Heidi Shyu, who is vice president/technical director at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif., has been appointed chair of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, effective Oct. 1. She has been vice chair of the board, which reviews, evaluates and advises senior Air Force leadership on matters of science and technology.
Low-fare carrier AirAsia has boosted its order of A320s by 20 aircraft, bringing the total purchase order that was originally signed in December to 60 aircraft. The airline holds an option for another 40 A320s. The deal makes AirAsia the largest customer for the Airbus type in the Asia-Pacific region, the aircraft maker says. The A320s replace older Boeing 737-300s, flown by AirAsia in Malaysia, Thai AirAsia, and Awair in Indonesia. The aircraft will be powered by CFM56-7B turbofans.
Sagem and French defense research agency Onera have agreed to jointly fund an airborne platform to test new-generation electronic systems for unmanned aerial vehicles. The platform, dubbed the Busard (Harrier), will consist of a Stemme S10-VT powered glider equipped with two pods for test payloads. Under a five-year agreement, Onera will operate the system, which could be made available to third-party users.
Ava C. Sumpter-Shubat, a Dassault Falcon 50EX pilot, has been elected president of Southaven, Miss.-based Women in Corporate Aviation. Other elected officers are: vice president, Karin Proctor, a Bombardier Challenger captain; treasurer, Gay Williams, a Gulfstream G-IV and G-V captain; and secretary, Carol Foy, a contract BE20 copilot.
World News Roundup 18 Shuttle orbiter Discovery ready for external tank and boosters 19 Taiwan developing an air-launched powered standoff weapon 19 JPL plans to make up for poor Deep Impact focus 20 Bombardier posts modest revenue increase for past year World News & Analysis 24 Basics of stealth being reexamined in advance of major overhaul 26 Propulsion systems quickly becoming a key to next stealth platforms
At a macro level, "military space" as a distinct community is becoming an endangered species as "space" becomes more and more integrated with other Defense Dept. mission areas. How that will ultimately affect the evolving national security space community, its ambitious acquisition programs and tighter Pentagon budgets is difficult to predict (see p. 51).
Joseph Dodd has been appointed vice president-business development for the Northrop Grumman Corp. Information Technology Sector's TASC unit, McLean, Va. He was vice president-federal alliances for Space Imaging.
Aircraft engine and airborne systems maker Snecma plans to take full control of SMA, a small French company that specializes in building diesel engines for light aircraft. Demand for SMA products is strong, but certification has been hampered by the slow pace of regulatory change. Industry sources suggest consolidated ownership might enable greater resources to be brought to bear in dealing with this problem.
Breaches in transport safety, marked by violations by Japan Airlines, has prompted Japan's transport ministry to conduct safety checks on the country's 22 airlines, 203 railway companies and all of its civil and military air traffic control centers.
Scott R. Winter and Stefanie Gates have been named to receive the 2005 Dr. Harold S. Wood Award for Excellence from the Washington-based General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. The annual award, in honor of Wood, who was founder/past executive director of the National Intercollegiate Flying Assn., "recognizes top students enrolled in NIFA member schools who demonstrate academic excellence while promoting aviation on campus as well as in their community." Winter is a senior majoring in aviation with a minor in aviation weather at the University of Minnesota.
A test stand fire at the SpaceX facility in McGregor, Tex., shouldn't impact the latest scheduled launch date for the company's Falcon I commercial smallsat launcher, according to company founder and bankroller Elon Musk. A ground computer balked last month during acceptance tests of the Merlin first-stage engine, incorrectly registering low pressure in the fuel tank and boosting the helium pressurization system to compensate.
After entering the Chinese and Russian markets, German travel giant TUI is eyeing a partnership with an Indian travel firm, according to Chairman/CEO Michael Frenzel. He said TUI also will consider expanding its no-frills airline activity, following a 75% surge in operating earnings for the tourist division last year, to 362 million euros.
Arthur E. Johnson has been appointed to the board of directors of Delta Air Lines. He is senior vice president-corporate strategic development of the Lockheed Martin Corp.
David W. Zolet (see photo) has become Washington-based vice president-corporate business development for the Northrop Grumman Corp. He was vice president-homeland security within the Northrop Grumman's Information Technology Sector.
Elbit Systems has completed the acquisition of Israel Military Industries' Aircraft Systems Div., which builds weapon pylons and external fuel tanks for fighters. The deal is valued at about $7 million. Elbit's Cyclone subsidiary executed the purchase.
EADS is establishing a so-called blue-force tracking network for NATO troops in Kosovo and the Balkans under a 13-million-euro contract from the alliance's Consultation, Command and Control Agency. At first, the Interim Forces Tracking System will be extended to 142 vehicles, with up to 600 vehicles to be in the network this summer. To reduce operating costs, data are exchanged over a private radio network that NATO's Kosovo units operate. A satellite link is possible when the radio network isn't available.
Glenn J. Brown (see photo) has been appointed president/chief operating officer of Stevens Aviation, Greenville, S.C. He was vice president-aftermarket and customer service for corporate and regional aircraft for Rolls-Royce Engines.
Neelam Mathews (New Delhi), Michael Mecham (San Francisco)
Bringing the Boeing F/A-18 into play as a potential choice to fill India's requirement for a new multirole fighter is casting a different light on the traditional tension between India and Pakistan on the acquisition of new weapon systems.
With this issue, John M. Doyle joins the Washington Bureau of Aviation Week & Space Technology as congressional editor. Doyle comes to the magazine from Aviation Week's Homeland Security & Defense newsletter. Before that, he had a long career with the Associated Press in Washington, New York and South Bend, Ind. Doyle is a graduate of Fordham University, studied on the graduate level at New York University and was a fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
TAP Portugal reported slightly higher than expected 2004 earnings, with a profit of 8.6 million euros. Earnings were depressed because fuel costs for the year were 72 million euros higher than expected.
European Automated Transfer Vehicles (ATVs) can begin sending tons of logistics supplies to the International Space Station as early as 2006, now that the U.S./Russian crew has outfitted the exterior of the ISS with the final communications and GPS antennas needed for ATV rendezvous and docking.
Rolls-Royce and Cathay Pacific have agreed to long-term maintenance contracts, worth some $770 million, covering the Trent 800 engines on the airline's Boeing 777s and Trent 500s on Airbus A340-600s.
