Raymond W. Boushie has been named to the board of directors of the Astronics Corp., East Aurora, N.Y. He is retiring as president/CEO of Crane Aerospace & Electronics.
Lockheed Martin production of the F/A-22 and C-130J, as well as C-5 modifications, could survive a "matter of some weeks" without major disruption if employees go on strike Mar. 8 as threatened, say company insiders. Parts and subassemblies in the supply line, as well as the efforts of salaried employees to keep production going, are expected to buy the company some time. Lockheed Martin officials have already communicated their strike- contingency plans to U.S. Air Force leadership.
The U.S. Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $414.4-million contract for advanced purchases for 24 Lot 6 F/A-22 stealth fighters. Work is to be completed by October 2005. Lockheed also snagged a $37.8-million contract for Spiral 1 modification kits for A-10 close-air support aircraft.
USAF Col. Scott E. Wuesthoff has become deputy director for plans and programs of the Air Mobility Command (AMC), Scott AFB, Ill. He has been chief of the Global Mobility Div. under the deputy chief of staff for plans and programs at USAF Headquarters at the Pentagon. Wuesthoff will succeed Brig. Gen. Marshall K. Sabol. Succeeding Wuesthoff will be Col. Mark F. Ramsay, who has been commander of the 319th Air Refueling Wing, Grand Forks AFB, N.D. Col. William J. Bender will succeed Ramsay.
Belgium will not participate in the first phase of the French-led Neuron unmanned combat aerial vehicle program, says Charles Edelstenne, chairman/CEO of industrial team leader Dassault Aviation. Edelstenne says Brussels was unable to obtain the necessary investment approvals in time, but could join at a later stage. Six nations--France, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Greece and Switzerland--have already agreed to pursue the 300-million-euro ($396.8-million) undertaking (AW&ST Sept. 20, 2004, p. 31).
In the Industry Outlook item "More Jobs" (AW&ST Feb. 14, p. 17), the year-end aerospace industry employment figure should have been 607,100 with a growth of 27,400 jobs from February to December 2004.
Cathay Pacific Airways has added its 13th freighter and 88th aircraft to its fleet--a new Boeing 747-400F. The aircraft is to operate between Hong Kong and Singapore before being put into service on European cargo routes. A Boeing 777-300 will be added in April to be followed by three Airbus A330-300s, all part of the carrier's aggressive expansion plans this year. By 2007, another 777-300 and three A330-300s are to be added. Cathay will also acquire eight used 747-400s to be reconfigured for use as passenger and freighter aircraft.
Susan D. Lynch (see photos) has been appointed chief financial officer for the Raytheon Technical Services Co. (RTSC), Reston, Va. She has been assistant corporate controller for Honeywell International's Global Business Services. Torkel Patterson has become president of Washington-based Raytheon International Inc. He succeeds Sue Baumgarten, who is now deputy general manager of RTSC. Patterson was deputy assistant secretary of State for South Asian affairs and senior adviser to Ambassador Howard Baker in Tokyo.
President Vladimir Putin is ordering the government to pave the way for the consolidation of its aircraft manufacturing sector, and the creation of a single company. Putin earlier this month met with aerospace industry leaders over the need to improve domestic manufacturers' competitiveness. He said the government is to prepare a decree and detailed action plan to consolidate Russia's leading firms.
Officials of the Texas Airplane Factory expect to complete flight tests this spring of a reproduction Japanese Ki-43 fighter that made its first flight on Feb. 21 at Meacham Airport. Test pilot Richard Foy flew the airplane for 30 min., leaving the landing gear extended. Maximum airspeed was about 140 kt., and Foy remained in the traffic pattern for the flight. Upcoming flights will explore the stall regime followed by mild aerobatics, according to TAF manager George Tischler.
Oliver Foot has returned as president/executive director of New York-based Orbis International. He was executive director from 1983-95 and also has been a member of the Orbis board of directors and chairman of the Orbis Charitable Trust in the U.K.
M.J. (Mike) Benzakein (see photo) has been named chairman of the Aerospace Engineering Dept. and Nawal Taneja chairman of the Aviation Dept. at the Ohio State University College of Engineering, Columbus, Ohio. Taneja was chairman of the previously combined Aerospace Engineering and Aviation Dept. Benzakein was Wright Brothers Institute Professor in Aerospace Engineering and had been general manager for advanced technology and military engineering at GE Aircraft Engines.
Malaysia has disappointed Asia's largest budget carrier, AirAsia, by sticking to plans for a single airport terminal concept dominated by the nation's biggest airline, over a dedicated terminal for budget carriers. The government said the $25-million terminal will be built at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, which handled 20 million passengers last year. AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandez lobbied to switch the location to Kuala Lumpur's old airport at Subang, saying operations there could be 20% cheaper and allow faster turnarounds.
Canada's WestJet, like its U.S.-based alter ego Southwest Airlines, tends to do most things right. It has won a good name for reliable service and customer care. The airline has implemented new technologies much to its advantage, and its founders have devised a formula for keeping costs down, its employees on their toes and travelers happy.
FAA has issued a proposed rule that would require upgrades to aircraft data recorders in the U.S. fleet. Although the last three years were the safest in aviation history, noted FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey, the rule aims to have accident investigators extract crucial data that then can be analyzed and lead to enhanced safety. Under the proposed rule, cockpit voice recorders (CVRs) would operate continuously from the time pilots begin their prestart checklists, and be required to retain 2 hr. of recording time compared with the current 15-30 min.
David Freeman has been named U.K.-based general manager for fuels for Aircraft Service International Group-Europe. Freeman has been technical services manager for Aviation Fuel Services at London Heathrow Airport. D. Bradley Keith has become national fuel quality and compliance manager for ASIG in Orlando, Fla. He was regional manager for fuel operations for Southwest Airlines.
Italian engine maker Avio says it plans to issue 350 million euros in corporate bonds to help pay down debt incurred when Avio was bought by Carlyle Group and Finmeccanica in late 2004. Avio has already reduced debt to 731 million euros, from 813 million euros in late 2003, in preparation for an initial public offering in 2006 (AW&ST Dec. 13, 2004, p. 50). Last week, the company posted a drop in revenues to 1.22 billion euros in 2004, from 1.27 billion euros in 2003.
M7 Aerospace has acquired Worldwide Aircraft Services, a Springfield, Mo.-based MRO provider that specializes in maintenance, repair and overhaul of Fairchild Metro and Merlin turboprops. In addition, Worldwide has been named by M7 as a factory-authorized Fairchild service center. San Antonio-based M7 Aerospace now holds the FAA type certificates and has become the legacy OEM for the Metro and Merlin, according to the company.
The Air Force is consolidating its information technology and network integration offices under one new entity at the Pentagon to tear down--rather than mend--existing fences within the service to unify and "operationalize" the service's vast and disparate data networks.
Focusing on competition with Chinese carriers as well as among its own international giants, the U.S. Transportation Dept. intends to establish Continental Airlines this spring as the third U.S. passenger carrier serving China and American Airlines in March 2006 as the fourth.
Alcatel Space will head a European Union research project to develop mobile broadband satellite systems for aircraft, trains and ships. The 24-month project, dubbed Mowgly for Mobile Wideband Global Link System, which is valued at 12.6 million euros ($16.6 million), is intended to test prototype communication chains, and in particular cost-efficient terminals, using the DVB-S2 and DVB-RCS standards. In addition to Alcatel, 16 companies will be involved, including Airbus, Rockwell Collins and Eutelsat.
In an effort to avoid striking out in its third try at congressional approval for a space-based radar system, the Air Force has established a Washington-based Space Radar program executive office, appointing Brig. Gen. John (Tom) Sheridan to head it. The Air Force's old Space-Based Radar program office was located with the rest of its space systems offices at Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles. Sheridan will lead the Air Force's effort to demonstrate space radar technologies in a mission set for launch in 2008.
Representatives of Lockheed Martin's Orlando, Fla., facility received the first BAE Systems Avionics-made laser system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's electro-optical targeting system last week, in a ceremony in Edinburgh, Scotland. The system allows precision range measurements and designates targets for laser-guided weapons.
William B. Scott (Colorado Springs), David H. Gollings (Atlanta)
The aerospace industry is responding to the siren's call of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), open-source and flexible software, oblivious to the virtual rocks and shoals that have ripped the hulls of countless civilian and military development programs. And yet, new-generation engineers and program managers believe it'll be different this time.
Jason Steele's critique of legacy carriers (AW&ST Feb. 14, p. 10) is an example of the naive shortsightedness behind deregulation. Granted, we all benefit from lower fares and more choices. But is it fair to penalize legacy carriers for years of route building, fleet investment, and airport development? Furthermore, does Steele realistically expect legacy carriers to absorb losses, make additional investment and cut costs quickly enough to meet LCC competition while remaining solvent?
