USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) Charles Coo- lidge, who is vice president-Air Force programs for Washington-based EADS North America, has received the Heritage Award from the Wright Memorial Chapter of the Air Force Assn. at the Wright Brothers Heritage Benefit. His last Air Force assignment was vice commander at Headquarters Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. The award recognizes Wright-Patterson personnel for performance and achievements.
Analysis of data from Europe's Mars Express orbiter has found a tantalizing overlap between concentrations of water vapor and methane in the planet's atmosphere, raising questions that include the possibility that Martian bacteria are producing the methane. The Planetary Fourier Spectrometer (PFS), built for the European Space Agency orbiter by the Italian Space Agency, has found elevated concentrations of water vapor and methane in the equatorial regions of Arabia Terra, Elysium Planum and Arcadia-Memnonia.
Aeroflex announced the IFR 6000, a ramp test set based on the IFR 4000 navigation communications. One main user screen for each functional mode of operation is required for most tests. This instrument replaces three instruments with one small, lightweight hand-held test set that can be used for ramp or bench testing, according to the company. IFR 6000 tests transponder modes A/C/S, DME (Distance Measuring Equipment), TCAS (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance), ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) and TIS-B (Traffic Information Service-Broadcast).
Spaceflight seems to inhibit the human immune system in direct proportion to the length of the mission, raising new problems for flight surgeons responsible for crew health on proposed deep-space exploration missions. A three-year astronaut study by NASA, Enterprise Advisory Services Inc. of Houston and Boston University's medical school found increased white blood cell counts and decreased ability of the white blood cells known as neutrophils to attack microbes after spaceflight.
Deep cost cuts and anguish related to wrenching changes occurring, particularly at U.S. major airlines, are taking their toll in executive suites. Northwest Airlines' Richard H. Anderson, 49, has become the sixth CEO to resign from a major U.S. airline since 2001. At the end of this year, the seventh CEO to depart will be Gordon Bethune, 63, also chairman of Continental Airlines. He is one of the U.S. industry's longest-serving top officials, with more than a decade behind him at the Houston-based carrier.
Low-fare carrier Ryanair is expanding operations in Italy by adding two aircraft to its Milan-Bergamo hub. Ryanair is winning an increasing share of Italian-generated international traffic--in 2003 the Irish carrier transported more than 5 million passengers, and the forecast for 2004 points toward 7.5 million. By opening seven new routes (for Oslo, Norway; Eindhoven, Netherlands; Valencia, Seville and Zaragoza, Spain; and Liverpool and Newcastle, England) at Bergamo, Ryanair hopes to win another 700,000 passengers with low promotional fares.
Washington Outlook said last week the Government Accountability Office had declined Rep. Christopher Shays' (R-Conn.) request for a review of security clearance requirements for maintenance of the presidential helicopter fleet, a move designed to help Sikorsky in its competition against Agusta-Westland. Not so, says a Shays staffer producing a letter from the GAO. She ís correct, but the effect on the helo competition is likely the same.
A pending light helicopter purchase by Siberian operator UTair could provide Western manufacturers with a long-awaited beachhead in the Russian market.
Here we go again. While it's not quite an annual ritual, the regularity with which the U.S. and Europe butt heads over aviation, aerospace and defense is becoming alarming (see p. 32). Representatives from both sides agree the industries are critical--why else would they so willingly engage in mud wrestling.
Brenda F. Cutwright has become acting president/CEO of Aloha Airgroup Inc. She has been executive vice president/chief operating officer. Cutwright succeeds Glenn R. Zander, who has resigned as president/CEO but will become vice chairman.
Stephen L. Morrell has been named vice president-financial planning and analysis and Helen M. Tremont vice president-corporate real estate for US Airways. Morrell was managing director of treasury/assistant treasurer, while Tre- mont was director of government affairs.
Singapore Airlines, in keeping with its strategy to monetize non-core holdings, is selling its 6.3% stake in Air New Zealand to institutional investors. In 2000, SIA acquired Air NZ shares, which at the time represented a 25% stake. Following the recapitalization of Air New Zealand in 2001, through which the New Zealand government acquired majority ownership, SIA's holdings were diluted to the current 6.3%. SIA continues to work closely with Qantas Airways to combine Airbus A380 training and maintenance facilities, according to Qantas CEO Geoff Dixon.
European ground controllers plan a critical maneuver on Wednesday that should put the first Small Mission for Advanced Research in Technology (Smart-1) on its final path to capture in lunar gravity after a year-long solar-powered journey to the Moon.
Ronald F. McKenna (see photos), who has been president of the Windsor Locks, Conn.-based Hamilton Sundstrand division of the United Technologies Corp., has been named to become chairman on Jan. 1. He will be succeeded by David P. Hess, who has been president of Hamilton Sundstrand's Aerospace Power Systems unit and 7E7 programs.
On Jan. 15, 2005, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways plan to increase fares 5% for services between Japan and European destinations. High fuel prices are expected to drive the carriers to raise domestic fares in the near future.
The U.S. Air Force initiated a breakthrough more than a decade ago when it promoted the fabrication of some fracture-critical parts using the investment casting process, a method of creating parts from a mold.
Icelandair will open its sixth North American gateway next spring at San Francisco International Airport. In its first direct service from the West Coast, Icelandair will start twice weekly flights on May 18 to Reykjavik, with connecting service to Europe. The schedule will shift to four flights each week in June, continuing through August. The twice-weekly schedule will return on Sept. 14. Long known as a Boeing 757 operator, Iceland's flag carrier recently concluded an agreement with Ansett Worldwide Aviation Services to wet-lease 757 and 767 aircraft.
Of all the comments Robert L. Crandall made in Frances Fiorino's article, the best was that airline pilots only work 22 hr. a week (AW&ST Sept. 27, p. 45).
Gene Roy has been promoted to vice president-operations for Orlando, Fla.-based Aircraft Service International Group from general manager for ASIG's operations at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport. Roy has been succeeded by Dan Sewell, who was general manager at JFK Terminal 1 for GlobeGround. Shannon Carney has been named senior director for sales and customer service. He was general manager for ASIG at Detroit Metro Airport.
The pre-owned business jet market appears to be stabilizing at a pace parallel to industry recovery. "There are signs of improvement," according to Rick Engles, president of Annapolis, Md.-based Vance and Engles Aircraft Brokers. About 2,000 aircraft or 15% of the 13,800-bizjet fleet is now for sale, he notes. "We [dealers] normally consider a 'balanced' market somewhere around 10%. Two years ago, it was 25-30%, a very strong buyer's market."
The City of Chicago is facing a proposed $33,000 civil penalty from the FAA for failure to provide the agency with 30 days' notice of its 2003 closure of Meigs Field. The FAA requires notification so it can assess what effect such actions might have on the National Airspace System. Under FAA regulations, a maximum penalty of $1,100 per day may be assessed for this type of violation.
Some 25 space agencies from around the world are expected to send representatives to Washington next month for a two-day workshop on how the workload for a long-term deep-space exploration effort can be distributed internationally.
Business flying is experiencing the genesis of a recovery on every front, but manufacturers and operators question the robustness of the revival and whether it can be sustained over the long term.
An agreement between two small Belgian carriers, Virgin Express and SN Brussels Airlines (SNBA), will allow the airlines to enjoy common ownership and coordinate their strategies, while remaining separate companies. The arrangement will reinforce the trend toward consolidation of Europe's second- and third-tier airlines.
