Patrick Forrey, the new president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn., and FAA Administrator Marion Blakey have received the Champion of Public Benefit Flying Award from the Washington-based National Aeronautic Assn. The honor, which is one of the Public Benefit Flying Awards, was presented to "The Air Traffic Controllers of America" who "make every effort to have mercy flights receive priority takeoff and landing.
Scott Kirby has been promoted to president from executive vice president-sales and marketing of US Airways. Capt. Ed Bular, who has been senior vice president-flight operations, also will oversee inflight services. Michael J. Minerva has been promoted to vice president-legal from associate general counsel/managing director-legal.
JetBlue Airways has completed a deal to sell five of its original Airbus A320s to German-based Blue Wings. All five aircraft will be in Germany by the end of November. JetBlue has been looking to sell no more than five A320s since April as part of a plan to slow its fleet growth. Blue Wings, founded in February 2002, began operating in July 2003 with Airbus A320s and A321s, and Dusseldorf is its home airport.
The Canadian armed forces are further expanding their unmanned aircraft fleet, buying a derivative of Elbit's Skylark. Thales Canada served as the prime contractor for the deal. The hand-launched system has an endurance of 90 min. Each system is configured for three air vehicles that can fit into one backpack. The asset is supposed to provide troops with a close-in reconnaissance tool.
The U.S.-European Union battle before the World Trade Organization over aircraft subsidies will take a step forward on Oct. 17 when Washington files its first legal brief for the panel reviewing the case.
Foo Chai Woo has been appointed Mumbai-based general manager for India operations for Singapore Airlines. He was vice president-network planning and succeeds B.K. Ong.
Europe is embarking on an effort to expand its upper airspace capacity by 15%, as attention now turns to integrating the additional traffic into the more complex terminal area.
Russia's RSC Energia hopes to complete the initial design and then develop a monitoring and mapping satellite system to serve the country's far-flung energy pipeline network. The one-meter resolution system, called Smotr, is to be financed by Gazcom, an affiliate of giant gas company Gazprom--perhaps with additional funding from the government of Kazakhstan. The system would consist of two optical satellites and two radar spacecraft using a one-metric-ton bus developed for the Yamal telecommunications satellite program.
Matthew J. Desch has become chairman/CEO of Iridium Satellite, Bethesda, Md. He will succeed Dan Colussy, who will remain chairman of parent Iridium Holdings. Desch also will be CEO of Iridium Holdings. He was CEO of Telcordia Technologies Inc.
The U.S. Air Force is moving slowly but surely toward the goal of certifying a synthetic kerosene while domestic producers of alternative fuels and potential commercial users wait for concrete developments.
Gerhard Bommas, who is chief technology officer of ND SatCom, and Malcolm Warren, who is Asia-Pacific director for ViaSat, have been elected to the international board of directors of the New York-based World Teleport Assn. Re-elected were Olivier Badard, vice president of Alcatel Alenia Space; Michael Noon, vice president-terrestrial operations for SES Americom; and Nick Thompson, managing director of Arqiva Satellite Media Systems.
Lord Bach of Lutterworth, former minister for defense procurement of the U.K., has been named non-executive chairman of Finmeccanica unit Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems. Gian- carlo Grasso has become CEO of the U.K.-based Selex.
Raytheon Aircraft Co. has begun a major expansion of its facilities in Little Rock, Ark., to complete customer paint and interior work for the Hawker 4000 business jet, which features a super-midsize cabin. RAC says the expansion will add 112,000 sq. ft. and double throughput by the end of 2008.
Thales has sold its 2.2% holding in Embraer receiving €119 million ($151 million) for its 15.7 million shares. French companies had a particular interest in the Brazilian firm when the government was considering a now-shelved new fighter program, the F-X. But Thales insists that it's not withdrawing from the Brazilian market nor from working with Embraer, citing its recent buy of a majority stake in Brazil's Omnisys Engenharia.
U.S. Navy is fielding production Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin MH-60R multi-mission helicopters, fulfilling part of a long-standing master plan to reduce the types and models of Navy rotorcraft to two from six variants. Outfitted with an integrated suite of sensors and mission avionics, the MH-60R or "Romeo" version is designed primarily for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, replacing legacy SH-60B and SH-60F Seahawks (see p. 58).
Rockwell Collins's integrated flight information system (IFIS) will be installed on Beechcraft King Air B200s and 350s equipped with Pro Line 21 avionics. The FAA has issued a supplemental type certificate to Raytheon Aircraft Services to upgrade the turboprop King Airs. The company has received orders for 25 installations.
Lufthansa CityLine has extended the lease of 13 Avro RJ85s, says BAE Systems Regional Aircraft. The deal should keep the aircraft in service past 2010. Three of Lufthansa's regional feeders operate 37 Avro RJ/BAE 146s; two of them--Eurowings and Air Dolimiti--added 11 146-300s to their fleet 15 months ago. In total, counting the 25 Avro RJs flown by Swiss International Airlines, the Lufthansa group's fleet of these aircraft now stands at 62.
Pomfret, Conn.-based Loos & Co., a supplier of wire rope flight control cable and cable assemblies for civil and military aircraft, is stepping into Parts Manufacturing Authority licensed manufacturing. Loos has received a data license from Boeing to use detail engineering design to obtain PMA for about 5,600 replacement part numbers on aircraft ranging from the 707 to 777. The FAA is to perform an audit of Loos this month, a needed step before the PMA authority can be granted. Approval will allow Loos to distribute directly to aircraft operators.
The U.S. Air Force will start environmental studies for its proposed F-35 Joint Strike Fighter bases. The list includes Eglin AFB, Fla., for primary maintenance and flight training; as well as Nellis AFB, Nev., and Edwards AFB, Calif., for flight testing. Operational squadrons are being eyed for Hill AFB, Utah; Kadena AB, Japan; and Shaw AFB/McEntire ANG Base, S.C. Service officials say the analyses could take up to two years and will study traditional Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve bases along with a selection of active-duty bases.
It is the first financial quarter since U.S. airlines' best three months of the decade. It is the last quarter before the lackluster-at-best fall and winter set in, the last chance until spring to siphon liquidity out of operations. It is the third quarter of 2006, just ended, results of which will become known in the coming weeks.
Boeing has flown its redesigned A/MH-6X Little Bird helicopter for the first time in a manned/unmanned configuration. The aircraft has a glass cockpit and digital maps as well as K u-band communications and digital radios. It combines attributes of the existing Little Bird with lessons from Boeing's Unmanned Little Bird demonstrator aircraft. During the first flight, which took place Sept. 20, a pilot flew the aircraft for 14 min. before landing. However, the aircraft is designed to be switched quickly to an unmanned configuration.
The number of apparent procedure and technique errors on both sides leading to the crash of Comair 5191 surprised me (AW&ST Sept. 4, p. 33). I also was astounded at the comment attributed to the controller that he "expected" the aircraft to take off from Runway 22 and "turned his attention to administrative duties." What could he possibly have to do that was more important? Why didn't the crew question the absence of runway lights? Or verify runway heading after it was assigned?
Donald Pointer has been named director of marketing for the Dassault Falcon Jet Corp., Teterboro, N.J. He was a customer service executive and succeeds Brian Foley, who has established a consulting firm.
The Nordam Group has broken ground on an expansion of its Singapore maintenance, repair and overhaul facility. The $17.7-million project will more than triple the size of the 13-year-old facility to 185,000 sq. ft. Tulsa, Okla.-based Nordam says the increased space and new clean rooms in Singapore will also enable it to pursue contracts to build components there for original equipment manufacturers. Halfway around the world, ground was broken in Albany, N.Y., on the Northeast Service Center for the Eclipse 500 very light jet. The $7.2-million, 43,000-sq.-ft.
