Satisfied with the outcome of the 2005 Paris air show at Le Bourget last month, the organizers plan to retain this year's four-trade/three-public-day format for June 18-24, 2007.
American Honda's HondaJet flies over the countryside near Greensboro, N.C. Cessna Aircraft, Embraer, Eclipse Aviation and Adam Aircraft also are developing small, turbofan-powered airplanes for the new very light jet market (see p. 44). The twin-engine HondaJet has been in development since late 2003 and will make its public debut this week at the Experimental Aircraft Assn.'s AirVenture 2005 sport aircraft exhibition in Oshkosh, Wis. Mike Fizer photo.
The technology is feasible, but don't bet on fast implementation of the vision for an on-demand, point-to-point air transport system. The NASA-led Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) program is aimed at building technologies that would allow small (4-10 passengers) aircraft access in low-visibility conditions to more than 3,000 underused U.S. airports, particularly those without radar. That vision is the foundation of a future transport system filled with air taxis and personal jets. Yet without access to the airports, the dream would simply vanish.
France's Europe Airpost has suspended passenger-carrying operations for low-cost Flywest. Europe Airpost, which provides aircraft for revenue-generating passenger service, cited failure to make required payments since the start of July as the cause. It further stated it would be willing to resume working with Flywest if the carrier can resolve its financial problems. Europe Airpost, a subsidiary of France's La Poste mail service, operates several aircraft types. These include 147-seat Boeing 737-300s.
Northwest Airlines is preparing to ride out a mechanics' strike that could start anytime after Aug. 20. The National Mediation Board released Northwest and the union, the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Assn. (AMFA), from mediated talks last week, starting a 30-day cooling-off period that could end in a legal walkout. The mediation board's release came after the airline rejected the board's offer of arbitration to settle contract differences developed over months of negotiations.
Safran has recorded first-half 2005 sales totaling 4.9 billion euros ($5.9 billion), a 2.3% increase over the year earlier. The weak dollar depressed sales totals. On a constant-dollar basis, sales would have grown 4.8%. The bulk of Safran sales came from the propulsion side, 1.1 billion euros, with commercial airplane and helicopter engine revenues particularly strong. However, sales in the military and space propulsion business were flat.
The U.S. Army awarded a $41.5-million contract to Boeing to refurbish 70 more AH-64 Apache helicopters. The work is an addition to a 2004 contract that calls for work on 15 of the helicopters. Preferred turnaround time is 60 days.
An Antonov An-24B operated by Equatorial Guinea-based Equatair crashed on July 16, killing six crew and 49 passengers after takeoff on a domestic flight. An An-24 operated by Sudan-based Marsland Aviation was lost last month, killing three people.
Although it wasn't what they planned, managers at Tokyo Narita International Airport and the Japanese transport ministry say they have found a way to extend a second runway to enable larger aircraft to use the nation's busiest international gateway.
The air defense array around the pending shuttle Discovery launch at the Kennedy Space Center will be led, as in the past, by six Florida Air National Guard F-15s, instead of F-16s as earlier envisioned by U.S. Northern Command (AW&ST July 11, p. 26). Although exact basing remains classified, the task has been handled by the ANG's 125th Fighter Wing out of Jacksonville. The F-16s normally used to patrol the East Coast on a daily basis will be available to supplement the F-15s.
The NASA Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, set for launch here Aug. 10, should have enough propellant to operate in Martian orbit four additional years--until 2014--following the loading of more propellant. The orbiter is to obtain extremely detailed global imagery, composition and weather data around which to plan and operate the next 15-20 years of Mars robotic lander and orbiter operations (AW&ST Jan. 31, p. 48).
Bonnie Dalton, who is deputy director of the Science Directorate at the NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif., has received the 2005 Jeffries Aerospace Medicine and Life Sciences Research Award from the Reston, Va.-based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). She was recognized for leadership of groundbreaking flight experiments and payloads in space biology for the past three decades. Ghanshyam P.
On June 29, for the second time in as many months, we forced lawmakers to scramble from the Capitol because pilots violated restricted airspace around Washington (AW&ST July 4, p. 20). In the meantime, with each violation our capital is disrupted, Homeland Security forces are risking their lives and spending precious resources, and everyone under the flight-path is at risk.
George H. Ebbs, Jr. (see photo), president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla., has received the 2005 Gen. Lewis H. Brereton Award from the Florida state organization of the Air Force Assn. The award is presented annually to a Florida civilian for contributions to the aerospace defense of the U.S. Ebbs is an AFA patron and a recent presidential adviser to the group's Aerospace Education Foundation.
China is in line to buy even more defense equipment from Russia this year and could take other steps to significantly bolster its military capability, the Pentagon predicts in its annual, congressionally mandated report on Beijing's military activity.
The French military is expected to use an emerging space-based electronic intelligence technology demonstrator to help determine future operational requirements.
The U.S. military has begun shifting people and equipment to Kigali, Rwanda, to support the African Union's military mission in the Darfur region of Sudan. A C-17 has been deployed from Ramstein AB, Ger-many, to Rwanda to set help set up a logistics hub, from which three U.S. Air Forces Europe C-130s will move people and supplies into Darfur.
To suggest, as Roger T. Horrell does in his letter (AW&ST June 20, p. 6), that deregulation is in any way responsible for airline industry problems is pure folly. Since deregulation, the real cost of airline travel has plummeted, allowing huge numbers of Americans to travel who otherwise would be unable to afford to do so. Air travel in the U.S. has risen 250% since 1978, and that would not have happened if the government were still regulating the industry. Last year, U.S. airlines carried 635 million people with unprecedented safety and reliability.
A Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon broke the display altitude "floor" while being flown on the practice day of the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, England, on July 15. The Typhoon appeared to be within 30 ft. of the ground before beginning to climb out on full afterburner.
UNITED STATES Editor-In-Chief: Anthony L. Velocci, Jr. [email protected] Managing Editor: James R. Asker [email protected] Assistant Managing Editor: Michael Stearns [email protected] Senior Editors: Craig Covault [email protected], David Hughes [email protected] NEW YORK 2 Penn Plaza, 25th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10121 Phone: +1 (212) 904-2000, Fax: +1 (212) 904-6068 Senior News Editor: Nora Titterington
Turkey has completed acquisition plans for 10 Alenia Aeronautica ATR 72ASW aircraft under a $219-million contract that calls for initial deliveries in 2010. Launch customer Turkey announced its intent to use the aircraft by the navy and coast guard for maritime patrol use earlier this year.
Boeing is receiving more positive feedback from airlines on the 747 Advanced, a stretched 747-400. Cargolux, Europe's biggest dedicated freight carrier, says it's ready to enter negotiations for the Advance, and British Airways says the Advanced is a contender against the Airbus A380 for future long-haul fleet upgrades, although BA won't complete the process for several years. Boeing is likely to launch the Advanced by the early fall.
The FAA has certified the Bell 210 helicopter. Initial deliveries are set to begin in November. The 210 uses a rotor system from the Bell 212 and is powered by a Honeywell T-53-517BCV turboshaft engine. In related activity, Bell has delivered the first of six 206L-4 LongRangers to Rotorcraft Leasing Co. for flight operations to and from oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico.
Hong Kong-based AsiaSat has distributed requests for proposals for AsiaSat 5, intended as a "new generation" replacement for AsiaSat 2. AsiaSat 5 is to be launched for an entry into service in 2008 at the 100.5 deg. E. Long. orbital location now held by AsiaSat 2. AsiaSat CEO Peter Jackson says getting a three-year jump on AsiaSat 2's replacement will give the company a chance to launch early, should that satellite not achieve its 13-year life expectancy. AsiaSat also operates AsiaSat 3S and AsiaSat 4 for broadcast and telecommunications services.
6 Correspondence 8-9 Who's Where 10 Market Focus 13 Industry Outlook 15 Airline Outlook 17 In Orbit 18-20 World News Roundup 21 Washington Outlook 60-62 Classified 64 Contact Us 65 Aerospace Calendar
