Star Alliance and Air China are nearing an agreement regarding the Chinese carrier joining the airline network. It would be the second Chinese airline to join Star.
The high-flying Proteus aircraft, manufactured by Scaled Composites and owned by Northrop Grumman, has completed its first weighted checkout flight in advance of demonstrations that will require carrying a heavy advanced radar. Proteus is acting as a surrogate for the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle.The manned Proteus conducted the test Apr. 27, carrying a 3,000-lb. pod manufactured by Scaled Composites.
Market Focus 10 Aerospace now central to Eaton's growth strategy News Breaks 18 Helicopter crash probe in Iraq focuses on missile threat 19 Proteus completes its first weighted checkout flight 19 EADS Astrium wins pact for Milky Way mapping probe 20 Aviation museum gets rare World War II fighter 22 Initial flight for EADS's Barracuda UAV demonstrator World News & Analysis 24 Dwindling U.S. space recon capability may reduce intelligence
A new push to begin planning what humans will actually do on the Moon once NASA delivers them there late in the coming decade includes a requirement that lunar operations be tied to the eventual exploration of Mars.
MD Helicopters has delivered five single-engine MD600Ns to the Turkish National Police (TNP), completing an order for 10 of the aircraft. Four are equipped with infrared systems.
Donald Russell has been named to the board of directors of the Aerosonic Corp., Clearwater, Fla. He succeeds the late William C. Parker. Russell is vice chairman of the CEA Acquisition Corp.
Bruce M. McNeely has been appointed CEO of the New World Jet Corp., Ronkonkoma, N.Y. McNeely will remain president of Dallas-based parent company Gold Jets.
In his article entitled "In Case of Emergency . . .", Joseph C. Anselmo wrote that ". . . Predator UAVs used by the U.S. Air Force in combat and surveillance missions in Iraq and Afghanistan are controlled by pilots sitting at flight stations halfway around the world at Nellis AFB, Nev." (AW&ST Apr. 24, p. 76).
After a long gestation, Europe's efforts to federate its limited force-projection capacity appear ready to coalesce into an common airlift command closely coordinating air, land and sea transport movements.
WorldSpace Italia received government approval to launch a hybrid digital mobile radio service. WorldSpace plans to launch DARS in Italy in 2007 using its AfriStar satellite and a terrestrial gapfiller network, in cooperation with New Satellite Radio.
Simon P. (Pete) Worden has become director of NASA's Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. He has been a research professor of astronomy at the University of Arizona, Tucson.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the tri-agency committee charged with overseeing the troubled National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) ignored repeated warning signs that the program was spiraling out of control, says the Commerce Dept.'s inspector general. The NPOESS executive committee met only twice during a crucial 20 months in 2003 and 2004 when the most serious problems with the program were unfolding, and it failed to challenge the program director's "optimistic" assessments, the IG says.
Indian government-owned defense manufacturer Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. is to sign a joint-venture with U.K.-based Martin-Baker Aircraft in early 2007 to manufacture ejection seats for Indian fighter aircraft. The prototype project will be India's Light Combat Aircraft, which already has Martin Baker zero-zero ejection seats. As it broadens its business base, HAL is in talks with Pratt & Whitney about establishing an engine overhaul center and manufacturing components.
The F-22A, USAF's newest operational fighter, will make its Pacific Command operational debut during the Northern Edge 2006 exercise in June. A dozen aircraft from the 1st Fighter Wing at Langley AFB, Va., will deploy to Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, where the next operational F-22 wing will be based. Along with other U.S. and coalition aircraft, it will train over central Alaska and the Gulf of Alaska.
Virgin America last week filed a motion to halt another attempt by Continental Airlines to delay processing Virgin's certification application. When Richard Branson's U.S. low-fare-carrier-to-be first filed its application five months ago, Continental requested a delay to require more information. The Transportation Dept. extended the deadline for comments on the new entrant (AW&ST Jan. 2, p. 15).
The European Space Agency will outline next week a call for ideas for three new science projects for 2015-17: one in the 550-million-euro class and two in the 300-million-euro range, including a small fast-track mission. Science projects director Jacques Louet says ESA wants scientists to downsize Solar Orbiter, a big mission deferred in February for lack of funds, for the fast-track slot.
Robert Afzal (see photo) has become director of technology development for the Aculight Corp., Bothell, Wash. He was vice president-research and development for the Spectra Systems Corp.
Manpower is emerging as the next battleground in China as airlines and maintenance organizations look to keep rapidly expanding fleets serviced. With a new aircraft being fielded on average about every three days and fleets expected to grow at double-digit rates in the five years to come, there's a huge demand for skilled personnel to keep them flying. The Chinese government puts the figure at 240,000 skilled maintenance technicians needed in the next two decades.
Chineta K. Davis has been named Arlington, Va.-based vice president-corporate business development for the Northrop Grumman Corp. She succeeds David W. Zolet, who is now Information Technology Sector vice president/president of its Defense Group. Davis was vice president of Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array programs for the Electronic Systems Sector in Linthicum, Md.
Florida is reorganizing its commercial space funding and management efforts under the state's privatized economic development organization. The new "Space Florida" organization will come under the existing Enterprise Florida commercial development activity. The new setup replaces the existing Florida Space Authority, which operated more autonomously. The change is, however, welcomed by the state's space managers at their facility just outside the gates of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
Joseph Cirincione has been named senior vice president-national security and international affairs at the Center for American Progress in Washington. He has been director of the Nonproliferation Project at the Washington-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Cirincione will be succeeded by George Perkovich, who has been vice president-studies.
The U.S. Homeland Security Dept.'s National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP) is expected to prompt the formation of a new aviation sector coordinating council this year, along with similar councils for 16 other industry sectors. One member of the existing Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC), a group of private sector associations that advises the Transportation Security Administration, said for a number of technical reasons this will not be the ASAC. The ASAC had been advising the FAA since the downing of Pan American Flight 103 in 1988.
With wind-tunnel tests underway, Boeing continues to refine its 747-8 wing design as it marches toward firm configuration in the third quarter and the start of major assembly in early 2008.
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