"Confirmed; early warning of unscheduled launch from Midland. Impact point [is] Portland, Ore. Time to impact, approximately 26 min." "Yes, that is our assessment, White House. North America's under attack."
I was inspired to choose and pursue an engineering career in part by the accomplishments of Apollo and Skylab, and I would love to see America move forward again in the same bold spirit of exploration that led to our founding. I think the sight of America turning away from a new frontier after Apollo was a weakening of the strong, hopeful vision of the future--a vision synonymous with the American character.
The U.S. Army's prized Future Combat System (FCS) took a beating in a new General Accounting Office report delivered as testimony to the House subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces. Key criticisms were that there is only enough funding for 16 of the 18 systems even if they all proceed without a single problem. Any cost rise could cause additional cancellations, the GAO said. Another criticism is that the Army has allowed only 5.5 years from the program start in May 2003 to the initial production decision in November 2008.
George T. Whitesides has been appointed executive director of the Washington-based National Space Society. He was vice president-marketing for the Zero Gravity Corp. of Los Angeles and a director of the Space Generation Foundation.
Concern among investors about the future direction of U.S. military spending continues to churn aerospace/defense stocks. Even leading market professionals are split over the strength of Pentagon spending beyond 2004. Some observers, such as Merrill Lynch analyst Byron Callan, see no peak in sight. Others, however, believe Pentagon investment accounts will only come under greater pressure. As Credit Suisse First Boston's James M. Higgins put it recently, cash flows and returns are good now but they will be viewed as unsustainable as time goes on.
The fallout from the bombings in Madrid last month could challenge anew the wisdom of focusing attention and resources on aviation security, to the exclusion of other terrorism threats.
The National Business Aviation Assn., seldom thought of as a center of turmoil, is looking for a new CEO following a period of something that bears a close resemblance. Its board appointed Chairman Donald Baldwin interim president and CEO last week as Shelley Longmuir, who took over the leadership from Jack Olcott in May 2003, left the 7,300-member organization. Insiders say the parting was not on good terms and reflected sharp disagreements with the board on NBAA's future. Lack of business aviation savvy, plus management style, also are said to be factors.
8 Correspondence 14 Who's Where 16-17 Market Focus 19 Industry Outlook 21 Airline Outlook 22-23 World News Roundup 25 In Orbit 27 Washington Outlook 60 World Business Watch 74-75 Classified 76 Contact Us 77 Aerospace Calendar
I read with dismay Greg Waugh's letter concerning F-35 contractor engineering apathy (AW&ST Mar. 15, p. 6). I fully understand his frustration, having been involved in several so-called leading edge programs that suffered similar dysfunction. Waugh clearly understands the cost implications of the failings he described. In contrast, my business has become a Tier 3/4 supplier.
Goodrich Corp. has been selected by Boeing to provide the fuel quantity indicating system and fuel management software for the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner, under a contract potentially worth $100 million.
A flurry of activity is about to hit the Army and contractors hoping to profit from the demise of the RAH-66 Comanche, with awards for two new helicopters and a fleet of fixed-wing transport aircraft in the balance.
In a key milestone for an innovative material being used extensively on the Airbus A380 mega-transport, a Stork Aerospace factory here has begun large-scale production of fuselage panels using novel machinery and processes.
AMB Property Corp.'s plan to develop land for air cargo facilities in Japan is coming together. The San Francisco-based company acquired 32 acres near Tokyo Narita International Airport on Mar. 26. A groundbreaking for the first phase of the AMB Narita Air Cargo Center is scheduled for Apr. 5. The center will eventually contain five multi-story buildings. Separately, AMB acquired Funabashi Distribution Centers I and II in Tokyo.
Operational testing of the U.S. Army's upgraded CH-47F Chinook is about to begin in preparation for a full-rate production decision late this year. But the Army also is in the midst of making some fundamental changes to the program which received a second wind from the RAH-66 Comanche cancellation. The Army and Boeing are working on a deal that would see the service receiving basically all-new CH-47F Chinooks, rather than having to settle for refurbishment of much of the aircraft.
Kevin Moore has been named chief financial officer/corporate secretary of Aeroxchange Ltd. of Dallas. He was senior director of finance and corporate development.
Australia's Qantas Airways will acquire five Boeing 737-800s for domestic operations and is in talks with Airbus about buying five long-range A340-500s for proposed nonstop routes from Perth to London and Sydney to Dallas. Plans for the A340s have been prompted by Asian competitors' operations on the London route. Western Australia is seen as a huge market for the Perth-London route as the area is home to Australia's second largest English-born population.
Astronics Corp. subsidiary Luminescent Systems Inc. will manufacture night vision instrumentation system upgrade kits for the South Korean air force's F-16s. The $4.4-million contract is expected to be fulfilled over the next 12-18 months.
The Indian government and BAE Systems have concluded a deal for the purchase of 66 Hawk advanced jet trainer aircraft, ending a 19-year bidding process.
The aerospace arena has not been neglected. At the recent HAI exhibit in Las Vegas, Thales introduced an interactive flight management and digital map system that will be one of the first intuitive environments designed for rotorcraft use. The FMS, derived from a model on the Agusta A109 helicopter, will show flight management information directly on the map display and allow the pilot to change flight plans or create waypoints using interactive menus and a joystick.
Daniel Guilfoyle of Elite Helicopters of Essenden, Australia, is one of eight aircraft engineering apprentices who has won a cash grant from that country's Civil Aviation Safety Authority to help them complete their studies.
The security lines are building at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport--the question is, if the hassle factor's returning at the U.S.' busiest airport, can others be far behind as the summer travel season approaches? Atlanta's waits have been growing this year, with some lines up to 1-1.5 hr. at peak times. Staffers for Rep. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) were at the airport last week trying to sort out the problem with the TSA. A shortage of screeners looks like the culprit, according to local officials.
Mars Exploration Rover controllers will finish transitioning to a more humane schedule this week, one based on Earth time instead of Mars time, as the rover Spirit completes its 90-Martian-day primary mission and moves into extended operations.
An increase in capacity to China and India is expected to help boost international passenger sales for Malaysia Airlines by 20-25% above the 3.91 billion ringgits ($1.3 billion) for fiscal 2003. That optimism extends as well to Thailand (Bangkok), Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi), Hong Kong, Australia (Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) and New Zealand (Auckland). The travel optimism extends to Paris, as well. But the Kuala Lumpur-based carrier expects to make most of its money in the Asia-Pacific region. By 2007, 60% of its capacity will be based there.
A Boeing/Ball Aerospace team has won a $189-million U.S. Air Force contract to develop and operate the planned Space-Based Surveillance System, which would track space objects from orbit for military and civil-space applications. The work will include development of a satellite, launch in 2007 and ground operations for a year before the system is turned over to Air Force controllers.
