The premier issue of DTI was outstanding. This is a publication I would subscribe to immediately. It is not an overstatement to say that I have been waiting 20 years for a publication focused solely on future defense technologies, about the length of time I have been a subscriber to Aviation Week & Space Technology. (I would still keep my AW&ST subscription.)
As an 18.5-year employee and captain for American Airlines, I read with amusement and amazement the comments of Chip Lawson in his letter assaulting American's customer service (AW&ST Oct. 31, p. 8).
The recent sell-off in U.S. aerospace stocks provides a good example of how valuations are set by investor expectations of a company's future performance, not its current earnings. Though most aerospace companies posted third-quarter results that met or exceeded Wall Street's expectations, it wasn't enough to sooth market jitters about looming cuts to U.S. military spending and rising overhead costs in the commercial aircraft sector.
When Charles W. Robinson met with U.S. Navy Vice Adm. (ret.) Arthur K. Cebrowski in 2003, the then 84-year-old naval architect and former government official offered something Cebrowski had been looking for ever since he took over as the Pentagon's top transformation official: a concept for a swift littoral boat that could be built quickly and economically. Less than two years after the design was approved and construction began, that vision is about to become reality.
Ralph Lintelman (see photos) has been promoted to manager from director of standards of the LaGuardia Learning Center of New York-based FlightSafety International. He succeeds Anthony Graham, who has been named manager of the Houston Learning Center. Graham succeeds Al Ramsey, who is now manager of the Seattle/Tacoma Learning Center. Daniel MacLellan has become assistant manager of the Greater Philadelphia/Wilmington (Del.) Learning Center. He was a regional marketing director for FlightSafetyBoeing.
Leave a problem alone long enough and it will go away. That's what happened, at any rate, to the Transportation Dept.'s 1999 proposal to revise--mostly increase--fees for licensing services, such as certifying new airlines, awarding international route authority and the like. Analyzing how it processed more than 600 service applications, the department estimated labor and overhead costs, and came up with a new fee schedule.
ANOTHER HOUSTON-BASED COMPANY, AIR SECURITY, which specializes in intelligence and security services to corporate aviation, has acquired Paladin International, which serves civil and business markets by conducting investigations into business, financial and legal issues. Vice President of Operations Charlie Le Blanc says there is increased demand in the corporate community for ASI's Airline Insider intelligence product and that many business aviation operators repositioning crew-members to worldwide locations often need to transport them via the airlines.
The Singapore government's Defense Science and Technology Agency plans to buy two mini-UAV systems by April 2006. The agency is seeking an option to acquire another two by August, three by December and up to 20 by 2008. Singapore spends about 6% of its gross domestic product on defense.
The results of this year's Darpa Grand Challenge robotic race were even better than expected: five unmanned vehicles operating without remote controls finished a 132-mi., obstacle-strewn desert course on Oct. 8; four did it under the 10-hr. deadline. That's a huge improvement over Darpa's first race in 2004, when none of the vehicles made it more than a few miles. A key objective of this year's race was promoting the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Darpa seeks to reignite interest in AI as a viable technology for military applications.
Pierre Beaudoin has led the aerospace business of Bombardier, the world's third-largest commercial aircraft manufacturer after Airbus and Boeing, through trying times. He assumed his current position in October 2001, just as a brutal industry downturn began to take hold. That downturn, along with rising competition from Brazil's Embraer and evaporating demand for the company's 50-seat jets, have combined to threaten Bombardier's leadership in regional jets, a market it pioneered in the early 1990s.
Kenya Airways has ordered a fourth Boeing 777-200ER with an option on a fifth and plans to lease its sixth 767-300ER in 2006. The -200ER is to be delivered in 2007.
Alitalia has launched its 1-billion- euro capital fund-raising operation, which should conclude by Dec. 2. But the effort is off to a bad start, with labor groups rejecting the industrial plan that is seen as key to attracting investors, and Alitalia's current share price down as much as 10% on the first day of the offering. The Italian government will provide 489 million euros and will reduce its stake in the airline to 49%.
Germany's airline market is likely to undergo sweeping changes, following DBA's large fleet order, the death of Germania founder Hinrich Bischoff and Ryanair's capacity boost at Hahn airport.
The TechWatch column entitled "The Shock Jocks" in the Sept./Oct. issue (p. 11) mistakenly reported that In-Q-Tel, a nonprofit venture capital firm established by the Central Intelligence Agency, gave a $9-million contract to Ionatron. That contract, which is with an undisclosed government agency, does not involve In-Q-Tel, according to the venture capital firm. In-Q-Tel, previously an investor in Ionatron, declines to disclose the amount of a development contract it had with the company.
The European Commission and Eurocontrol have signed a contract with a 30-member consortium for the definition phase of Sesar (formerly Sesame), the program to implement the European Single Sky initiative. The consortium of suppliers, air navigation service providers, airspace users and airport operators, led by the Air Traffic Alliance, will be tasked with drawing up an air traffic management master plan within two years.
Airline pilots forced by law to leave their jobs when they turn 60 will be able to apply for flying jobs at commercial carriers under a bill approved by the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. The bill, which now goes to the full Senate for consideration, would direct the Transportation Dept. to adopt an age standard under consideration by the International Civil Aviation Organi-zation, 30 days after ICAO approval.
A decade ago, Airbus was looking for partners for a "540-ish-seat" long-range wide-body transport called the A3XX to challenge the 747-400, which Boeing was proposing to update with something called the 747-500/600. Airbus launched its very large aircraft as the A380 in 2001 with 550 seats on the premise that major airport hubs will dominate future air travel and require big airplanes to serve them. The company's current forecast expects sales of 1,650 very large--747/A380-size--aircraft over the next 20 years, including 789 freighters.
CAE Inc. President and CEO Robert E. Brown demonstrates the inside of a full-flight simulator for a Bombardier CRJ200 regional jet at the company's manufacturing plant in Montreal. CAE sells simulators for nearly every major commercial aircraft built today, along with many business aircraft and helicopters. As part of a corporate restructuring plan launched in February, Brown has demanded that CAE cut production cycles for commercial flight simulators to 14 months from 20 months (see p. 62). Photo by Christinne Muschi.
A Raytheon Standard Missile-3 Block I missile intercepted a target warhead after it had separated from its booster during a first-of-a-kind test over the Pacific Ocean Nov. 17. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency was testing an "emergency activation capability" of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System Block 2004 configuration.
Despite a sticking point on medical costs that nearly tripped them up, negotiators for Boeing and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (Speea) concluded talks last week on a three-year contract.
The U.S. Navy is conducting trials of Sea Fighter, also known as X-Craft, which was built to test capabilities that will be part of the Littoral Combat Ship. Goals included gauging the performance of the catamaran hull, a new design for the Navy, and "plug-and-fight" mission modules.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO. HAS SOLD 20 CITATION series business jets to Jetalliance, an aircraft and charter management operator based in Vienna, Austria. The jets include two Citation Xs, seven Sovereigns, four XLS aircraft, five CJ2s and two CJ3s. Plans call for using the airplanes in Jetalliance's operations into Eastern Europe. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2006.
Strong demand at the high end of the business jet segment continues to drive the introduction of new models. And one of the biggest beneficiaries is turning out to be Lufthansa Technik, a growing player in business aviation.
