Frank Robilotto has been appointed executive vice president/general manager of Arkwin Industries Inc., Westbury, N.Y. He was president of Ozone Industries. Kevin Oliver has been named senior vice president-technical operations. He was vice president-product development. Promoted have been Robert Hultmark to senior vice president-marketing and contracts management from vice president, Thomas Molloy to senior vice president-administration from vice president and Marc MacDonell to vice president from director of material.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO. WILL OFFER THE AIRCELL AXXESS satellite communications system as an option for its Citation X, Sovereign and XLS business jets. The multi-channel, wireless, broadband equipment is designed for medium- to large-cabin business aircraft and uses two Iridium satellite channels for voice and narrowband data services, according to AirCell. The installation also allows users to add an Inmarsat broadband connection on a plug-and-play basis through the system's Ethernet port. Cessna says the option will be available in the third quarter of 2006.
Colombia has placed a $235-million order for 25 Super Tucanos, marking the first export deal for the Embraer military turboprop used as a trainer and light attack aircraft.
"Back to Basics" and "And Engine Anomalies" (AW&ST Nov. 7, p. 31) both suggest that the first "A" in NASA has been AWOL for far too long. NASA's new aeronautics chief, Lisa Porter, has her work cut out for her, but the potential is enormous.
It's business as usual for Asia-Pacific airlines and, outwardly at least, there seems to be none of the panic one might expect with talk of a possible avian flu pandemic.
The Pentagon began its Quadrennial Defense Review amid great expectations that new capabilities and visions (such as network-centric warfare) and asymmetric threats (such as jihadist terrorists) would lead to recommendations to radically transform the U.S. military in the near future. Months later, the QDR is looking like it will prove to be the dog that did not bark. Already, decisions have been made that suggest that not much will change (AW&ST Nov. 28, p. 28).
European space ministers are signaling that they're ready to embark on ambitious exploration and environmental-monitoring initiatives and to reinforce strategic positions in science, launchers and telecommunications, despite uncertain budget support from the European Union--a new partner in the European space program.
French armaments agency DGA has awarded a 129-million-euro ($152-million), seven-year contract for concept design and demonstration of a cooperative fighting system. It would integrate unmanned aerial vehicles, helicopters, weapons and future soldier systems into a network-centric warfighting environment.
Kudos to R.A. LeFande for his letter "Fallacies of U.S. Model" (AW&ST Nov. 14, p. 6). I would add that wealth is way ahead of pride and honor, and see with surprise that the last two are working well for the Europeans. Case in point is the advertising campaign with the headline "I am EADS." Ever seen "I am NASA"?
Your editorial in support of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) was misguided (AW&ST Nov. 14, p. 66). The current vision of this program is seriously flawed and needs a complete overhaul. Early program planning wrongly assumed that solar power systems were not durable enough for a two-year mission. The resulting nuclear-powered rover requires a complex and unique landing system. While both technologies are interesting, their development should not be the justification for the program.
The FBI is probing a report of a suspicious plume of smoke observed by an airline pilot taking off from Los Angeles International Airport. On Nov. 26, American Airlines Flight 612 took off to the west over the ocean at 12:49 p.m. and made a large left U-turn to parallel the coast. The pilot reported that between 10,000-13,000 ft., when the aircraft was about 15 mi. south of land and heading east, he saw a plume of smoke rising to about half his altitude that emanated from the ocean or coastline, according to the FBI. It was miles away and not directed at the aircraft.
The House has passed a bill making it illegal to aim laser pointers at planes. The Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act amends the federal criminal code to prohibit aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft.
Leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services committees are making progress on a deal to pass the Fiscal 2006 Defense Dept. authorization bill before the holiday recess. The chairmen and senior Democrats from both panels met a couple of times last week, and the game plan calls for floor votes by midweek so the bill can be on President Bush's desk by week's end. An amendment to bar the military from mistreating detainees, engineered by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and approved 90-9 by the Senate, has been a major stumbling block. Bush has threatened a veto.
BBN Technologies has been awarded $16.4 million by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop a system for the Global Autonomous Language Exploitation (GALE) initiative to solve the human language technology problem of transcribing speech and computer-encoded text directly into English text so soldiers, commanders and other decision makers have access to critical information quickly.
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.
NASA will spend $40 million in the current fiscal year and another $130 million in Fiscal 2007 on commercial launches to the International Space Station (ISS), part of a $500-million wedge that could give spaceflight entrepreneurs enough seed corn to begin harvesting profits from orbit. A draft call for proposals outlines a two-stage procurement process that will begin with negotiated agreements between the U.S. space agency and potential launch providers designed to spur launch demonstrations.
Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace will reenter talks with Boeing on Dec. 13 for a four-year contract at the company's Wichita, Kan., factory after members rejected a contract offer in voting Dec. 5. The pay package was lower than what Boeing offered at its Seattle-area factories, members said.
Malaysia may be signing up for four Airbus Military A400M airlifters, but other elements of its ambitious procurement program are being delayed as funding restrictions shackle acquisitions. Combat aircraft upgrade, intra-theater airlifter, and surveillance aircraft programs are all being deferred. The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) is in the midst of a modernization program, the centerpiece of which is the purchase of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM multirole combat aircraft. The four A400Ms will be delivered in 2012-13.
Meterologists are worried that threatened interruptions in the availability of critical oceanography data could limit operational use of such information in weather and climate forecasting, just as oceanography is poised to transition from the realm of science to routine operations.
Bill Hayden, director of supplier performance for Honeywell Aerospace, has been named to the board of directors of the Irvine, Calif.-based Supplier Excellence Alliance.
Airlines' shift to smaller aircraft amid growing economic difficulties raises a red flag for the U.S. Transportation Command's new chief because commercial carriers may be less able to support military missions in times of conflict. The administration is crafting a plan to "assure airlines the business is there" with the Pentagon during peacetime and war, says USAF Gen. Norton Schwartz. The proposal would go to Congress next year.
As ITT's avionics unit moves away from its traditional component supplier role, it is providing more complete suites of electronic warfare equipment and using software to integrate systems into a variety of aircraft.
Only two weeks ago, Lockheed Martin's C-130J program manager and the top USAF uniformed official were crowing that a renegotiated multiyear contract for the airlifters was near signing. But the wind is now out of their sails. McCain demanded the renegotiation to boost congressional oversight of the 60-aircraft deal. The existing arrangement gives the C-130J commercial status, which reduces the amount of data sent to the Pentagon and Congress; McCain wants it to reflect more standard military procurement protocols.
