Safety risks at the Boston Tracon, denial of access to the Defense Dept. school system for FAA employees' children in Puerto Rico and Guam, understaffing and a "reduced . . . margin of safety" at the Syracuse, N.Y., tower--such are the grim stories as the National Air Traffic Controllers Assn. turns up the press release pressure on the FAA these days. On July 1 comes "FAA to Controllers Looking Out for Safety: You're Dismissed!" It turns out the agency decided to cut the last nine controller slots at FAA headquarters for liaison and feedback on modernization programs.
Tim Wray has been named general manager of the Signature Flight Support fixed-base operations at Jacksonville (Fla.) International Airport and nearby Cecil Field. He was general manager of the Raytheon Aircraft Services operation at the Van Nuys, Calif., airport.
Continental Airlines reports June statistics that bear out earlier indications that the carrier may have turned a profit in the second quarter. As airlines prepare to issue their financial reports in the coming weeks, Continental estimates that its consolidated unit revenue increased 6-7% in June, following gains of 2.2% in April and 9.5% in May. Profitability turns on whether revenues caught up with costs, considering big year-over-year increases in fuel prices. Another favorable indication: Unrestricted cash and short-term investments grew from $1.4 billion on Mar.
Thales will incorporate lithium-ion battery technology from GS Yuasa of Japan in the electrical power conversion system for Boeing's 787. The French electronics contractor says this will be the first use of Li-ion in a commercial aviation application. The batteries, which offer double the energy capacity as comparable nickel-cadmium units and can charge from 0 to 90% in just 75 min., will be used for Auxiliary Power Unit and emergency power backup.
Honeywell Aerospace is reducing its workforce of avionics engineers by about 400 personnel including subcontractor positions. A Honeywell official says the cutback is not related to the recently announced reorganization of Honeywell Aerospace, which also could affect employment in the commercial electronic systems business unit.
Britain is confronted by a choice of moving to sign up for an improved version of the U.S. Trident D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile or pursuing a potentially genuinely independent--and initially significantly more expensive--nuclear delivery system. The government is using an investment decision on whether to pursue the improved version of the Trident II D5, the D5A, as an opportunity to evaluate the British nuclear posture--and the nature of its strategic weaponry.
The U.K.'s air force chief is cautioning that key issues still clouding British involvement in the U.S. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter must be resolved soon. Air Chief Marshal Jock Stirrup says there is "clearly a growing urgency" in addressing technology access and the related ability to independently support and upgrade the aircraft.
Arianespace says the launch of Thailand's Ipstar-1 (Thaicom 4) initially set for July 8, then July 11, has now been delayed "several days" for additional checks. Ipstar-1 will be one of the largest telecom satellites, with a total bandwidth of 45 Gbps. Also, satellite owner Shin Satellite has ordered a new spacecraft, Thaicom 5, from Alcatel Space. The satellite was a backup for Thaicom 3, launched in 1997. The K u/C-band spacecraft is to be delivered next year to replace Thaicom 1 and 2.
Karl Kettler's letter about using idle airports sits well with me. But in order for his type of thinking to be taken seriously by all the decision-makers in the business there are many other considerations when using an unused airport. Just to overcome the technical problems of safe separation is expensive and will take years to get off the ground (AW&ST June 13, p. 54).
While recent British trials of Boeing's ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle have gone well, at least one UAV received an inadvertent dunking. The UAV was being tested as part of the British Defense Ministry's Joint UAV Experimentation Program (JUEP). Trials covered the control of a UAV from a Royal Navy Type 23 frigate using a range off the northwest coast of Scotland. For the purpose of the tests the UAV was launched and recovered from land.
Gerard A. (Duke) Dufresne (see photo) has been appointed vice president for Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare Systems for the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Integrated Systems Sector (ISS), Bethpage, N.Y. He succeeds Philip A. Teel, who is now corporate vice president/president of the Ship Systems Sector. Dufresne was vice president/deputy of ISS' Air Combat Systems, El Segundo, Calif.
World News Roundup 18 London terror attacks have limited effect on air transportation 18 Vickers Vimy recreates 1919 nonstop transatlantic flight 19 Privatization of German ATC provider faces delay due to early election 20 Boeing Wedgetail program will move to mission systems flight tests 20 James Stockdale dies, was Medal of Honor winner, naval aviator, POW Cover Story 28 Deep Impact controllers to set trajec- tory for possible second comet visit
Modeled on low-cost domestic airlines in the U.S. and Europe, four-year-old Gol Linheas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. has captured 27% of the fledgling passenger market in Brazil. Gol--Portuguese for "goal," a play on the immense popularity of soccer in Brazil--was started by the Aurea Group, Brazil's leading bus transportation company. This year, the airline plans to increase seat capacity by 50%, adding 13 planes to its all-Boeing 737 fleet for a total of 40 aircraft.
The conclusion of two mergers--one big, one small--is expected to further consolidate Europe's satellite industry while maintaining multiple sources of supply for institutional buyers. On July 1, Alcatel and Finmeccanica concluded long negotiations to join their space manufacturing and service activities in a move intended, among other things, to reduce overcapacity and fragmentation in the commercial satellite market.
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) Oct. 18-20--MRO Europe. Estrel Hotel & Convention Center, Berlin. Nov. 8-10--MRO Asia, Suntec City, Singapore. Nov. 14-16--A&D Programs & Productivity Conference, Phoenix. PARTNERSHIPS Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Seminars:
The Mexican navy has taken delivery of two Eurocopter Panther helicopters, part of a contract for two aircraft plus eight options concluded in 2003. The Arriel 2C-powered Panther, the military version of the Dolphin, will be used for coast guard, search and rescue, surveillance, drug enforcement and troop transport.
Andrew J. Schickling (see photos) has been appointed principal director of Navy Space Systems at The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, Calif. He was principal director of the Space Based Infrared System High Space Segment. Kevin M. Severin has been promoted to principal director of the Network Systems and Services Subdivision in El Segundo from director of the Technology and Architecture Dept. At the company's office in Chantilly, Va., Kevin D. Bell has been named principal director of the Concepts and Applications Directorate, and John E.
Mike Bonds has been named senior vice president-human resources and labor relations for Continental Airlines, succeeding Michael H. Campbell who retired at the end of 2004. Bonds was vice president-human resources.
The Pentagon is considering dropping its goal of maintaining a force capable of fighting two major overlapping conflicts and adopting, instead, a requirement that calls for readiness to fight only a single war at a time.
Another small fry has come under the protection of a big fish in Japan's airline market. Star Flyer, a startup in Kita-Kyushu on Kyushu Island, says All Nippon Airways has taken it on as a regional carrier. Star Flyer expects to begin operations next March using Airbus A320s when a new Kita-Kyushu airport opens. The offshore airport will have a single 2,500-meter (8,200-ft.) runway and will replace a facility that is difficult to approach because of surrounding hills. Star Flyer's initial flights will be to Tokyo.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] July 19-21--International Aviation Safety Management Symposium. Mitre Center for Advanced Aviation System Development, McLean, Va. Call +1 (703) 983-3562 or see www.mitrecaasd.org/safety July 25-27--Institute for Defense and Government Advancement's "Nanotechnology for Defense." Georgetown Conference Center, Washington. Call +1 (800) 882-8684, fax +1 (973) 256-0205 or see www.idga.org
Edmond J. Thomas has become technology policy adviser and a partner in the Washington law firm of Harris, Wiltshire and Grannis. He was chief of the Office of Engineering and Technology at the Federal Communications Commission.
A low-fare airline that has captured more than one-quarter of the passenger market in Brazil is setting its sights on Mexico. Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes and several Mexican partners have unveiled plans to create a low-cost domestic airline in Mexico based on Gol's model. Financial details, and regulatory licenses and routes, still need to be worked out, but Gol says it hopes the yet-to-be-named airline could begin flying in the second quarter of 2006.
The Iraqi air base known to Americans for 15 years as Tallil is, and always has been, named Ali Base by Iraqis. It was an important target for U.S. strike aircraft in 1991 and was quickly occupied in 2003 by coalition troops, becoming their major air base in southern Iraq. It seems it was incorrectly labeled Tallil on Defense Dept. maps. "It's a bit of a mystery," says Lt. Gen. Walter Buchanan, 3rd, chief of U.S. Central Command Air Forces. "We don't know why. . . ." Now the home of the Iraq air force's new C-130 unit, it has been renamed Ali Base by Maj. Gen.
