Antipathy in the diplomatic arena risks spilling into the commercial sector, as Washington and Moscow bicker over arms sales to Iran. Boeing's efforts to snare an Aeroflot order for up to 20 787 wide-body transports could become entangled in the political fallout, as might the Russian Regional Jet program.
At Northrop Grumman, researchers say they have designed, built and flight tested a synthetic aperture laser radar system. It transfers synthetic aperture radar (SAR) technologies into the laser radar domain to produce greater resolution at longer standoff ranges. Tests show the SAR works at optical wavelengths to produce near-photographic quality and 3D imagery. The technology is applicable for day/night operations on combat aircraft as well as manned and unmanned surveillance vehicles.
Raytheon researchers are building an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar the size of a football field. The radar is designed for bonding to the hull of an unmanned airship that is to hover at altitudes of 65,000-70,000 ft. The radar is to operate in UHF and X-band, scan almost at the speed of light, contain no moving parts and weigh less than 2 tons. In addition to looking for air and ground targets, the 0.4-in.-thick array will be a data link by communicating huge imagery files.
British Airways was assessed $50,000 by the U.S. Transportation Dept., charged with violating law and regulations that bar discrimination against travelers with disabilities. The department's enforcement office investigated four informal complaints about incidents between March 2003 and May 2006, in which BA denied boarding to a disabled passenger because the traveler wasn't accompanied by an attendant. All four travelers were self-sufficient and could have assisted in their own evacuation of the aircraft, the department found.
U.S. Air Force space planners have chosen NASA Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia's Atlantic coast to launch the TacSat 2 satellite mission for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). The 61-year-old sounding-rocket facility also will launch a Minotaur I with the Near-Field Infrared Experiment (Nfire) for the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency. Set for launch Nov. 13, TacSat 2 is an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration that will wring out AFRL's ability to design, build and test a spacecraft within 15 months.
Glenn L. Hickerson has been appointed San Francisco-based chairman and David F. Thompson executive vice president of JetWorks Leasing. Hickerson was chairman of the GATX Air advisory board and a director of the Willis Lease Finance Corp. Thompson was managing director of GATX Air.
Passengers flying out of London Heathrow, Hong Kong and Dubai this fall could find their time in security lines much shorter, thanks to a program being tested by Simplifying Passenger Travel Interest Group, an affiliate of the International Air Transport Assn. In the three-month trial, volunteers will be able to speed through special lines at the three airports using a biometric card with 13 parameters. At the end of the trial, a decision will be made on whether to continue for another three months.
Airport security isn't just going to the dogs. It's going to the horses and clam diggers, too. While government and industry rush to deploy technologies to make screening airline passengers and their baggage more thorough, efficient and faster, some airports around the world are trying an offbeat, low-tech response to the problem of keeping their airports secure.
Barnes McCormick, Professor Emeritus, Aerospace Engineering Dept. (Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.)
The question of separation distances for aircraft behind the Airbus A380 interests me because I have been involved with the subject of wake turbulence for many years.
Steve Leonard (see photos) has been named vice president/director of operations, Michael Bertin vice president/director of compliance and contracts and Ed Clements director of research and development engineering, all at ITT Night Vision, Roanoke, Va. Leonard was supply chain director for ITT's Space Systems Div., while Bertin was vice president/director of contracts and trade compliance at ITT's Aerospace/Communications Div. Clements was manager of electronic design at ITT Night Vision.
The capability to detect liquid explosives at airports is almost nonexistent, according to Matthew Farr, a senior homeland security analyst for Frost & Sullivan. He says General Electric InVision, Smiths Detection and L-3 Communications, the largest makers of explosives detection equipment, all have technology that could help counter this threat. The government should start putting some of these new types of systems in place in airports, he says.
Indigo, India's fourth largest budget airline, is bucking serious headwinds in a market of overcrowded airports and airlines. The result is a cumulative loss of $250 million last year. Some industry observers believe the ambitious carrier, which has 100 Airbus A320s on order, couldn't have picked a worse time to enter the market fray. However, Indigo management claims they know full well what they are doing.
6 Correspondence 8 Who's Where 12 Industry Outlook 13 Airline Outlook 14-17 News Breaks 18 In Orbit 19 Washington Outlook 45 A European Perspective 55 Classified 56 Contact Us 57 Aerospace Calendar
Textron says software enhancements to its Sensor Fuzed Weapon (SFW) make it capable of identifying and attacking ships at sea. The change was introduced into SFW production in May. It was demonstrated against both stationary and moving ships during flight test conducted in mid-June at Eglin AFB, Fla. The SFW contains 40 smart Skeet warheads capable of damaging hard and soft targets.
Qinetiq last week signed a contract with the U.K.'s Defense Procurement Agency, worth up to 52.5 million pounds ($100.2 million) over the next three years, to continue support for the Typhoon program. The package includes $95.2 million for defined technical support, advice and safety clearance activity, together with $4.8 million allocated to subcontracts.
If a group of suspected terrorists foiled in the U.K. on Aug. 10 had loaded hard-to-find explosives in their carry-on bags they almost certainly would have slipped through security and boarded departing flights they intended to sabotage, Norman Shanks, the former head of security for BAA plc told Aviation Week & Space Technology.
Market Focus 10 Profit clouds lift for SES, but stock hits stormy weather Security Alert: Code Red 14 Foiled terrorist plot points to inade- quacies of carry-on luggage checks 14 Red alert changes baggage rules, de- lays flights on both sides of Atlantic News Breaks 16 FAA closed investigation into a long- running air service agreement 17 James Van Allen dies, discovered radiation belts around Earth
For the first time since he started with America West 11 years ago, US Airways CEO Doug Parker decided this month to exercise stock options worth about $8.9 million before taxes. Parker authorized the exercise of options to acquire 272,250 shares of US Airways stock and the subsequent sale of those shares. All of the options were granted to Parker during his time at America West, he said in a letter to employees. A small portion of the options--24,750 shares--were granted almost 10 years ago and are about to expire, he said.
NASA tentatively plans to announce its choice on Aug. 18 of a pair of proposals to pursue its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) effort to encourage industry to develop spacecraft that can deliver cargo and, eventually, crew to the International Space Station (AW&ST Mar. 13, p. 23).
The pension reform measure that President Bush is expected to sign into law this week offers relief for struggling U.S. airlines and their hard-pressed employees. It will lend a helping hand to Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines, both of which are in Chapter 11 reorganization. To a lesser degree, it should help Continental and American and their employees. While the reform bill undoubtedly makes a bad situation better, the outcome will not be rosy for all concerned.
The first salvo has been fired in the environmental skirmishes leading up to the British government's progress review on its Aviation White Paper, due at the end of 2006. Government policy on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, including from commercial aviation, is being severely criticized by the British Parliament's Select Committee on Environmental Audit. The panel argues in its ninth report, published Aug. 4, that the government must unilaterally move to "constrain its aviation future growth."
Virgin Atlantic plans to add a new in-flight entertainment component, Any Question Answered, this month. AQA is a text message service now available in the U.K. It will allow passengers to enter questions from their seatback television screens, ranging from simply curious ones--such as "Why is the sky blue?"--to information about tourist sights. A text response is promised within minutes. London-based AQA launched its 24-hr. service in 2004 and has a staff of 500 researchers.
One of several very light jets expected to hit the market in the next few years, the Adam Aircraft A700 "AdamJet" is kicking off an intense period of flight testing aimed at securing FAA certification in 2007. Adam's No. 2 A700, a preproduction twin-turbofan, will start stall-speed, runway performance and other initial tests this month. The first fully "conformed" aircraft, No. 3, is scheduled to join the program in October.
A critical ground test in Utah this fall will give engineers a much better idea of how the Ares I launch vehicle will fly. NASA plans to announce as early as Aug. 31 whether Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman/Boeing will build the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) that will replace the shuttle as the primary route to space for U.S. astronauts.
