Your "In Orbit" item entitled "Mission Complete" (AW&ST Apr. 24, p. 21) is incorrect. Not only is the Shenzhou 6 module still in orbit, but it is still operating. Your item appears to be based on a wire story that contains a mistranslation of an original Chinese article reporting that the module had completed the first six months of autonomous flight.
The sixth European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition, which was held May 3-5 in Geneva by the European Business Aviation Assn. and Washington-based National Business Aviation Assn., reflected the growth of this aviation segment in Europe. Attendence late last week was poised to top 9,000, a new record, with nearly 300 exhibitors on-site and more than 50 business aircraft on static display.
It's one thing to lift some quotations from a dead engineering professor, quite another to expropriate those of "The Customer," as defense contractors obsequiously refer to Uncle Sam. When we heard of Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson's plagiarism troubles over his "Swanson's Unwritten Rules of Management," we confess we turned first to another set of folksy aphorisms known well in aerospace--"Rumsfeld's Rules." Alas, we couldn't drag the Defense secretary into an ever-widening Watergate of attribution failure. He had noted the sources of the quotations he had copied.
The battle over Olympic Airlines between the European Commission and the Greek government is headed to the European Court of Justice. After the EC ruled in September that Athens needed to quantify and recover unlawful state aid it had granted the national carrier, the EC determined it had to seek legal action to get the Greek government to comply. It also demanded an immediate freeze on any further payments and a report, within two months, about what has been accomplished.
The full-year net profit of India's largest private carrier, Jet Airways, rose 15% in the year ended March 2006 to $101.3 million. Chairman Naresh Goyal says while Jet remained the market leader, it was challenged by high fuel costs. Jet expects by year's end to be integrating operations with Air Sahara, which it acquired, subject to regulatory approvals.
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) May 16-17--MRO Military Europe, in conjunction with ILA air show, Berlin. 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 May 16-21--ILA, Berlin. www.ila-berlin.com
The FAA's Fiscal 2007 budget proposal and its contract impasse with the air traffic controllers union attracted predictable criticism last week at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing, but not much is likely to happen to either. Considering budget deficits, war costs and election-year jitters that center more on gasoline than aviation fuel, airline industry observers expect Congress to keep FAA budget add-ons light except for the Airport Improvement Program, which at $2.75 billion would be getting $765 million less than this year.
Sikorsky Aircraft recently set in motion a nationwide campaign to recruit more than 300 engineers to meet its demand for its military and civil helicopter product lines and related services. Over the next several months, job fairs are planned in several states to fill positions in Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, Alabama and New York. For more information: www.sikorskycareers.com
Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems have each received U.S. Navy contracts for EA-6B Prowler components. The Navy exercised an initial $73-million purchase for four complete EA-6B Improved Capability (ICAP) III systems along with a partial system and spares. Work will be performed at Northrop Grumman's Bethpage, N.Y., facilities. BAE Systems will produce additional low-band transmitter-antenna groups for the service's EA-6Bs under a $24.3-million contract.
Despite a fresh scandal that has further clouded election prospects in next year's presidential race, the beleaguered French ruling party is trying to lay a road map for future defense spending while attempting to convince those jockeying for position that current levels should be maintained.
Japan and the U.S. are in talks about upgrading Tokyo's fleet of Boeing 767 AWACS aircraft. The deal would cover enhanced command-and-control mission equipment and the radar system improvement program, which already have been put on the U.S. Air Force's Boeing 707-based AWACS.
Boeing's Phantom Works has built two, 400-lb., high-resolution, 21-ft.- wingspan prototypes of the futuristic and tailless blended-wing body aircraft. The high-lift concept has been designated the X-48B and is being eyed as a long-range, high-capability military aircraft.
Engine program progress for the Airbus A380 is gaining for both the General Electric/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance and Rolls-Royce. The allied venture building the GP7200 is preparing for flight testing, with all four engines now installed on an A380. Airbus has yet to set a firm flight timeline, but the aircraft is expected to be airborne in mid-July. Emirates, the A380 customer with the biggest order, has opted for the U.S.-built GP7200 and anticipates receiving aircraft next year.
Russian controllers raised the International Space Station's orbit by 2.5 km. (1.6 mi.) May 4, using thrusters on the docked Progress supply vehicle. The 6-min., 31-sec. burn changed ISS velocity by 1.55 meters/sec., slightly off the predicted 1.6 meters/sec. but still considered nominal. The maneuver set up orbit phasing for the planned June 18 launch of the next Progress to the station, which will be reboosted again on June 8.
WITH THIS ISSUE, former pilot astronaut William Readdy joins Aviation Week & Space Technology as editor-at-large and staff test pilot. Readdy (pronounced READ-ee) is a fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, where he was also an instructor. He flew three space shuttle missions, and he later was NASA's associate administrator for spaceflight. Readdy earned a degree in aerospace engineering with honors from the U.S. Naval Academy. He has logged 7,000 hr.
The House Armed Services Committee is enhancing Pentagon efforts against improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which have caused so many casualties in Iraq, by authorizing more than $200 million for counter-IED technology, including 10 manned surveillance aircraft.
USAF Lt. Gen. Kevin P. Chilton has been nominated for promotion to general and appointment as commander of the Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. He is commander of the Eighth Air Force, Air Combat Command, Barksdale AFB, La. Chilton will succeed Gen. Lance Lord, who is retiring.
UAL Corp. is consolidating its airport operations and cargo divisions in an ongoing effort to streamline operations and gain cost savings. The new unit will be led by Scott Dolan, former senior vice president for cargo.
Lufthansa Technik is expanding its Platinet fixed-base operation (FBO) network into Russia. LHT recently agreed to supply line maintenance for VIP aircraft at the Vnukovo-3 FBO in Moscow as a first step to bringing the operation into Platinet. A new 7,000-sq.- meter VIP terminal is to open at Vnukovo in June. LHT also said it will double space for Learjet maintenance at the Lufthansa Bombardier Aviation Services FBO in Berlin. LHT is continuing talks to add Amiri Flight at Abu Dhabi into Platinet.
Alitalia failed to submit its proposal to fly a route between Sardinia and the Italian mainland on time to Italian authorities, leaving Meridiana and Air One as the only service providers. EasyJet and Ryanair requests to service the island have been rejected by Italian regulators, because they did not meet the criteria the government laid out.
The Lufthansa Technik/Rolls-Royce joint venture to overhaul Trent turbofans has begun work on its future home in Arnstadt, with the goal of having the site operational by April 2007. The N3 Engine Overhaul Services venture will feature Germany's largest engine test stand. Production at the location will involve overhaul of Trent 500, 700 and 900 engines. The facility will have a 23,000-sq.-meter (247,480-sq.-ft.) hall and should be able to accommodate 200 powerplants. The test stand can handle engines up to 150,000-lb. thrust.
Buoyed by a strong business jet market and ambitious plans to bolster profit margins, Bombardier Inc.'s stock is trading up nearly 50% since the start of the year, outperforming fellow aircraft builders Boeing Co., EADS NV and Embraer-Empresa Brasil ADR--and just about every other aerospace company.
Michael Mecham (Seattle), Frank Jackman (Washington)
The first major acquisition of the James McNerney era--Aviall Inc.--extends Boeing's service business base by bringing a leading parts distributor and forecaster into the fold at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, which has emerged as the company's earnings leader.
Negotiators for Comair's flight attendants are confident and will be looking for compromise when they meet with company representatives over their contract this week in Washington, says Connie Slayback, president of Teamsters Local 513. She maintains the 917 union members believe a bankruptcy court decision has validated their position. A judge called Comair's bargaining position too rigid and advised the two sides to return to the table.
The NASA-led A-Train constellation, intended to provide the first tridimensional view of the atmosphere, will soon begin receiving complementary data on aerosols and cloud particles, following the launch of two new satellites after a series of long delays.
