Engineering issues that arise between the U.S. and Russian control teams and U.S. astronauts training at the Star City Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center are fielded by the Moscow Technical Liaison Office (MTLO). The organization has personnel based in Moscow, at the TsUP control center and also at Energia, which builds the Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.
Ameco Aviation College in Beijing will add a 7,000-sq.-meter (75,320-sq.- ft.) school building to keep up with demand. The expansion will include 22 classrooms and six devoted to computer-based training. Courses in electrical/ avionics, hydraulics, pneumatics and composite workshops are also to be part of the 60-million-yuan ($7.5-million) expansion. Chinese authorities estimate the country will need 240,000 technical staff over the next 20 years.
An approach lighting system using green light emitting diodes (LED) bulbs has been tested at the Grand Forks, N.D., airport, and at Phoenix Sky Harbor as part of an FAA-sponsored development program. An all-LED system promises to reduce energy costs and last longer than one comprising incandescent bulbs, says Edward Carome, a retired physics professor and one of the system developers. He and other officials of Photonic Developments of Cleveland, a unit of the Lighting Innovations Institute at John Carroll University, are expected to report on the system at the Nov.
The U.S. Joint Planning and Development Office will complete its new air traffic control concept of operations document in late July, says Acting Director Robert Pearce. This document is expected to be among the key ones that will begin to outline JPDO's plans for transforming the U.S. air transportation system by 2025.
In a continuing expansion of its cargo fleet, Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways has ordered six Boeing 747-400ER freighters in a deal with a $1.4-billion list price. Deliveries are to begin in 2008, about the time that Boeing will close the -400/400ER assembly line in favor of the new 747-8.
BAE Systems has selected N.M. Rothschild & Sons Ltd. to set a price for the planned sale of its 20% shareholding in Airbus to EADS. Rothschild was appointed by banks representing BAE and EADS to value the stake after the two sides failed to come to agreement following a BAE decision to exercise a put option forcing EADS to acquire its Airbus shares. Rothschild has until around July 2 to finalize a deal, which analysts expect will bring BAE at least 3 billion pounds ($5.5 billion), although delays to the deliveries of the A380 aircraft might hit the valuation (see p.
George Haynes has become chief information officer and David R. Apt director of communications for the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Technical Services Sector, Herndon, Va. Haynes was information technology program manager at the Electronic Systems Sector.
The EC is raising antitrust questions regarding the Skyteam airline alliance as a result of an ongoing review of the linkage between major carriers. Skyteam plans to submit its response to the EC in the fall, and officials argue the issue will be resolved amicably. Skyteam is the first of the major alliances to come under scrutiny, although Oneworld and Star are expected to undergo the same process. The review commenced in 2000 and was expanded in 2004 to reflect the growth in the Skyteam alliance. Aeroflot, which only recently joined Skyteam, isn't part of the review.
Donald H. Jay has been promoted to chief operating officer from vice president-branch and flight operations for Elliott Aviation, Moline, Ill. Jude Zimmerman has been named completions sales manager. He was interiors manager and has been succeeded by Daniel Ball.
A proposed FAA policy revision--spurred by a fatal Southwest Airlines accident last winter--would require turbojet operators to establish methods of ensuring safer landings on contaminated runways.
Goodrich Corp. has announced the termination of an April agreement to sell its Turbomachinery Products Business to Turbo Machinery Products, a company owned by private equity firm Admiralty Partners.
The United Arab Emirates has hired NATS, the main air navigation service provider in Britain, to design the terminal area airspace around the planned Dubai World Central International Airport. Work on the airspace design project will begin in July. The six-runway airport will be able to handle 120 million passengers a year and represents an investment of more than $30 billion.
Goodrich Corp. has canceled its plan to sell its Turbomachinery Products business to a private company formed by Admiralty Partners Inc. An official from Goodrich says the two companies could not come to an agreement. Goodrich, which is a supplier based in Charlotte, N.C., was expecting an income of 8 cents per diluted share in association with the sale. The financial impact of the sale's cancellation will be reflected when the company publishes its second-quarter earnings in late July.
After tapping the NH90 to augment its troop lift capability, Australia is negotiating a follow-on purchase to meet maritime support and special operations requirements. Canberra last week selected the multirole version of NH Industries' transport/frigate helicopter, known as the MRH90, for Phases 4 and 6 of the country's Air 9000 defense modernization program.
France and Italy will jointly study a dual-use broadband satellite system--Athena-Fidus--that is intended to complement their Syracuse and Sicral military satellite communications systems. Athena-Fidus would consist of a 3-metric-ton geostationary Earth orbit spacecraft with a 4-kw. multimedia payload that will offer a capacity of better than 2 Gbps. To be launched in 2010, it would make maximum use of ground user terminals and other DVB-RCS and DVB-S2 standard telecommunications technologies developed for commercial use.
Aeroportes de Paris will join with Air France Cargo, FedEx, UPS and other partners in studying a high-speed freight terminal to serve Charles de Gaulle Airport. Backed by the European Commission, the project would complement high-speed passenger lines already serving the facility.
The Indian Space Research Organization is planning an independent satellite navigation system to complement GPS, Galileo and Glonass in Asia. ISRO Chairman Medhavan Nair says the government recently allocated money for the space segment of this indigenous satnav system, which would consist of three spacecraft in highly elliptical Earth orbit and another four in geostationary orbit. However, money for the ground segment still has to be approved.
Arianespace will launch Vietnam's first satellite--a 20-transponder C-/K u-band telecom spacecraft to provide broadband, broadcasting and telecom services to Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. The 2.6-metric-ton satellite, Vinasat-1, will be built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems and orbited in the first half of 2008.
PanAmSat's Galaxy 16 communications satellite is maneuvering toward its final orbital position at 99 deg. W. Long. It launched June 18 on a Zenit-3SL operated by Sea Launch. Liftoff (shown) came from the Odyssey launch platform near the equator at 154 deg. W. Long. Built by Space Systems/Loral, Galaxy 16 weighed 10,229 lb. at liftoff and carries 24 high-power K u-band and 24 C-band transponders for data and video services to the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
A new Cessna Skyhawk flies over northern Oklahoma. In 2006, the Model 172 is celebrating its 50th year of operation as one of aviation's most successful light airplanes (see p. 52). Cessna Aircraft Co.'s entry-level, cross-country cruiser is a favorite with thousands of general aviation pilots worldwide, thanks to its combination of performance, utility and reliability. Photo by Darin LaCrone.
European missile designers last week heaved a collective sigh of relief when a critical element of a key future air-to-air missile worked during its second trial. The second test firing of the Meteor rocket-ramjet missile on June 20 saw the weapon transition from the boost phase to the ramjet sustainer. Transition failed to occur on the first test, leaving industry-lead MBDA scrambling to determine the cause of the failure. Six European nations are partners in the program.
Regarding Joseph C. Anselmo's article/ obituary on Frank Lanza (AW&ST June 12, p. 30), I object to his assertion that Lanza "acquir[ed] companies and squeez[ed] more value out of them by improving efficiency." This is wrong. Lanza gave our rather large L-3 unit the autonomy to pursue the work we do best and removed past management's top-down-driven pursuit strategies. Suddenly we started winning programs--then we started hiring. Our biggest challenge now is managing growth.
Don Smith has been appointed director of sales and marketing for Sierra Industries Ltd., Uvalde, Tex. He recently retired as a Boeing 777 check captain for Delta Air Lines.
James D. Royston has been appointed senior vice president/general manager of Houston-based Spacehab's Astrotech Space Operations subsidiary. He was vice president-ground operations at Astrotech's Florida and California locations.
