"Train as you fight" has long been a mantra at the Pentagon. But flipping that around to "fight as you train" can be dangerous--just ask Rep. Randy (Duke) Cunningham (R-Calif.), the first fighter ace of the Vietnam War. In a House hearing on intelligence reform, Cunningham recounts a tale from the Vietnam days. When still a student pilot, "I used to try and pass as close as I could to the instructor, because if I gave him lateral separation, he would turn on me.
Lockheed Martin has begun flight testing its Sniper XR targeting pod on U.S. Navy F/A-18s. The service is evaluating options for future targeting systems beyond the Raytheon Atflir used on F/A-18E/Fs. Canada and Australia also are surveying targeting pod options for their F/A-18s, with a derivative of the Sniper called Pantera. The U.S. Air Force is buying Sniper XRs.
Frederick L. Sheldon has been appointed CEO of Orlando, Fla.-based Adacel's North American operations. He was executive vice president of the Electro Optical Systems Group of DRS Technologies Inc., Parsippany, N.J.
The Messenger Mercury spacecraft is this week 1.5 million mi. into a 5-billion-mi. trek to orbit the scorching planet closest to the Sun. Meanwhile back on Earth, the National Research Council (NRC) is opening an investigation that could also put the heat on NASA headquarters management of the overall Discovery program. The Discovery effort spawned Messenger and various other $300-400-million Discovery flights--most of which have been a success, although some have had cost or development problems.
Boeing will begin flight testing improvements in its 737-800/900 models next year to enhance their short-field performance characteristics. The performance enhancements were launched by Brazil's GOL Linhas Aereaes S.A. as part of its recent order for 15 737-800s. GOL already operates 22 737-700/800s, and sought the improvements so -800s can operate from the shorter runways that its -700s fly to.
How valuable is Southwest's fuel hedging program? The carrier paid $246 million for fuel and oil in the second quarter of 2004, up $52 million (27%) from the same quarter a year earlier. Hedging held these expenses down by $87 million in this year's quarter, $51 million more (142%) than in the 2003 period. Considering that about $2.5 million of this year's fuel cost growth went toward a 4.9% year-over-year increase in capacity, hedging reduced the price-driven second-quarter increase by more than half.
USAF Maj. Gen. Quentin L. Peterson has been named special assistant to the commander of the 18th Air Force, Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill. He has been chief of the Office of Defense Cooperation for Turkey within the United States European Command. He will be succeeded by Maj. Gen. Peter U. Sutton, who has been director of learning and force development/deputy chief of staff for personnel at USAF Headquarters at the Pentagon. Sutton, in turn is being succeeded by his deputy, Brig. Gen. (select) William A. Chambers.
An unprecedented security effort will be a feature of the Olympic games set to begin this week in Athens. Aviation assets of all sorts--fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft and an airship--will be involved. About 17,000 athletes from 202 nations and 2 million visitors are expected through Sept. 28. Last week, security and military personnel were already working around the clock to protect more than 100 venues as well as the athletes and visitors beginning to arrive for the games.
The $2.25 million allotted to Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in the recent Defense Dept. appropriation will fund research and development into a next generation of tires for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Goodyear's Akron Technical Center will spend $1 million for research into advanced materials, including proprietary ones. Another $1.25 million will go to investigate new materials for radial and bias-ply tires.
Lockheed Martin's winning of the U.S. Army's future signals intelligence aircraft gives a big boost to the contractor and its team member Embraer; however, program officials are worried that Northrop Grumman's losing team may protest the decision.
Israel's interest in the Joint Strike Fighter is spurring missile builder Rafael to look at the implications of internal carriage for future air- and surface-to-air weapon development. Rafael is already working on the "conceptual design" of a beyond-visual-range next-generation air-to-air missile (AAM) for service introduction in the 2010-20 timeframe, with internal carriage one of the emerging drivers.
World News Roundup 13 Mars Exploration rovers return yet more interesting images 14 Missing fuel tank purge door forces a BA 777 to return to Heathrow 15 Virgin Atlantic to add a further 13 Airbus A340-600s between 2006-08 15 FAA seeks voluntary schedule cuts at Chicago O'Hare Airport World News & Analysis 20 Messenger departs; such NASA missions will soon go under review 22 Chinese astronauts may be one mission away from EVA tasks
Rolls-Royce and Montreal-based Jetsgo have signed a support contract for maintenance of the engines powering the airline's 18 Fokker 100s. The $90-million deal would run seven years and covers 15,000-lb.-thrust Tay 650s. Rolls-Royce says it supports more than 3,000 engines under the TotalCare program.
George R. Bravante, Jr., and Richard Reitz have been named Continental Airlines representatives on the board of directors of ExpressJet Holdings. They succeed Gordon M. Bethune and Lawrence W. Kellner, who have resigned. Bravante is founder/general partner of Bravante-Curci Investors, while Reitz is cofounder/partner of InsideOut-Culture to Customer.
U.S. Army Lt. Gen. (ret.) David Ohle has become vice president/general manager of Army programs for the Computer Sciences Corp., El Segundo, Calif. He has been vice president-strategic development for the Federal Sector unit.
GKN Aerospace is setting up a Composite Research Center alongside its Isle of Wight manufacturing plant in southern England. The 10-million-pound ($18.2-million) initial investment is being jointly provided by company and government funding. The aim is to have the center running as early as March 2005. The company is already developing composite subassembly wing structures for the Airbus A380 mega-transport (above) and A400M military airlifter.
I would like to join the chorus that wants to see Boeing promote 717s for short-haul and regional service (AW&ST July 19, p. 12; June 21, p. 10). I fly on DC-9s whenever I can. I like the 3-2 seating arrangement, which rarely leads to solo travelers being forced into a center seat. The rear-mounted engines make most of the cabin far quieter than in any other jet. And I can stand up in the aisle without hitting my head.
Both houses of the Italian parliament have given the green light to the country's involvement in the next phase of the trinational Medium Extended Air Defense System development. The U.S. gave the nod several weeks ago and Germany is expected to follow later this year, once its parliament is back in session. The U.S. and Italy may finance the early portion of the Meads design and development phase if the German decision is delayed.
EADS hopes a planned capital injection at Arianespace will enable it to consolidate its hold over the launch firm, as it already has on Ariane design and production activities. EADS Space CEO Francois Auque says industrial partners hope to have a shareholders' agreement with French space agency CNES that more closely reflects shareholders' workshare in Ariane production. CNES is looking to reduce its 32.5% holding, which could happen by year's end, when the approximately 150-million euro ($180-million) offering is planned.
Two years have passed and a "comprehensive" report as well as the primary cause of the Bashkirian Tu-154M/DHL 757 midair collision is still being ignored--namely, what were two converging aircraft doing at the same atltitude? All other factors are secondary.
World News Roundup 18 Australian PM praises United pilot after 747 bomb scare 19 Italy OKs participation in Medium Extended Air Defense System 19 EADS, Rolls results confirm improving European aerospace fortunes 20 Rutan group to make first Ansari X-Prize flight on Sept. 29 World News & Analysis 24 Civil aerospace market showing signs of life; military sector humming 26 United stops funding pensions; US Airways commits to low fares
Composite photo of a Northrop Grumman Global Hawk cruising over Manhattan depicts a potential extreme example of unmanned aircraft in civil airspace. The NASA-industry Access 5 project aims to gain regular limited access to airspace, while maintaining safety to others on the ground and in the air (see p. 54). Global Hawk photo provided by U.S. Air Force; Manhattan photo from Getty Images.
The space shuttle Discovery, slated to return the program to flight next spring, is moving into a major new test phase more like a standard prelaunch flow, a sign the project is regaining momentum following the Columbia accident. The milestone signaling the start of operational checkout was the powering-up of the orbiter's complex electrical, computer, Freon cooling and other systems about midnight July 26 in Bay 3 of the Orbiter Processing Facility (OPF).
USN Adm. (ret.) Wesley L. McDonald has been named to receive the Cliff Henderson Award for Achievement from the Arlington, Va.-based National Aeronautic Assn. He was honored for his 56 years of support to American aviation, including the last 13 years spent as the chairman of the NAA's board of directors. The award is presented to an individual whose vision, leadership or skill has contributed to the promotion and advancement of aviation or space activity.
