said IATA members had one accident for every 2 million flights in 2006, compared to the global rate of one per 1.5 million flights.
Nancy N. Young has been named vice president-environmental affairs of the Washington-based Air Transport Assn. Patricia G. Higginbotham has been promoted to chief of staff. Young was associate general counsel for environment and international programs.
USMC Gen. (ret.) James L. Jones has been appointed to the board of directors of Chicago-based Boeing. He is president/CEO of the Institute for 21st Century Energy, an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington. Jones was supreme allied commander Europe and commander of the U.S. European Command.
The US Airways Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Assn. (ALPA) has asked the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to vacate the May 3 award by arbitrator George Nicolau that proposes integrating US Airways and former America West pilots into a single seniority list. The complaint asks that ALPA remain neutral toward the integration dispute and deny any request from America West's pilot group to release the Nicolau award to US Airways (AW&ST June 11, p. 42).
U.S. government weather experts say the Next Generation Air Transportation System’s dissemination of more standardized weather data could save billions in delay costs. The FAA and the Defense and Commerce Depts. outlined their NextGen air traffic control plans here at a workshop seeking comments on an entirely new way of handling aviation weather starting in 2012. The preliminary system requirements for the new approach will be hammered out over the next six months.
As its 787 rolled out in Everett, Wash., Boeing said CIT Aerospace has added another five aircraft to a previous order for five. Boeing reports 46 customers have now ordered 642 787s.
One of my favorite museums is the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Every time I go, I pause to look at the Collier Trophy, whose winners represent the pinnacle of aerospace innovation. Recently, I was shocked to learn that several winners have refused to work with the Defense Dept. because of onerous bureaucratic red tape.
Democratic senators on the appropriations subcommittee that funds the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vow to keep a close watch over agency spending on satellites. Reacting to cost growth in the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (Npoess), panel members want to set an overrun trigger similar to the Nunn-McCurdy certification that governs Defense Dept.
Both the Dominican Republic and Guatemala now hold a Category 1 air-safety rating, meaning their civil aviation authorities comply with the safety standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The European Space Agency has issued a pair of contracts to define options for its Future Launcher Preparatory Program and develop a spaceplane to demonstrate advanced reentry and integrated system design technologies.
Italy and France appear close to a final decision on a cooperative X-band and broadband satellite venture that would meet strong demand in Europe for military and government satcom bandwidth.
The rover Spirit, working in hilly terrain on the far side of Mars from Opportunity, is beginning a science campaign to decipher major new evidence for the past presence of water in the form of hot springs or other volcanic-spawned water at its site. The new data present a mystery, since the evidence for water at locations only meters apart is quite different. "Spirit had been great lately. We have been having so much fun with Spirit," says Steve Squyres, rover principal investigator from Cornell University.
Turbomeca Canada has been certified to repair and overhaul hydromechanical control units for the Arriel 2 turboshaft engine--the final step in the process of certifying the maintenance, repair and overhaul facility to work on both the Arriel 1 and 2 powerplants, including line-replaceable units. The plant, which opened in 2003, also serves as a support site for the Arrius 2 engine.
The International Air Transport Assn.'s May traffic data shows a sharp rise in cargo growth and a continued increase in international passenger traffic compared to May 2006. Cargo demand rose 5%, up from a 2.8% hike in April and the largest increase since September 2006. Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's director general and CEO, says, "The pickup in freight, led by Asia, could be the first sign of strengthening demand." International passenger numbers were up 5.5% year over year, with load factors strong at 73.7%.
Britain is considering replacing early model Eurofighter Typhoons with aircraft from the final production run, as London seeks to identify a strategy to negotiate the remaining element of its order. While notionally committed to a production run of 232 aircraft, there has been considerable speculation over whether the U.K., or some of the other four partners, would purchase anything like their full complement of the planned Tranche 3 procurement.
