The Bush administration is hammering out the details of a U.S. response if an outbreak of an avian influenza pandemic occurs. While the Homeland Security Dept. "will be the overarching agency in charge," says Brian Doyle, a department spokesman, the Health and Human Services Dept. "will take the lead on anything health related." Specific roles for other entities such as the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection are still being worked on, Doyle says.
Recent U.S. and Russian efforts to sway India's defense market are prompting France, India's third largest arms trading partner, to offer technology transfers and joint ventures to assure its place in the race. Thales International India, formed two years ago to service Thales defense equipment in India, is ready to launch a software company that it will spinoff as a follow-on project, says Thales country head Francois Dupont.
Precision Castparts Corp. has reached an agreement to acquire Shur-Lok, a small aerospace fastener company, for $110 million in cash. The deal is expected to close before year's end.
The world's airline industry, having weathered the severe economic blows of SARS, is poised for more possible germ warfare--this time with a new enemy, avian influenza virus.
NATIONAL BUSINESS AVIATION ASSN. OFFICIALS SAY they are optimistic about attendance at this year's annual meeting and convention, Nov. 9-11 in Orlando, Fla. NBAA President Ed Bolen says, compared to last year, the number of reserved exhibitor booths is up 5%, the number of exhibitors is about the same and there are about 1,000 more pre-registered attendees. The convention was originally set to occur in New Orleans, but Hurricane Katrina forced a change in venue.
Two longtime space fliers who made up the 11th expedition to the International Space Station and a newly fledged space tourist are heading to their terrestrial homes this week after a safe landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan. Russia's Sergei Krikalev, John Phillips of NASA and U.S. businessman Gregory Olsen touched down about 53 mi. northeast of Arkalyk at 9:09 p.m. EDT Oct. 10, which was sunrise at the landing site. All were in apparent good health. Krikalev, the Expedition 11 commander, set a new total lifetime record of 803 days, 9 hr., 39 min.
When Tourism Australia tallied international visitors between July 2004 and June 2005, the numbers were up a healthy 6.9%. But low fares driven by competition from discounters, high fuel bills and an appreciating Australian dollar mean the government tourism agency's report isn't as comforting as it might appear. Qantas, Australia's big network carrier, is feeling pressure from all sides: on the domestic front, from low-cost airlines and internationally, from high-profile carriers looking to the Australian market as a source of new passengers.
In Washington Outlook (AW&ST Oct. 3, p. 23), we're told "[NASA management] will try to make sure the civilian agency takes military needs into account as it shapes an aeronautics program to meet the new national aeronautics policy Congress is likely to order this fall." That's what caused the "scope creep" that morphed the shuttle from its original concept--flying astronauts into space and back--into a behemoth that hauls things the size of Greyhound buses.
In another Wright honor, John Merriken Carter has received the FAA Wright Brothers Master Pilot award for his 65 years as a pilot, in appreciation of his service, expertise and professionalism. The award was presented at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn.'s Air Safety Foundation Seminar at the Oakland (Calif.) Aerospace Museum. A naval officer in World War II, Carter has been flying a 1953 Cessna 180 since it was new and was president/CEO of Carco Electronics.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Oct. 24-26--SAFE Assn. Symposium (Safety, Survival & Flight Equipment). Grand America Hotel, Salt Lake City. Call +1 (541) 895-3012 or see www.safeassociation.com Oct. 24-26--Las Vegas World Aviation Forum. Green Valley Ranch Resort. Call +1 (703) 522-0900, fax +1 (703) 522-0958 or see www.lasvegasaviationforum.com
International Civil Aviation Organization has fixed Dec. 22 for the first-ever trial of the Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) over India, the Bay of Bengal and South Asia. During the trial, all westbound flights crossing defined points in the specified flight information regions will be required to participate in the ATFM operational trial. The ATFM arrangement means all civil flights will be able to use airspace of countries in the region, which will not only help domestic airlines reduce ground delays during rush hours, but also cut flight times and fuel waste.
Christian Duhain has been named head of Amsterdam-based EADS International, the corporate marketing organization of EADS. He succeeds Jean-Paul Gut, who is now chief operating officer for marketing, international and strategy. Duhain was senior vice president-South Asia and Pacific for EADS International.
Net income for Aeroports de Paris grew 83.1% to 89.6 million euros ($107.5 million) in the first half of 2005. Year-on-year revenue grew to 932.2 million euros, a 5.4% increase.
E.C. (Pete) Aldridge, Jr., has been named to receive the 2005 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy from the Washington-based National Aeronautic Assn. The trophy is awarded "for significant public service of enduring value to aviation in the United States." Aldridge's career includes 18 years in the Defense Dept., most recently as undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics. He was Air Force secretary under President Reagan and has been chief executive of The Aerospace Corp. and president of McDonnell Douglas Electronics Systems Co.
David Jan Steele has become vice president of Delta Solutions & Strategies of Colorado Springs. He was a member of the Air Force Senior Executive Service responsible for managing acquisition and sustainment of command and control systems within Norad's Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center.
Swiss International Air Lines is facing continued cost-cutting pressure from its new shareholder, Lufthansa. Lufthansa's Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber confirmed in an interview with a Swiss newspaper that the takeover contract between the companies includes an exit clause. But, "I'm convinced that we will not [exercise] this option," he says.
USAF Lt. Col. (ret.) James E. Bradley (Westmoreland, Kan.)
In "Profiling Noise" (AW&ST Sept. 5, p. 44), Michael Mecham states: "Boeing's test site is a former B-47 bomber Strategic Air Base . . . ." The Glasgow, Mont., base never had B-47s. Air Defense Command F-101s and Strategic Air Command B-52Ds were stationed there. I spent five years at Glasgow from 1963-68 on a B-52D crew. Prior to SAC, the F-101 was stationed there. The base was closed in 1968 and used only as a dispersal alert base until the Cold War ended. Boeing began active use of Glasgow after Mount St. Helens spewed ash on Moses Lake (Larson AFB, Wash.).
Northrop Grumman has received a $64-million contract to help the U.S. Air Force find and qualify technical experts in air defense. The company will hire personnel for the Air Force's intelligence collection and analysis requirement. Also included is operational planning, training, exercise planning and execution, computer systems and network management. Cubic Applications is Northrop's teammate.
Piaggio Aero Industries aims to introduce a new aircraft that offers greater capability than the P.180 twin-pusher turboprop. The new type, currently designated the P1XX, is anticipated for 2010--the P.180 will likely be upgraded and retained. The feasibility study for the project is now focused on finding suitable industrial and financial partners. Birthing the aircraft will likely require upfront spending of 500 million euros ($605 million), which is more than Piaggio can generate on its own.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Michael D. Maples has been nominated for promotion to lieutenant general and appointment as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington. He has been vice director of the Joint Staff.
Jerry B. Agee (see photo) has been named corporate vice president and president of the Mission Systems Sector of the Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman Corp. He was deputy sector president.
A French court investigation of the Air France Concorde accident is finally entering into a critical phase of the years-old inquiry. Although it was set up to determine who bears the legal responsibilities for the July 2000 crash, the scope has been broadened: Investigation judge Christophe Regnard is now wondering whether the Franco-British supersonic transport was allowed to keep its type certification long after serious technical weaknesses were suspected.
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin have reached an out-of-court settlement on a teaming arrangement for the next increment of the Distributed Common Ground Station. Raytheon sued its DCGS partner, Lockheed Martin, after the latter opted to team with rival Northrop Grumman for an upcoming block upgrade competition, raising concerns at Raytheon about protecting proprietary information.
