India and Russia recently finalized an agreement on military intellectual property rights. The pact, forged between the India-Russian Inter-Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation, will be signed next month when leaders of the two countries meet. The Commission also signed protocols on cooperation for ship building, aviation and land systems. Development and production of a multi-role transport aircraft are under discussion.
Elise Eberwein has been named senior vice president-corporate communications and Capt. Paul Morell vice president-safety and regulatory compliance for the US Airways Group. Eberwein was vice president-corporate communications of America West Airlines before it merged with US Airways. Morell was director of flight training and standards.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is offering a new way to meet the soaring demand for airline pilots in fast-expanding aviation markets--the Multiple Crew Pilot License program. As new aviation markets such as India and China grow at a dizzying pace, so too does their need for new pilots, which forecasters say will total 140,000 in the 2002-12 period.
The Airbus A380 should have greater separation from other aircraft because of its strong wake vortices, according to interim guidance issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization. A group of experts from Airbus, FAA, Eurocontrol and JAA are developing further guidance on wake vortex separation, which is expected to be released in early 2006. The interim ICAO report says all other aircraft should stay at least 10 naut. mi. behind an A380 on final approach. For comparison, current FAA standards are 4-6-naut.-mi.
The European Commission wants to eliminate a blanket exemption that has allowed airlines to exchange sensitive passenger tariff data and set prices for interlining without violating trade rules. Under the current arrangement, airlines can discuss commercially sensitive ticket-price information used in interlining--allowing passengers to complete travel using multiple carriers on one ticket--without being accused of price-fixing. The talks are conducted through so-called IATA passenger tariff conferences.
France has approved a surtax on airline tickets, to help finance aid to developing countries. The 1-10-euro tax for each leg of short-medium-haul flights and 4-40 euros for long-distance trips is to take effect in July.
ADS-B TECHNOLOGIES LLC OF ANCHORAGE, ALASKA, HAS INSTALLED a prototype ground station for Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast in China where the Civil Aviation Flight University of China in Guanghan plans to equip more than 100 of its training aircraft with ADS-B avionics. Several Piper Seminoles are already demonstrating the use of ADS-B using Garmin GDL90 universal access transceivers of the type developed for use in the FAA's Capstone project in Alaska.
Norman R. Augustine's Viewpoint was excellent. His topic repeats a decades-old theme. In the Mar. 15, 1987, issue of the Orange County Register, Simon Ramo (the "R" in TRW) wrote an article "Why We're Behind in Technology." Some quotes:
Arianespace has set its fifth and final Ariane 5 mission this year for Dec. 21. The mission will carry Eumetsat's second new-generation MSG weather satellite--Meteosat 9--and Insat 4A, a 24-transponder C-/K u-band spacecraft intended to expand Indian telecommunications and direct-to-home broadcasting capacity (see p. 19).
Some in Washington worry that congressional demands for an Iraqi drawdown strategy will make the White House dig in its heels against a force reduction, just to show it's not conceding anything. Nonetheless, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John Warner (R-Va.) "is giving voice to the private communications that they are hearing from the uniforms in the [Pentagon]," says a longtime House staffer. Warner says recent U.S.
Air France-KLM posted a 56% leap in operating earnings for the second quarter, to 528 million euros, on revenues of 5.6 billion euros (up 10%). The airline netted 717 million euros, including a gain from the sale of Air France's share in the Amadeus reservation system.
With negotiations at a standstill, a machinists' strike against Boeing's space operations is likely to keep three missions on hold through at least Dec. 31.
The first stage of a 26-nation transatlantic aviation agreement, concluded on Nov. 18 by negotiators from the U.S. and the European Union, creates provocative uncertainties on key policy issues and faces pockets of skepticism on both continents.
As very light jets prepare to make their debut in the air next year, aviation insurance companies see no obstacles to writing policies for novice pilots if their training meets strict requirements, reinforced with mentoring by highly experienced aviators.
L-3 Communications will provide advanced baggage screening systems at nine Mexican airports. Nine eXaminer automated explosives detection systems (EDS), which use computed tomography (CT), will go to Cancun International. The airport will install eXaminer in an in-line baggage handling system, similar to the one at Harrisburg International Airport in Pennsylvania (see photo). Four VIS 108 high-speed in-line and four VDS 108 free-standing automated EDSs will be installed at Cozumel, Huatulco, Merida, Minatitlan, Oaxaca, Tapachula, Veracruz and Villahermosa.
The European Space Agency has selected EADS Astrium to build three satellites for Swarm, a mission to yield the most data yet on the makeup and evolution of the geomagnetic field and its effect on Earth's interior and climate. The spacecraft, worth 86 million euros, are to be launched in 2010.
The Humane Society of the United States wants the U.S. Postal Service to stop using commercial airlines to transport newborn birds. The animal welfare group says the practice is cruel to the birds--and also may increase the risk of spreading avian flu. Many hatcheries or breeding farms transport millions of day-old turkeys, ducks, chickens and geese through the U.S. mails annually, often by commercial airline, the Humane Society says. In a Nov.
As the Boeing Business Jet program breaks the 100 aircraft sales mark, the company is now offering the 737-900ER, designated as the BBJ 3. The interior will have 1,120 sq. ft.--11% more than the BBJ 2--and the airplane will feature five auxiliary fuel tanks and a range of 4,765 naut. mi. Boeing made the announcement at the Dubai air show last week. Customers in the Middle East account for 26% of the BBJ fleet, which consists primarily of BBJ 2s based on the 737-800. The original BBJ uses the 737-700 airframe.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. is committing $337 million in Airport Improvement Program funds to the first phase of the Chicago O'Hare Modernization Project. The funding will come in two increments--$20 million annually over 15 years and $37.2 million over a five-year period--to support the building of new runways, taxiways and a terminal. The two grants will cover 10% of the first phase's costs.
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) Dec. 6-8--Aerospace & Defense Finance Conference, New York. 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.
Menashe Sagiv (see photo) has been named corporate vice president-finance of Israel Aircraft Industries. He succeeds Avi Knobel, who has retired. Sagiv was treasurer/deputy corporate vice president-finance.
The U.K. Defense Ministry was worried enough by acting Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England's plan to kill the Air Force version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to dispatch two officials overnight to the U.S., to ensure that the program wasn't falling victim to budget cuts. Britain is a partner on the short takeoff and vertical landing variant, while other allies plan to buy the less expensive USAF conventional takeoff and landing aircraft. Regardless, killing one part of the program would increase unit costs throughout the remainder.
The Quadrennial Defense Review's senior members are recommending a limit to the baseline F/A-22 Raptor program of 180, plus or minus four aircraft, after temporarily considering totals as high as 220. This is a slight increase over earlier plans and breathes new life into the stealth fighter program. Many analysts had earlier predicted hefty cuts.
Steve Fushelberger has become vice president-marketing of the Cessna Aircraft Co., Wichita, Kan. He succeeds Phil Michel, who is expected to retire in April. Fushelberger was vice president of public affairs for the National Assn. of Mutual Insurance Companies and vice president-marketing communications for the then-Avolar division of United Airlines.
Pakistan and China are making configuration changes to the Chengdu FC-1/JF-17 to boost the fighter's performance in what is likely only the first of a series of iterations the aircraft will undergo in coming years. In the run-up to limited batch production slated for next year, flight testing of a modified prototype, called TP4, is underway. This aircraft incorporates design changes including a larger inlet to boost top speed to around Mach 1.8 from below Mach 1.6. The center and aft fuselage configuration has also been tweaked.
