U.S. Special Operations Command is planning upgrades for its MH-47 helicopters. The command issued a $19-million contract to Rolls-Royce for the purchase of up to 100 infrared suppressor kits, which help to mask the heat signature of helicopters in flight.
A recovery in the commercial aerospace sector is fueling growth in sales and profits at U.S. contractors, which have begun rolling out financial results for the quarter ended June 30. Summaries are listed below. Due out this week are earnings from B/E Aerospace, Boeing, EDO, Goodrich, L-3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Rockwell Collins.
Road warriors. For some, that moniker is a little too literal. Take Hugh Dykes, a composite materials salesman based in Mobile, Ala. He makes good money. His company lets him arrange his own travel and doesn't second-guess him on the expenses. On average, he is on the road once a week, fully armed with cell phone and laptop computer with a wireless link. There's just one thing that doesn't fit the stereotype of the hard-charging business traveler--typically, he's sitting behind the wheel of his own car.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Aug. 1-4--Fatigue Concepts' Short Course: "Fatigue, Fracture Mechanics and Damage Tolerance." Hartford (Conn.) Graduate Center. Call +1 (916) 933-5000 or see www.fatcon.com Aug. 7-11--American Astronautical Society/American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Astrodynamics Specialist Conference. Lake Tahoe, Calif. Call +1 (703) 866-0020, fax +1 (703) 866-3526 or see www.astronautical.org
Noah Rifkin has been named director of legislative affairs for CUBRC, Buffalo, N.Y. He remains director for strategic planning and partnerships for the affiliated Center for Transportation Injury Research.
Jet Propulsion Laboratory controllers on July 20 changed the course of their Deep Impact spacecraft to fly by the Earth in December 2007, positioning it for a possible gravity assist to encounter another comet or other solar system body. Deep Impact observed the comet Tempel 1 on July 4 as it was struck by an impactor released by the flyby spacecraft (AW&ST July 11, pp. 28 and 66). NASA Headquarters had not approved a follow-on mission at the time of the successful encounter, and now is soliciting proposals for further science investigations. They are due by Sept.
Early this year, General Dynamics Corp. Chairman/CEO Nicholas D. Chabraja lectured financial analysts who were projecting the company could earn $7 a share in 2005. "I'm trying to slow you guys down, you're getting too far ahead of me," he complained. "It almost doesn't matter what I say any more--people add on to it." Last week, after announcing second-quarter financial results that beat Wall Street's expectations, Chabraja rolled out his new earnings estimate: $7.05 a share. "I'm embarrassed," he allowed.
Airbus A380 fuel-burn efficiency is being decreased to meet airport noise regulations. This is just one of myriad balancing acts manufacturers are facing in addressing environmental concerns. The British Royal Aeronautical Society last week spelled out the challenges to the commercial air transport sector in grappling with "green" issues. At the top of the list is "establishing a more robust understanding of the impact of aviation on the atmosphere and climate," says John Green, chairman of the science and technology subgroup.
Bravo, Rolls-Royce, for its increasing concern over the environmental impact of commercial aviation (AW&ST June 6, p. 24). But why doesn't the industry realize that the cost of fuel-burn on the ground is as expensive as in the air, the former yielding inches, feet or yards per gallon; the latter, miles. We must move aircraft from the Jetway to the runway by energy-efficient, environmentally friendly methods. Anyone who has exited JFK at 7 p.m. in that transatlantic parade should understand fuel waste and the effects of ground emissions.
BAE Systems Chairman Dick Olver recently spoke on economic globalization and export controls at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington. This is adapted from his speech.
USN Capt. (ret.) G.R. Allender (Severna Park, Md.)
In reading articles about the P-8A Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy, I have become concerned that the aircraft is being put together by wannabes rather than "been there, done that" types. Indicative of that is the statement in "Boeing Alters Wing Design for P-8A MMA" (AW&ST June 6, p. 20): "Navy aircraft will have to spend hours in clouds and bad weather at around 15,000 ft., where they are more subject to ice buildup than at higher altitudes."
The Air Traffic Control Assn. is urging senators not to support the U.S. House of Representatives' recent vote to withdraw funding from the FAA's Automated Flight Service Station contract. The $1.9-billion outsourcing award went to Lockheed Martin after a 14-month study. The Senate has included funding for the contract so differences will have to be worked out in a conference committee. ATCA President Paul P. Bollinger, Jr., points out that the contract is estimated to save the FAA $2.2 billion during a time when air traffic capacity is expected to triple within 15 years.
The European Court of Justice has struck down SAS Scandinavian Airlines' appeal of a 39-million-euro fine imposed by the European Commission. The fine was levied in 2001 because SAS and Danish airline Maersk Air divided some routes in violation of European trade rules.
Midwest Airlines has been aggressive with its ticket pricing promotions as evidenced by its drive to fill aircraft mid-week. Most one-way fares offered last week were less than $100, with exceptions for the longer-haul Florida and West Coast markets. In June, the carrier's 192,000 passengers represented a 41% increase over figures from June of 2004. Yield at 12.24 cents per mi. declined 2.7% from a year previous.
XM Satellite Radio will help WorldSpace Inc. develop its satellite radio business in Africa and Asia as part of a cooperation deal. The agreement also includes a $25-million XM "strategic investment" in WorldSpace and warrants to acquire another $37.5 million in WorldSpace stock.
A reinforced army of shuttle engineers is marching toward the launch of Discovery as early as July 26, armed with evidence that a combination of subtle electrical grounding and electromagnetic interference (EMI) factors caused the sensor readings that halted the first attempt. The nationwide NASA/contractor team assessing the fuel engine cutoff (ECO) sensor problem is in a crucible where aggressive analysis to resolve an increasingly time-critical problem is being mixed with a potent dose of post-Columbia accident oversight.
Starting this week, hundreds--perhaps thousands--of frequent fliers out of Florida's Orlando International Airport will be able to bypass some of the time-consuming headaches of airport security before boarding. Using a translucent plastic smart card containing biometric identifiers, these pre-screened travelers are able to breeze past regular security checkpoints to a special designated lane. And unless they set off the metal detector, or the X-ray machine turns up something suspicious in their carry-on bags, they'll also avoid random secondary screening.
Airline executives familiar with the past year's Registered Traveler pilot-project operations believe the program has accomplished little or nothing for their customers, and they take a dim view of its future. "It's been a non-event," says a manager at one of the participating carriers. "You won't find a passenger or anyone at the airline who'll say it amounted to anything."
Suddenly, India's commercial aviation industry is booming, with billion-dollar investment pledges for new entrants prodding legacy carriers to rethink their strategies. It's not entirely a rosy scenario. India's airport infrastructure is sorely lacking and there's concern that safety cannot be sustained if expansion comes too quickly. Coverage begins on page 46. India Today photo.
Rusty Cramer has been named general manager of the West Palm Beach, Fla., facility of General Dynamics Aviation Services. He was manager of customer warranty programs at corporate headquarters in Savannnah, Ga.
Hiring former United Airlines chief Rono Joy Dutta with his three decades of aviation experience seems to have paid off for Air Sahara. He's leading the young airline during a heady time. Competition is heating up domestically and India has shifted from a protectionist stance to a more embracing one through a string of new bilateral air service agreements that increase international flight opportunities.
A final vote is due this week on a bill that will give the Japan Defense Agency director general the right to order missile interceptors into action without waiting for approval by the premier or cabinet in emergencies.
Astro-E2 is expected to begin X-ray observatory operations in August following launch July 10 from Japan's Uchinoura Space Center. The fifth X-ray telescope launched by the Japanese space agency JAXA, Astro-E2 carries a joint Japanese-U.S. science payload similar to the one on Astro-E, which was lost in February 2000 when an M-5 booster failed.
