The U.S. Navy is on the way to becoming a major player in directed infrared countermeasures for helicopters and, later, fighters, expanding on its aggressive program of upgrading Marine Corps helicopters headed to Iraq.
While I respect his thoughts, I really chuckled at former American Airlines President Robert L. Crandall's comment: "labor costs, pure and simple." Pilots at Southwest make more than those at American, United and US Airways. How come no one talks about management plans: more room in coach, less room in coach; open and close hubs in Nashville, Raleigh-Durham and San Jose; have 11 different fleet types; buy three airlines in the last 15 years, then eliminate most if not all of the aircraft and keep the employees.
European Space Agency planners are looking ahead to the day when ISS assembly is complete and the space shuttle permanently retired, depriving scientists of its capability to return bulky experiments and test samples to Earth for study. Although the first flight of the European Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV) is still a year away, engineers are already studying ways to replace its pressurized cargo section with a recoverable unit that could augment the minuscule down-mass capability of Soyuz capsules.
Boeing has commenced flight-testing of the first of 17 NATO E-3 AWACS aircraft being upgraded under the $1.3-billion mid-term modernization program. The program is one of those implicated in the recent controversy surrounding former Air Force acquisition chief Darleen Druyun, who, the Pentagon's inspector general found, awarded a contract under the program without proper cost considerations. Testing of the first aircraft is to be completed by March, Boeing says.
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Keeping up with today's more powerful laptops is prompting cabin systems suppliers to improve power to cabin seats. Kid-Systeme of Buxtehude, Germany, an Airbus subsidiary that provides its aircraft with cabin systems, has introduced ISPC Plus (In-Seat Power Supply Converters) with a capacity of 150 watts to three sockets in each seat row. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems has a similar capacity in its EmPower AC "Fusion" power supply for Airbus or Boeing aircraft.
Brent Davies (see photo) has been appointed manager of technical completions, James Aspell vice president-business development and John Brodeur vice president-sales and marketing, all for Aerospace Concepts of Montreal. Davis was project coordinator for Global Express warranty and aftermarket service, Aspell was director of customer account management and interior aircraft sales, and Brodeur was a Mexico-based vice president-business development and marketing, all for Bombardier Aerospace.
Indonesian domestic carrier Batavia Air has taken delivery of the first two of five Boeing 737-200s it is buying from Latin American operator Copa Airlines. The remaining three aircraft will be delivered within the next six months. Batavia already operates a fleet of 737-200 and -400 aircraft.
Predicting that 75% of U.S. airlines' capacity could be operating under bankruptcy court protection next year, the Business Travel Coalition is urging Congress to authorize a formal contingency plan to avoid poor crisis decisions. BTC recommends the Transportation Research Board prepare a list of policy options.
Audits of state-run safety offices, carried out by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), will be expanded to cover all aspects of commercial aviation, but one official scolded unnamed countries for not promptly responding to advice on how to comply with international safety standards. In an address to the 35th assembly in Montreal, William Voss, director of ICAO's Air Navigation Bureau, commented: "It is imperative that the aviation community does more than prepare itself for a new round of audits. It must commit to act on the results.
With the Ansari X Prize won, NASA's exploration systems organization is getting ready to announce a prize of its own, designed to spur space technology. Just as the X Prize gave birth to SpaceShipOne and some worthy competitors in the race to nongovernment human suborbital flight, NASA's "Centennial Challenges" program hopes to generate technology needed for human exploration.
New Zealand has tapped L-3 Communications' Integrated Systems to upgrade its fleet of six P3-K maritime patrol airplanes operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Plans call for replacing the data management, radar, electro-optics, communication and navigation systems. The first airplane will be modified at L-3's facility in Greenville, Tex., the remaining five in New Zealand.
Aviation Week & Space Technology overstated the status of FAA and JAA certification of Boeing's satellite-based Global Landing System, in the Sept. 20 issue (p. 45). Flight tests have been completed, but the paperwork process is still underway. Certification is expected by year-end.
Air New Zealand is acquiring 17 Bombardier 50-seat Dash 8 Q300 turboprop aircraft for its Link carrier Air Nelson, which will replace 17 Saab 340As. ANZ has options for an additional 10 Q300s and 13 Q400 70-seat transports. Deliveries will start in July at a rate of one aircraft every six weeks. The 17 aircraft are valued at U.S. $269.5 million, which the carrier intends to pay off with debt instruments. If the options are taken, the amount could increase to $716 million.
Japan's government is rethinking the business case for the Quasi-Zenith satellite program to develop a new generation of spacecraft that will combine global positioning services with a communications and broadcasting mission. Among the innovative ideas being proposed: use the satellites to control Japan's rail network (AW&ST Feb. 23, p. 96). The program mixes development funding--$820 million from the government, $730 million from industry--and is headed toward launching a three-satellite network beginning in 2008.
America's Founding Fathers never saw an airplane, but they valued transportation. George Washington, for one, spent years promoting plans for a canal from the Potomac River over the Appalachians to the Ohio River. Transportation meant liberty, economic growth and national unification. Washington would never understand why our government prevents law-abiding Americans from flying their own aircraft into his namesake city. He knew all about national defense and military threats, but I'm sure Washington would see these restrictions for what they are: political cowardice.
Kent Craver, manager of onboard product marketing and research for Continental Airlines, has been elected president of the McLean, Va.-based World Airline Entertainment Assn. He succeeds Mary Rogozinski, manager of onboard systems planning for United Airlines. Other officers are: vice president, Maver Mayuga, product research and development officer for Philippine Airlines; secretary, Sue Pinfold, director of business operations for Spafax; and treasurer, Sylvia Arndt, CEO of Inflight Productions USA.
Rudy Toering (see photos) has been appointed manager, Paul Hewett assistant manager and Jim Lonas director of training of the impending Farnborough, England, training facility of FlightSafety International. Toering also will remain director of European business development. Hewett was chief pilot for Motorola U.K.
As a business traveler who spends some of his flight time working on reports or preparing plans, I am interested in the rapidly approaching improvements in online connectivity and found your article "The Activist Passenger" interesting (AW&ST Sept. 27, p. 38).
Boeing received a $767-million contract last week for five years' work on the X-45C Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle. First flight of the more operationally representative X-45C is slated for 2007. The Boeing award follows a similar five-year contract that was issued to competitor Northrop Grumman several weeks ago.
Maxime A. Faget, the Langley Research Center engineer who made important aeronautics breakthroughs and designed the Project Mercury spacecraft that carried the first U.S. astronauts into space, died at home near Clear Lake, Tex., on Oct. 9. He was 83 and had been battling bladder cancer.
Finmeccanica's business strategy is expected to remain in place despite a management reshuffling that was completed late last week. Pier Francesco Guarguaglini remains chairman of the Italian aerospace/defense group, and Giovanni Castellaneta has been appointed vice chairman. He was Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's diplomatic adviser. Giorgio Zappa, chief executive of Alenia Aeronautica, has become Finmeccanica's chief operating officer. He succeeds Roberto Testore, who resigned and recently joined Trenitalia, the state-owned train operator.
