The British Defense Ministry is launching a burst illumination laser imaging technology demonstrator program with Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems. The program, known as the Ground-Based Active Imaging Technology, is intended to develop an extended range target identification system. The 24-month demonstrator program is worth 1.5 million pounds ($2.6 million).
James Palmer (see photos) has become vice president-customer support and commercial services and Gerald Charland vice president-strategy and business development for Montreal-based CMC Electronics Inc. Palmer was director of commercial services. Charland was vice president-strategy and business development for Thales Avionics North America.
Painful cuts are preferable if they avert even the chance that a labor contract can be canceled in bankruptcy. Pilots at Delta Air Lines demonstrated that point last week in a close balloting on a temporary 15% pay cut. Their Chapter 11 colleagues at Delta Connection carrier Comair face the same dilemma this month: Take a cut or else.
The U.S. Naval Inventory Control Point in Philadelphia has awarded Breeze-Eastern, a division of TransTechnology Corp., a $9.6-million contract for repair and overhaul of rescue hoists, cargo hooks and other items used on H-3 and H-53 helicopters. Work will be performed at the company's Union, N.J., facility and is expected to be completed by December 2008.
After spending the second half of 2005 dithering over whether to follow through on its commitment to become involved in the multinational Neuron unmanned combat air vehicle demonstrator, the Swedish government last month finally resolved to take the plunge. Political problems in Stockholm caused a lengthy review process, holding up a formal contract award and fraying nerves at Saab, the main Swedish industrial entity to benefit from the project. But now, the government says it will put up the needed $76 million.
The FAA demonstrated the first "public" Required Navigation Performance approach it has certified in the U.S. at Reagan Washington National Airport recently, a capability planned for 100 other airports in the U.S.
The French parliament has put into a law a measure championed by French President Jacques Chirac to boost airline ticket taxes on flights departing France. The tax can run up to 40 euros ($48), depending on the flight and ticket type. The money is supposed to be used to aid the developing world starting in mid-2006. The measure was staunchly opposed by industry officials, and Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary quipped that Chirac should instead tax French cheese makers.
Investigators are probing metal fatigue in the inflight breakup of a Chalk's Ocean Airways Grumman twin-engine amphibian that killed all 20 on board on Dec. 19. Amateur videotape shows the right wing coming off inboard of the engine shortly after the 1947-vintage Grumman G-73T Turbo Mallard took off from Miami, bound for the Bahamas. "The examination of the wing root has found indications of a fatigue crack on the wing spar," says Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board.
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) Apr. 5-6--U.S. Defense Dept. Budgets and Programs Conference, Arlington, Va. Apr. 25-26--MRO Military Conference, Phoenix. Apr. 25-27--MRO USA Conference & Exhibition 2006, Phoenix. May 16-17--MRO Military Europe, in conjunction with ILA air show, Berlin. Sept. 19-21--MRO Asia Conference & Exhibition, Xiamen, China.
The latest Russian Progress cargo vehicle gave the two-man crew on the International Space Station a fresh load of supplies just in time for the Christmas holiday, arriving at the orbiting facility on Dec. 23 after launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome two days earlier. Progress 20P carried almost 3,100 lb. of dry cargo, as well as 1,940 lb. of propellant, 183 lb. of oxygen and air, and 463 lb. of water. The load included gifts for Expedition 12 Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev.
Narrow political views, tight budget constraints and a lack of long-term vision are disrupting Europe's space ambitions. Last month's European space summit held in Berlin, although officially described as a new start, failed to pave the way for long-overdue broader goals.
Stephan Regulinski has become president/CEO of Heath Tecna, Bellingham, Wash., a member of the Britax Premium Aircraft Interior Group. He was an independent consultant and is a former executive with United Airlines.
To battle fuel prices, Japan Air Lines has tried hedging and cost-cutting. But these measures are not enough. With fuel costs expected to continue escalating, JAL says it is "reluctantly obliged to ask its passengers to bear part of the burden." Beginning Apr. 1, the airline intends to eliminate the domestic fuel surcharge it instituted in January 2005 and institute a 3-11.3% increase in its domestic airfares in the Apr. 1-Sept. 30 period. The increase is dependent on stage length, of less than 200 km. (124 mi.) to more than 1,000 km.
The U.S.-German Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (Grace), a pair of satellites that has been measuring tiny shifts in the Earth's gravity below them since 2002, has detected an unusual aftermath of the deadly Indian Ocean earthquake of December 2004--a one part per billion alteration in local gravity. The satellites work by measuring extremely small changes in the distance between them that reflect changes in the mass of the surface terrain (AW&ST Mar. 4, 2002, p. 56).
It's no surprise that low-cost carriers of all sizes are eager to boost their respective networks, secure in the knowledge that consistent, aggressive network growth can widen their cost advantage over legacy rivals.
U.S.-owned elements of the International Space Station will become a national laboratory under the NASA authorization awaiting President Bush's signature, paving the way for more government agencies to conduct--and fund--research on the orbiting facility.
Your editorial "Amateur Hour Is Over for Unmanned Aircraft" (AW&ST Oct. 24, 2005, p. 66) is only too true, and all of us can hope the same mistakes are not made in the UAV program that were made in the remotely piloted vehicle program in the 1970s.
In a 126-page report submitted last week, an independent safety advisory committee criticized the chains of command for Japan Airlines. The committee, called in after a string of safety/maintenance failures last year, called for the systematic use of case studies on safety-related events and encouraged staff to take more initiative in preventing everyday errors.
Michael Pollack has been appointed director of federal sales for Atlanta-based EMS Technologies Inc. He was a director of business development, sales, and technical marketing for Hughes Network Systems.
SES Global, determined to retain the top position in its market, will merge with New Skies to create a new powerhouse in the satellite communications field.
SPACE 2nd PLACE Norm Siegel "Catching the Ring" Gouache 30 X 26 in. Norm Siegel graduated from The Cooper Union in New York. The Norwalk, Conn., resident became a freelance illustrator in the fields of advertising, design, graphics and marketing. He has always loved all things in aviation and space. SPACE 3rd PLACE John W. Clark "Iapetus" Oil 24 X 14 in.
NASA's modified Boeing 747 space shuttle ferry aircraft carried the orbiter over the Mojave Desert on its way back to the Kennedy Space Center. Lori Losey, Lancaster, Calif.
A Dutch AH-64D Apache Longbow astounds the crowd by rolling on its back and firing decoys as it falls at Royal International Air Tattoo 2005 at Fairford, England, last July. Stephen Wolf, Chatillon, France
News Breaks 10 IATA predicts return to airline profitability in 2007 11 Braking a puzzle in Southwest run- way overrun at Chicago-Midway 12 LockMart plans airship prototype that could be missile defense platform World News & Analysis 16 British grapple with imperatives of defense industrial requirements 18 Israel tests improved interceptor, ponders new use of its radar 20 MDA launches first operational interceptor after testing hiatus
