Purdue University, Rocky Mountain College and LeTourneau University are among the users of Frasca International's Mentor training device equipped with Garmin G1000 or Avidyne FlightMax Entegra avionics. University aviation departments are moving to train students in aircraft with the latest integrated glass cockpits rather than aircraft fitted with round dials and analog instruments.
Royal Jordanian and Jordan's Civil Aviation Authority have adopted the use of common self-service check-in and standard bar-coded boarding passes championed by the International Air Transport Assn. The passenger check-in facility at Queen Alia International Airport should be operational this year, with the new boarding pass procedure set to begin early in 2007.
Malaysian Airline System is expected to reduce its workforce by more than 20% by the end of July, following a statement made in March that it would cut its domestic fleet to 21 airplanes from 40. Qatar Airways, however, could absorb about 1,000 of those workers. Australia's Qantas, in an effort to offset high fuel costs, is considering cutting up to 1,000 employees in administration, management and support functions by year-end.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency and Navy say they've conducted the first intercept of a ballistic missile in its terminal phase, using the Aegis system and a Raytheon-made Block IV Standard Missile-2. The test occurred May 24, and the interceptor hit the target in the final few seconds of flight.
NASA has issued formal solicitations for "foundational research" proposals in the four areas of focus under its reorganized aeronautics effort: air traffic management, aviation safety, fundamental aeronautics and the aeronautics test program, which aims to preserve wind tunnels and other test facilities. The agency says it expects "educational institutions, nonprofit organizations and industry engaged in foundational research will be the primary award recipients" from the announcement.
Market Focus 11 Whiff of scandal takes wind out of B/E's stock sales News Breaks 19 Bombardier CL-215s help douse fire at Istanbul airport 20 Midwest and AirTran take delivery of the final two Boeing 717s 21 Upgrades underway for AH-64 and UH-60 engines 23 Despite reports, it appears there is no plan to scale back Galileo system World News & Analysis 26 JSF F135 engine burns hotter than planned; Pratt to cool things off
Northrop Grumman has captured a $60-million contract for long-lead parts and advanced procurement for five expanded payload RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, three mission control elements and three launch recovery elements.
Midwest Airlines and AirTran Airways took delivery of the final two Boeing 717s from the former Douglas Aircraft Co. plant in Long Beach last week. And with their delivery, the 65-year-old factory closed, its land to be passed on to a higher use, which in Southern California translates into real estate development. The closing also spells the end of nearly 90 years of aircraft production in the Los Angeles basin.
Chris Young (see photo) has been named president/general manager of the ITT Space Systems Div., Rochester, N.Y. He was vice president/director of the division's Commercial and Space Sciences Group. Young succeeds Jim Manchisi, who has left the company.
As the U.S. braces for another hurricane season, the first of a series of 3.5-ton advanced Boeing high-resolution weather satellites is maneuvering toward its geostationary-orbit slot, following a complex launch atop a long-delayed Boeing Delta IV. The $481-million GOES-N flight, lofted on May 24, is also vital to reestablishing the Boeing launcher program. The mission comes as the Rand Corp. is set to release a report critical of the entire U.S. Air Force/commercial Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) effort that includes Lockheed Martin.
U.S. investment fund Shah Capital reportedly has offered to buy Thales Navigation for $170 million. The struggling unit, which acquired U.S. GPS equipment maker Magellan in 2001, has been for sale since last year.
Denver-based Frontier Airlines posted a $14-million net loss for its fiscal year ending Mar. 31 and a $7.9-million net loss in the fourth quarter. The annual loss compares to a $23.4-million net loss in the previous fiscal year. In the last quarter, the average fare declined nearly $4 to $101.97, due to strong competition in the Denver market from Southwest Airlines.
Several slow-moving German weapons programs are headed for major milestones in the near future, with MBDA officials expecting an important production contract for their helicopter-launched anti-tank weapon that could open the door to export sales.
You can now register ONLINE for Aviation Week Events. Go to www.AviationNow.com/conferences or call Lydia Janow at +1 (212) 904-3225/+1 (800) 240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada Only) Sept. 19-21--MRO Asia Conference & Exhibition, Xiamen, China. Oct. 24-26--MRO Europe Conference & Exhibition, Amsterdam. Nov. 13-15--Aerospace & Defense Programs, Phoenix. PARTNERSHIPS Oct. 31-Nov. 5--Airshow China, Zhuhai. www.airshow.com.cn July 17-23--Farnborough air show.
The RAF is girding for another attempt to acquire a handful of Predator B long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles to support operations in Afghanistan. Previous efforts to secure funding have been thwarted.
Robert Wall (Paris), Michael Mecham (San Francisco)
Boeing will lengthen its stretched 787-9's wing slightly to improve its aerodynamic efficiency, a move that takes it a few feet beyond the basic 777. The design changes to the -9 will add about 6 ft. total to the wingspan, bringing it to about 203 ft. The wings of the 777-200/-200ER, which with standard seating of 301 passengers are at the top end of the 250-290 seating that 787-9 will offer, is 199 ft. 11 in. At an 8,600-8,800-naut.-mi. range, however, the 787-9 will have more than a 1,000-naut.-mi. advantage over the 777-200 Extended Range.
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Chinese military modernization is continuing to gather pace and will lead to significant capability improvements this year, if Pentagon assessments on Beijing's activities are borne out. The Defense Dept. also documents ongoing Chinese projects to expand its technology base into non-traditional weapon systems, including a means for offensive directed energy, while reducing its vulnerability to such designs.
The Franco-Italian Aster PAMS (E) naval air defense system has completed an initial qualification firing. The firing, performed off the French coast from an Italian vessel, validated the ability of the weapon to intercept an attacking aircraft with strong electronic countermeasures.
Unmanned aircraft operating on their own--and soon, swarms of them working together in sophisticated electronic attacks or intelligence-gathering missions--are already part of Australia's military future. However, what Australia wants in the way of unmanned vehicles isn't yet available on the world market. As a result, the Australian Defense Force (ADF) will spend a few years figuring out the long-term potential not only of UAVs, but also of underwater and ground vehicles.
The Transportation Security Administration notes that cigarette lighters constitute 80% of the prohibited carry-on items surrendered at airport security checkpoints. In fact, TSA Administrator Edmund (Kip) Hawley says the agency spends $6 million a year on hazardous materials removal just to get rid of the 30,000 lighters a day it confiscates. He says the money (and time) could be better spent on security measures.
European Space Agency managers are studying four different scenarios for participating in a proposed U.S.-led lunar exploration program, even though the agency's clear priority will be on Mars. ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain says the scenarios include participating in lunar surface exploration; conducting lunar-science missions; establishing a telecommunications/navigation network around the Moon; and developing a new space transportation system, either with Russia or the U.S. (AW&ST May 22, p. 30).
