It ain't over 'til it's over, but this time it's really over. On Mar. 31, National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. President John Carr said contract talks between his union and the FAA had broken down. Hours later, Administrator Marion Blakey replied that talks were continuing, and that Carr was "out of touch with what is really happening." On Apr. 5, after an exchange of final proposals, the FAA declared an impasse, drawing Congress into the fray--by law, the FAA's final offer will take effect unless Congress acts within 60 days to change it.
Bombardier Aerospace flew its Learjet 60 XR for the first time on Apr. 3. The business jet is equipped with a Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package with four 8 X 10-in. displays, and features a redesigned cabin. FAA certification is scheduled for the third quarter of 2006.
Taylor W. Lawrence (see photo) has been named vice president-engineering, technology and mission assurance for the Raytheon Co., Waltham, Mass. He was vice president/general manager of the C4ISR and Space Sensors Div. of the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Electronic Systems Sector.
Capt. James Ackerman has been elected chairman of the Master Executive Council of the Mesa Airlines unit of the Air Line Pilots Assn. He led the communications committee. Capts. Brian Rich- ardson and Todd Boyle were elected vice chairman and secretary/treasurer.
Air New Zealand is offering a new around-the-world service from North America starting Oct. 26 on its recently refurbished Boeing 747-400s. The existing direct service from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Auckland will be followed on the around-the-world journey with a second daily service between Auckland and London Heathrow via Hong Kong. The airline already operates a daily flight between Los Angeles and London.
Brian Watkins (see photo) has become vice president-technology of Landmark Aviation, Tempe, Ariz. He was director of program management at Landmark predecessor Garrett Aviation Services.
Virgin Atlantic's pilots will have the opportunity to do some very high-altitude flying. Richard Branson, chairman of the airline as as well as space tourism venture Virgin Galactic, is giving his 700 Virgin pilots a chance to train as astronaut pilots. Their cockpit: Virgin Galactic's SpaceShip Two. Their mission: flying tourists out of this world beginning in about two years. Virgin expects to recruit about 30 pilots from all of Virgin airlines and will look to the expertise of NASA for training guidance.
The two members of Expedition 12 to the International Space Station were set to return to Earth on the evening of Apr. 8, accompanied by Brazil's first spacefarer. Russia's Valery Tokarev was scheduled to undock and deorbit the Soyuz capsule that delivered him and William McArthur of NASA to the ISS last October. A landing in Kazakhstan was scheduled for 7:46 p.m. EDT. Marcos Pontes of Brazil was to occupy the so-called "taxi seat" in the Soyuz after spending more than a week on the station (AW&ST Apr. 3, p. 17). Earlier, McArthur and his U.S.
Russian officials have dismissed European complaints about overflight charges that Moscow levies and say they will stick with their commitment to phase out those fees--but not until 2013. European air transport officials want the fees reduced, if not discontinued much earlier. And the European Commission late last month threatened to try to block Russia's World Trade Organization (WTO) accession over the issue. The EC only recently was empowered by the European Union's Transport Council to negotiate that issue.
FAA AND EXPERIMENTAL AIRCRAFT ASSN. (EAA) OFFICIALS are discussing aging issues affecting the airworthiness of vintage airplanes, primarily the potential effects of corrosion and fatigue on airframes, some of which are 80 years old. EAA is proposing creation of a new certification category that would permit owners and their mechanics to maintain vintage aircraft using "acceptable data, or safety-based form, fit and function criteria," says Earl Lawrence, EAA vice president of industry and regulatory affairs.
The U.S. Air Force has a lot riding on the Transformational Satellite (TSAT) project during the coming months. Besides trying to ensure that future combatants have enough secure bandwidth to carry out their missions, the service is attempting to restore its reputation as a space program manager.
Market Focus 10 Possible Alcatel, Lucent Technologies merger puts spotlight on Thales News Breaks 16 Urgent recommendation from NTSB regarding fires on CRJ200s 17 Soyuz TMA-8 and its launch vehicle head to pad at Baikonur 18 U.K. nears combat search and rescue (CSAR) capability 20 First frontline RAF Eurofighter Typhoon is formed World News & Analysis 22 ILFC chairman challenges Airbus to redesign the A350
Mark Landes has become head of Columbia Aircraft sales for Galvin Flying Services of Seattle. He had been head of Diamond Aircraft sales. Landes has been succeeded by Pete Aldassy, who was a first officer of SkyWest Airlines.
Japan Airlines forecasts a net loss of 47 billion yen ($404 million) for fiscal 2005, which ended Mar. 31, 2006. A recent article (AW&ST Mar. 6, p. 39) incorrectly reported that loss as occurring in the last fiscal year when the carrier actually made a profit of 30.9 billion yen.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey says civil airspace will soon be "filling up very, very rapidly" with more commercial aircraft of all sizes--including unmanned aerial vehicles. The FAA has issued its first airworthiness certificate for a non-government UAV, she says, and "you're going to see more and more applications for it." The agency has issued a temporary flight restriction (TFR) in Arizona, where a Homeland Security Dept. Predator B patrols at night. But general aviation pilots fear security demands will shrink the airspace open to them.
Mesa Air Group is acting on plans to offer low-cost Hawaiian inter-island service beginning in June with CRJ200s. The Phoenix-based company formed the new airline Go! and is now offering introductory one-way fares as low as $39. Reservations can be made through www.iflygo.com or a toll-free number.
One B-2 upgrade has been completed with delivery of the 54th smart bomb rack assembly to the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman AFB, Mo. With the new dispensers, the bomber can deliver 80 500-lb. GBU-38 smart weapons with each targeted against a different aimpoint. The bomb racks are part of a continuing program to improve weapons loads, precision targeting, communications and airframe maintainability.
Air Jamaica is embarking on a plan to increase utilization of its 16 Airbus aircraft and expand air service, using airports in Kingston and Montego Bay as hubs for additional destinations in the Caribbean, Central and South America. The government-owned carrier serves 11 cities in North America and plans to add service to Western Europe, likely to Spain, in addition to its London service. CEO Michael Conway, a veteran U.S. airline executive, says the Air Jamaica pilot group has agreed to flying 75 hr. per month, which allows the expansion.
There's no denying the ignominy of dropping a flaming rocket 100 yd. from the pad. But SpaceX made a worthy attempt to put its first Falcon 1 rocket into space and the company's determination to recover from that loss is heartening (see p. 38).
Some of the Asia-Pacific region's better known carriers have voiced concern over the past few months about the expansionist ambitions of the well-financed airlines from the Middle East. Now, small island nations are beginning to feel the strain.
Capt. Brian Wilson's letter (AW&ST Mar. 13, p. 9) puts an interesting spin on deregulation history. He implies that, post-deregulation, it is unions and their "demands" that have brought once-profitable carriers to their knees. As a 20-year-plus ALPA member, I have a different view of what's gone down since deregulation.
Boeing is courting several major European carriers as potential launch customers for the passenger variant of the Boeing 747-8. The manufacturer expects proposals already submitted to airlines will result in the first order this year for what Boeing dubs the Intercontinental. Jeff Peace, Boeing Commercial Aircraft's vice president and 747-8 program manager, says the company has "proposals out [with airlines] approaching 100 aircraft. These are pretty much split 50-50" between the Intercontinental and the cargo variant of the aircraft.
