The U.S. Air Force plans to use a cost-plus award fee contract strategy for its massive KC-X program to replace the first 179 KC-135 refueling tankers. To do so, the service will request a waiver from Pentagon acquisition chief Kenneth Krieg from new legislation that calls for fixed-price contracts for development work, says Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman, USAF's top military deputy for acquisition. The initial production lots are also to be cost-plus, while later production will be under a fixed-price arrangement, he says.
USAF Maj. Troy L. Gilbert, the pilot of an F-16C that crashed in Iraq's Al Anbar province, about 20 mi. northwest of Baghdad on Nov. 27, has been classified as "duty status whereabouts unknown." The aircraft carried Cannon AFB, N.M., markings on the tail, near where a local resident is stepping, and was flying out of Balad AB, north of Baghdad. Gilbert is assigned to the 309th Fighter Sqdn. at Luke AFB, Ariz., and was deployed to the 332nd Expeditionary Wing.
Doug Kight has been named vice president-human resources for Seattle-based Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He will succeed Jerry Calhoun, who will be retiring. Kight has been vice president/assistant general counsel at Boeing's corporate headquarters in Chicago.
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Lufthansa Technik is upgrading its facility in Malta to perform C and D checks of Airbus A330/A340 widebodies to keep pace with the anticipated demand for such service in the coming years. The facility, which will process around 40 aircraft annually, supplements sites the maintenance, repair and overhaul provider has in the Philippines. Hamburg also performs A340 heavy maintenance. The new Malta facility should be operating in 2008. Additionally, the MRO provider has landed Gulf Air as a customer for A340 heavy checks.
Space shuttle Discovery is poised for the first shuttle night launch in four years on Dec. 7 at 9:35 EST. But liftoff is pending resolution of a software/circuit breaker issue with a solar array mechanism on the International Space Station. The issue arose Nov. 28 when ISS ground controllers were testing the ability of backup software to precisely adjust the rotating gear position for the new solar arrays that were added earlier this fall. The problem occurred when the software apparently tripped a circuit breaker.
Hainan Airlines is buying the Thales TopSeries inflight entertainment system for its Airbus A330s and Boeing 787s. The A330s will feature the i-4000 system. The i-8000 will be on the 787s.
British ambitions to secure the sale of 72 Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft to Saudi Arabia by year-end are being stymied by worsening relations between the two countries. A long-running British police investigation into alleged corruption related to previous BAE Systems arms sales is the root issue. Other Saudi programs are being affected, including the Tornado sustainment program. U.K. industry officials are concerned that France is being provided a renewed opportunity to push the Dassault Rafale.
Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland have joined to conduct a feasibility study for the creation of a joint functional airspace bloc in the heart of Europe.
Maxjet's board has named Chairman William Stockbridge president and CEO after Gary Rogliano suddenly resigned. The all-business-class carrier says Rogliano left to "pursue other opportunities," but offered no other details. Although not involved in the initial planning of Maxjet, Rogliano led the carrier through its certification and Nov. 1, 2005, launch of transatlantic service. The transition should be smooth because Stockbridge has worked with the carrier since its conception in November 2003 and has been chairman since 2004.
Rep. John Mica (Fla.) is seeking the senior Republican spot on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for the new Congress. "I'm in contention for ranking member," says Mica, who must step down as chairman of the aviation subcommittee--not just because the Democrats took over the House, but also because of Republicans' self-imposed six-year term limit on chairmanships. This also is why Mica says he won't seek to be ranking member of the subcommittee. "You can't do that. Six is it. The rules might change, but I doubt it.
A foreign exchange gain dressed up unlovely 2006 financial results for Thai Airways International, with analysts seeing little sign of the carrier hauling down costs. If the future is bright for the airline, they say it's because Thai is enjoying strong demand for travel to the Southeast Asian country and is free of the capacity constraints of its old airport now that Bangkok's new Suvarnabhumi ("su-wan-na-poom") facility is operating.
John K. Lauber, Senior Vice President/Chief Product Safety Officer (Airbus, Blagnac, France)
Capt. Alexander Sidlowski expresses concern that recent changes to senior management at Airbus "create a recipe for safety compromise" (AW&ST Oct. 30, p. 6). This is not the case. Although there have been changes of CEO there have been no changes in the organization, budget or senior management personnel responsible for product safety at Airbus. In my positions, I continue to function with the full authority and support of the CEO.
Qinetiq increased turnover 13.9% to £539.2 million ($1.06 billion) in the first six months of the year, with an underlying pretax profit of £38.6 million, up 18.8%. Order intake was also strong, up 38.1%, with the book-to-bill ratio in the important U.S. market reaching 1.3-to-1. Management reaffirmed its full-year financial guidance.
TO MEET ACCELERATED PRODUCTION AND DELIVERY SCHEDULES FOR JET- AND TURBOPROP-POWERED BUSINESS AIRPLANES INTO 2007, RAYTHEON AIRCRAFT CO. IS ADDING 35 NEW JOBS AT ITS SATELLITE FACILITY IN SALINA, KAN. ANOTHER 55 PEOPLE WILL BE HIRED DURING THE NEXT SIX MONTHS. IN ADDITION, THE COMPANY IS COMPLETING RENOVATIONS TO THE MANUFACTURING SITE WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNDING SECURED BY THE SALINA AIRPORT AUTHORITY.
Airbus A380 route-proving flights have been completed, with MSN002 returning to Toulouse on the final leg of its fourth trip Nov. 30. It was the last milestone before its expected type certification during the week of Dec. 11. During the four flights, the aircraft logged 69,000 naut. mi. and 152 flight hours. Singapore and Seoul were visited on the first trip, Hong Kong and Tokyo on the second, and China on the third.
A new BAE Systems 32-bit digital flight control computer has completed its first flight on board the Taiwanese Air Force Indigenous Defense Fighter (IDF). Taiwan Aerospace Industrial Development Corp. officials say the new computer, whose PowerPC-based processor is replacing a 16-bit version, will improve IDF performance and safety. The new computer integrates with the aircraft's air data, avionics and head-up display systems.
A pending takeover of Alcatel's share in two space ventures by Thales will be subjected to a full review by the European Commission competition directorate, in a move that could delay or alter the proposed deal, just as it seemed ready to close.
Jeremy Roesler has become chief flight instructor for fixed-wing aircraft at the University of North Dakota's John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences in Grand Forks.
Delta Air Lines' response to US Airways' merger proposal presented last week in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of Southern District New York was clear: It plans to go its way alone. In a statement, the airline said it plans to file its stand-alone plan by year-end and emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection by mid-2007 a "highly competitive, independent and financially sound airline." Delta is also planning to recall 200 additional furloughed pilots next year in anticipation of international expansion and acquisition of 13 Boeing 757s in 2007.
Trey Urbahn has been named executive vice president/chief revenue officer and Charles (Duffy) Mees vice president/chief information officer of JetBlue Airways. Urbahn was executive chairman of OneSky Jets, and will remain on its board of directors. Mees was vice president/chief technology officer and succeeds Todd Thompson, who has left the airline.
In an article on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (AW&ST Nov. 27, p. 28), Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control should have been listed as prime contractor for the Electro-Optical Targeting System and Northrop Grumman for the Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System, which is installed in the CATBird's airframe.
A new survey of 150 executives responsible for information-technology security at airlines and airfreight companies finds that 80% are feeling the heat to respond to the latest threats. The situation is not surprising, given that 78% of airline systems are now web-enabled--a figure that's expected to rise to 83% by the end of next year and 87% by late 2008. The worldwide web connects airline computer networks to the public where hackers lurk.
Airbus is preparing to start final assembly of A380s featuring a new wiring bundle design, the first sign of the aircraft maker's strategy to fix problems that have delayed the mega-transport's deliveries. Faulty wiring harness designs are the root cause of the repeated A380 delays that have set back the program about two years and delivered a large financial hit to Airbus parent EADS. In the coming months, Airbus hopes to demonstrate the soundness of its multifaceted fix-it plan.
