Joseph Miniace has been named deputy FAA assistant administrator for strategic labor management relations. He was president/CEO of the Pacific Maritime Assn.
Lawmakers give the top two U.S. Air Force space development efforts low-confidence votes, although smaller, unconventional space concepts are the beneficiary of more funding in oversight committee action. The House Armed Services Committee sliced requests for Transformational Satellite (Tsat) and Space Radar (SR) constellations by about half, expressing concern over the rising cost of the service's space-program acquisition efforts. The House panel whacked the $836-million Tsat request by $400 million, while the Senate Armed Services Committee cut it by $200 million.
John Marino has been promoted to vice president-government relations from sales and marketing manager for Asia for New York-based FlightSafety International. He succeeds Tom Mahoney, who has become director of special accounts. Dave Davenport has been promoted to manager of the Savannah (Ga.) Learning Center from assistant manager of the Atlanta Learning Center. He succeeds Jim Dolle, who is retiring.
Austrian airline Styrian Spirit will take delivery of its first Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet next month. The carrier has opted for the General Electric CF34-8C5B1--which was certified earlier this month--making it the lead European customer for the engine type, according to GE. Styrian also operates four Bombardier CRJ200s. GoJet Airlines of St. Louis will become the lead U.S. customer next month, according to GE. The Trans States Holdings subsidiary plans to launch service in August with CF34-powered CRJ700s and will operate as a United Express Carrier.
The Finmeccanica avionics joint venture with BAE Systems, which created two new companies--Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems--included the combining of Galileo Avionica and BAE Systems Avionics. The latter will largely contribute airborne radar, electro-optic and electronic-warfare activities. Selex appears to be the leading contender of the newly created systems as Finmeccanica searches for a new corporate identity. Also last week, the Italian defense giant announced strong first-quarter results, typically a weak period for defense companies.
The U.S. Air Force is preparing its invasion of France. Officials are putting the finishing touches on USAF's Europe-bound aircraft for the Paris air show next month. On the list of assets slated for static display are the F-15 Strike Eagle, F-16C, C-17, C-130J, T-6A, and mock-ups of Northrop Grumman Fire Scout and Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles. The F-16C and C-17 will perform aerial demonstrations as well, USAF officials say.
The British government is under pressure for an early--and positive--decision on launch investment for the Airbus A350, a move that will put London at loggerheads with Washington. Senior aerospace industry officials have written to Prime Minister Tony Blair, and Gordon Brown, head of the government's finance ministry, urging support for the A350. State funding for the aircraft will inevitably intensify the presently simmering row between the European Union and the U.S. over the issue of launch investment--or state aid as Washington views it.
J. Bernard Blake has been promoted to distinguished scientist in the Space Sciences Applications Laboratory at The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, Calif., and Mabel R. Oshiro (see photo) has been promoted to assistant secretary of the corporation from director of corporate communications. Blake was director of the Space Sciences Dept.
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One of China's top aerospace company managers and launch vehicle designers has been arrested on charges of bribery and embezzlement. He is awaiting trial. Li Jianzhong helped design the Long March booster series and for six years headed the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) that builds the Long March.
Dassault Aviation's Falcon 900DX has made its first flight. The 3-hr. 10-min. flight took the 900C upgrade, unveiled a year ago, to an altitude of 41,000 ft. and a top speed of 370 kt. Dassault also selected FlightSafety International to build an initial Falcon 2000EX/900EX EASy convertible flight simulator, to be installed in Teterboro, N.J., and introduced a nose-to-tail warranty plan intended to address the growing number of first-time bizjet customers who do not have a flight department.
Initial flight-test data Airbus is collecting on the A380 suggest tweaks rather than design changes lie ahead, but production plans appear in flux. The turbulence in the build program could have financial implications for 2006, although the extent is unknown. Airbus has had to acknowledge the A380 delivery to launch customer Singapore Airlines (SIA) will be late and EADS officials say total 2006 deliveries will be below projections. Now production plans are being updated, says Airbus Chief Operating Officer Gerard Blanc.
Roberto Pino has become manager of commercial aircraft programs for the Safe Flight Instrument Corp., White Plains, N.Y. He has been an aviation sales and marketing executive at L-3 Communications and Honeywell.
Airbus has received an order (plus an option) for an A300-600 freighter from Galaxy Airlines, a new subsidiary of one of Japan's largest cargo firms, Sagawa Express Co. of Kyoto. Sagawa says it will offer discount fares on freight moving to and from Tokyo. As such, it joins a long list of discount carriers willing to challenge All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines.
Memo to Edmund S. (Kip) Hawley: Here's what awaits if you're confirmed as the fourth Transportation Security Administration chief in less than four years--calls for privatizing TSA's army of federal airport screeners, figuring out how to close an aviation security funding gap and repairing strained relations with the people who control the purse strings. And those are just the issues with Congress.
The House authorization bill also includes language that pushes common platforms among the services. It encourages USAF to consider platform variants already in the inventory for its Personnel Recovery Vehicle (PRV)--a plan sure to spark controversy, as the Lockheed Martin-AgustaWestland US101 was just put on contract with the U.S. Navy for the future presidential transport, after defeating incumbent Sikorsky.
I agree with the viewpoint of USAF Lt. Col. (ret.) Robert J. Brun concerning the decision by a British Airways Boeing 747-400 captain to continue a long-distance transpolar routing with one engine inoperative (AW&ST May 2, p. 8). Quite simply, that airplane should have landed as soon as possible.
Stan Wraight (see photo) has become vice president of the Volga-Dnepr Group of Companies, responsible for AirBridge Cargo (ABC). Denis Ilyin has been promoted to managing director of ABC from director of operations for Volga-Dnepr Airlines. Tony Bauckham (see photo) has been promoted to managing director of Volga-Dnepr U.K. Ltd. from London-based group commercial director, based at London Stansted Airport. He succeeds Evgueni Filatov, who has moved to a new role.
NASA will tap its research and new-technology development accounts--delaying missions or eliminating them outright--to finance near-term priorities, such as closing the gap between the space shuttle and the follow-on Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV).
The pilot of the Cessna 150 that penetrated Washington's no-fly zone May 11 faces possible revocation of his license, according to the FAA. The official grounds for revocation will be detailed when the investigation of the incident, which was set to wrap up late last week, is completed.
The Stand-off Land Attack Missile-Expanded Response (Slam-ER), made by Boeing, recently demonstrated its capability to fly its maximum distance of more than 170 mi. to a direct hit on a target. The missile was dropped from an F/A-18B flying at 40,000 ft., and it received targeting update messages and corrected course twice during flight.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] June 1-3--American Helicopter Society's 61st Annual Forum & Technology Display, Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine, Tex. Call +1 (703) 684-6777, fax +1 (703) 739-9279 or see www.vtol.org June 2-3--Assn. of the U.S. Army Symposium: "Joint C 4 and Space Operations for the Current and Future Force." Westin Long Beach, Calif. Call +1 (310) 764-6550 or see www.ausa.org/glac
Dean Evans has become president of the Chandler, Ariz.-based Triumph Precision Castings subsidiary of the Triumph Group Inc. He was corporate director of aerospace sales and marketing for the Hitchiner Manufacturing Co.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff last week voiced strong support for giving the private sector a major role in airline passenger security screening, as well as developing a registered-traveler screening program. Companies can help the department construct a data-gathering architecture with built-in safeguards against unwarranted invasions of privacy, he says. In addition, the private sector can create a demand for the technology needed for more-effective screening.
