The U.S. Defense Dept. needs to improve operational planning for ballistic missile defense, according to a Government Accountability Office report. The Pentagon also must provide Congress with complete data on the operational costs of the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), says the GAO. Without operational criteria, the report says, the Defense secretary won't be able to assess preparations to conduct BMDS operations.
South African Airways (SAA) is facing yet another credibility crisis in its home market, after the airline was fined for illegally fixing prices with Lufthansa. South Africa's Competition Commission in the past few weeks negotiated out-of-court settlements with both carriers. SAA agreed to pay 20 million rand ($2.99 million) while Lufthansa was fined 8.5 million rand.
A News Break item incorrectly made reference to "Boeing's Land Launch booster" (AW&ST May 29, p. 21). Land Launch is a service offered by the Sea Launch Co., which counts Boeing among its four partners.
Former NTSB Chair Ellen Engleman Conners, who joined as chair in 2003, officially left the board on May 31. She is now CEO of the Indiana Assn. of Realtors.
EADS Defense and Security Systems and Denmark's Terma are considering more far-reaching cooperation beyond the many projects in which the electronic warfare and electronics businesses already share an involvement. How this will unfold remains vague, although company officials say details about the link-up will be firmed up in the coming months. Terma President/CEO Jens Maaloe says: "In addition to our present cooperation, the agreement has potential of opening doors to further programs and markets for [our] whole line of business activities."
Former NetJets President W.W. (Bill) Boisture is joining The Carlyle Group as a senior adviser to the private equity giant's aerospace and defense team. Boisture, a longtime business aviation executive, resigned from NetJets in January.
China is buying two 10-11-ton-class Eurocopter EC225s for search-and-rescue operations, and the European helicopter maker anticipates more government orders in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. The two EC225 Super Pumas will be operational by the end of 2007. Eurocopter hopes Chinese security interests for the Olympics, as well as the World Expo in Shanghai in 2010, will lead to orders for EC135s and EC155s. China has been a focal point for Eurocopter ever since the country last year agreed to co-develop the EC175.
An apparent combination of operator error and technical glitches led to the crash of a Homeland Security Dept. Predator B unmanned aircraft Apr. 25 in the Arizona desert, according to a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) preliminary notice. The NTSB said the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems pilot flying the Predator for Homeland Security's Customs and Border Protection unit "failed" to fully match the control positions between two ground consoles.
Dennis Bent, who is vice president-operations and strategic sourcing for BAE Systems Inc., is one of three new members of the Irvine, Calif.-based Supplier Excellence Alliance board of directors from the aerospace/defense industry. The others are: Brad Hart, president of Roberts Tool Co.; and Cristi Cristich, president of Cristek Interconnects.
The Memorial Day recess was a time for James Oberstar (Minn.), senior Democrat on the House Transportation Committee, to catch up on his letter-writing.
Boeing is touting the commonality between the Boeing T-45 Goshawk and BAE Systems' Mk 132 Hawk advanced jet trainers in a bid to fill an Indian navy requirement for transitioning pilots to its MiG-29Ks. Vice President Christopher Chadwick of Boeing Integrated Defense Systems emphasizes T-45 and Hawk engine commonality and life-cycle supportability.
USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) James R. Clapper, Jr., who is director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, has been named to receive the 2006 William Oliver Baker Award from the Annnapolis, Md.-based Intelligence and National Security Alliance. He will be cited for improving information sharing within the intelligence community, and advancing teaming and information-sharing initiatives within the community and with U.S. forces. The award was established to promote excellence in government and private-sector intelligence and national security activities.
A court verdict could cost L-3 Communications stockholders $1 a share. A federal jury in New York recently ordered the company to pay $125.6 million in damages to OSI Systems for breaching its fiduciary duties during L-3's acquisition of PerkinElmer's explosives detection systems business. OSI claims that L-3 reneged on an agreement to sell it some of the assets after the purchase was completed in 2002. L-3 says it will appeal.
The Southwest Airlines Pilots' Assn. (Swapa) is considering a one-year extension of its existing contract with the airline. If approved, the contract would be extended to Aug. 31, 2007. In addition, Swapa has begun discussions with Southwest officials on the carrier's code-share agreement with the Air Transport Assn. (ATA). The union wants to ensure that if Southwest continues its agreement with ATA, it will result in "continued fleet growth for Southwest Airlines."
I congratulate Larry Manofsky on his choice of careers. He made an important financial decision and is now secure. However, he made a fundamental error: "Airline pilot" never has been a white-collar profession. Pay and lifestyle do not make someone white-collar. We are heavy equipment operators drawing good union wages but piloting always has been a blue-collar job.
Turner West, manager of aviation at Denver International Airport, didn't know what to expect as he was observing a Southwest Airlines' employee using a stopwatch to determine the speed of aircraft as they taxied out for takeoff.
Supporters of small-market aviation who suspect that the system is biased against them have some new data--and data interpretations--to chew on. Contrary to impressions, airline flight delays are no more likely on flights to small airports than to large ones, the Transportation Dept. inspector general's office reported. But small-airport arrival delays are longer and there are more cancellations.
Cathay Pacific Airways has exercised purchase rights for two additional 777-300ERs, bringing its commitment to 18 aircraft during the past six months. In addition to the 12 it bought last Decem- ber, Cathay had leased four from International Lease Finance Corp.
The pre-production prototype Bell/ Agusta Aerospace BA609 commercial tiltrotor has passed the 100-hr. mark in its initial flight test program and is on track to receive FAA certification by 2010.
International negotiations could begin soon to revamp rules governing the business aviation industry, with the aim of harmonizing regulations for private, on-demand charter and fractional operations worldwide.
Elbit Systems' U.S.-based Kollsman subsidiary has bought a 20% stake in display systems maker Sandel Avionics. The $12-million deal involving the Vista, Calif.-based manufacturer includes an option for Kollsman to acquire the remaining 80% during the next 30 months.
FLIGHT TESTS OF ECLIPSE AVIATION'S FLEET of five Eclipse 500 very light jets have passed the 2,000-hr. mark and met a majority of FAA requirements, according to Vern Raburn, president/CEO of the Albuquerque, N.M., manufacturer. He says crews have performed unusable-fuel and hot-fuel tests, engine restarts, cooling, ventilation and vibration checks. They have also collected test points in support of FAR Part 36 noise certification. In addition, six customer airplanes are in various stages of production and assembly.
US Airways and United Airlines have both exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within the last eight months, but as far as many investors are concerned, that's where the similarities end. A look at profit margins tells why.
