The defense ministers from France and Luxembourg have agreed to study how countries that lack a domestic surveillance satellite capability can share data for EU peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. Data sharing is a growing concern as Europe ratchets up its overseas military and security presence (AW&ST Jan. 30, p. 14). The need to support out-of-theater military operations underlies a trend towards increased government reliance on commercially funded satellite communications capacity.
John F. Olesak (see photos) has been named vice president-space and intelligence for the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Information Technology Sector, McLean, Va., and Jill Kale vice president-strategic program management, transitions and processes for the commercial, state and local business unit. She was vice president-airborne surveillance for Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems Sector.
Aircraft replacement parts distributor Aviall won a 10-year contract for worldwide rights to sell parts made by Smiths Aerospace. The award is expected to add $130-140 million to Aviall's annual earnings in the near-term and ultimately could be worth $2 billion. Last year, Aviall won a contract valued at up to $5 billion to distribute parts for GE CF6-50 and CF6-80A engines.
Michael J. Kujawa (see photo) has been named vice president-sales and marketing for the Trak Microwave Corp, Tampa, Fla. He was vice president-sales for MI Technologies.
Market Focus 12 Loral CEO to retire after 34-year, topsy-turvy run News Breaks 20 Major U.S. aerospace companies post revenue and net income increases 20 First flight for EADS Barrakuda UCAV slips 21 Boeing launches extended-range version of 737-700 22 First GP7200 installed on A380 for spring flight trials 22 H.J. Shaw dies, was pioneer designer of fiber-optic gyroscopes World News & Analysis
When Jet Airways announced its buyout of Air Sahara, it startled India's fast-growing aviation sector and prompted some competitors to seek relief from regulators.
The International Federation of Airline Pilots Assn. is raising concern over the safety of flight crews and the navigation and surface infrastructure in Iraq and Afghanistan, now that commercial flights into the wartorn countries are resuming. "Clearly, the armed conflicts in these countries have resulted in significant damage to the transport infrastructure, but the scale of this damage and its possible impact on commercial operations remains an unknown," the association warns.
A pilots' strike at World Airways has shut down the carrier's cargo service but has not affected military charter flying, which is protected under the current labor contract. The Teamsters Union contends management "locked out" pilots, stranding four in Angola. But an official of the Peachtree City, Ga.-based carrier says the pilots walked away from an MD-11 after landing in Angola on a charter flight for Sonangol, the Angola National Oil Co. Negotiators for World and Teamsters Local 986 failed to come to an agreement Jan.
As described in your article, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has decided that airline passengers will be able to leave 4-in. scissors and other "instruments" in their carry-on bags (AW&ST Dec. 5, 2005, p. 47). These rules were put into place on Dec. 22. It was mentioned that TSA wants to shift its focus from searching for small, sharp objects to an "emphasis to ensure that explosives that could bring down an airplane don't get on- board."
Thomas Connolly (see photo), who holds Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's first Presidential Endowed Chair in Aviation, has been named chancellor of the Daytona Beach, Fla., campus. He has been chairman of the Flight and Aeronautical Science Depts., and dean of the School of Aviation. Connolly succeeds Irwin Price, who is retiring. Martin Smith has become chancellor of the ERAU Extended Campus. He has been interim chancellor and was chief information officer. Martha Hollis has become ERAU director of distance learning.
Since U.S. Army Program Executive Officer Edward T. Bair is still assessing what lessons need to be learned from the Aerial Common Sensor debacle (AW&ST Jan. 23, p. 24), let me offer a few suggestions: *Don't spend millions of dollars of taxpayer money by awarding contracts before all parties agree on all requirements. *Use fundamental mass properties analysis combined with common sense to first confirm whether the most basic structural element of your program--the airframe--is big enough.
The end of the deficit tunnel may be closer for some U.S. airlines than many think, as the recent, small improvement in yields and moderate drop in fuel prices make operating profits in 2006 more likely.
The U.S. Navy has dedicated the Joint Strike Fighter Test and Support Facility at NAS Patuxent River, Md., to evaluating nine of the first F-35B and F-35C jets. The F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing version for the Marine Corps is scheduled to arrive early in 2008, followed in 2009 by the F-35C carrier version. Six F-35A jets for the Air Force will be flown at Edwards AFB, Calif. The first pre-production F-35A is scheduled to fly this fall.
Biometric identity and smart card companies are forging ahead with Registered Traveler business plans even as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) downgrades the program as a priority and a former supporter, Air Transport Assn., claims it's no longer necessary.
Maneuvering over contract talks between the FAA and National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. (Natca) has led to a split between the union and the new Air Traffic Organization, led by FAA COO Russell Chew. In a letter to Chew on Nov. 30, Natca President John S. Carr writes he was furious about events that month. Carr notes Chew appeared with FAA Administrator Marion Blakey at a press conference on Nov. 28 to join in a call for sending the talks with Natca to mediation.
Adventurer Steve Fossett will take off from the Kennedy Space Center in the Scaled Composites/Virgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer aircraft no earlier than Feb. 7, after the Chinese government delayed plans for a Feb. 1 takeoff by denying overflight rights until after the Chinese New Year. Fossett hopes to set a new solo unrefueled flight distance record of more than 26,000 mi. (AW&ST Jan. 30, p. 38).
Guy Buyst has been appointed executive vice president-sales and customer services for LMS International, Leuven, Belgium. Buyst was chief commercial officer of Base.
The first "green approach" was flown into Stockholm's Arlanda airport on Jan. 19 by an SAS Boeing 737-600 after it down-linked its 4D trajectory to air traffic controllers from the Smiths' flight management system.
Wes Goode, Jr. (see photo) has been appointed vice president-airport systems in the North American Airport, Post and Parcel Div. of FKI Logistex, Frederick, Md. He was an executive with the U.S. Postal Service.
How do senior Pentagon leaders currently assess China as a military threat? "China is an emerging world superpower, and we want to constructively work with them . . . across a number of regional issues [and help] them along that path to making what we view is the right sort of choices," says Giambastiani, Joint Chiefs of Staff vice chairman. That will mean insisting China not build aircraft carriers and other offensive weapons seen as key elements in projecting its military might on others.
EADS North America plans to expand its facilities at Golden Triangle Regional Airport, Columbus, Miss., if it wins the U.S. Army's Light Utility Helicopter competition. The expansion is expected to add up to 250 new jobs. EADS is offering the twin-engine UH-145--a modified version of the commercial EC 145--for the LUH role. American Eurocopter (an EADS subsidiary), Sikorsky and Westwind Technologies have teamed to build, modify and support the helicopter.
