FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL HAS BEGUN construction of a new learning center for business aviation customers at Farnborough Airport near London. Plans call for the facility to be operational early in 2005, according to an FSI official. It will house 14 full-flight simulators aimed at serving the European and Middle East pilot communities. The initial mix of simulators and JAA-approved training programs will be determined in the next few months.
The United Airlines Indianapolis Maintenance Center, vacated last May when the airline filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, is getting a second chance and a fresh marketing push. An agreement with the trustee bond holders allows Indianapolis Airport Authority to manage its redevelopment. The authority will have access to $14 million that can be used for operating costs and capital improvements to attract a new tenant. In 1995, the airport authority issued bonds valued at $220 million to build and equip the state-of-the-art maintenance center.
In another sign of its drive toward self-reliance in weapons systems, India says it has developed its first electronic warfare system. Christened "Sam- yukta," it will be mounted on a ground vehicle and is designed to defend against ground-based and airborne threats. The army plans to deploy the system in 2005. It is expected to have a range of up to 150 km. (90 mi.).
Joseph Monaghan, senior vice president-marketing and business development for WorldTravel BTI, has been elected chairman of the Alexandria, Va.-based Institute of Business Travel Management. He succeeds Fred Miller, who is vice president-global sales for Marriott International.
Thomas A. Kennedy (see photo) has become vice president-unmanned and reconnaissance systems for Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif. He succeeds Heidi Shyu, who has been appointed vice president/technical director. Kennedy was program manager for development of the U.S. Navy's F/A-18E/F Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar.
Year-over-year passenger growth of 7% demonstrates that Indianapolis International Airport last year was among the fastest recovering U.S. airports. Leisure growth was strongest and may be attributed to the presence of low-cost airlines including ATA, Southwest and Frontier, in addition to new nonstop flights to New York, Miami and San Francisco. ATA accounts for 21.3% of the Indianapolis market, followed by Delta, 12.5%; Northwest, 11.7%; US Airways, 11.5%; and Southwest. 11.2%. Indianapolis recorded 7.36 million arriving and departing passengers.
ThyssenKrupp Materials subsidiary TMX Aerospace has received a five-year contract from Rolls-Royce Corp. to manage the subcontractor finished parts flow to the engine manufacturer's facility in Indianapolis.
The French government has awarded a Dassault Aviation-led team a 659- million-euro ($830-million) contract to develop a new software upgrade intended to extend the Rafale's air-air performance and give the fighter strategic strike, antiship and reconnaissance capabilities. The upgrade, known as F3, also could permit high-resolution aerial mapping, if combined with an active-array radar antenna--yet to be ordered--and is the basis of a proposal to the Singapore air force (see p. 70).
John Bailey has been named head of Kenyon International Emergency Services. He was director of crisis communications for the International Air Transport Assn.
Michael Katzorke has been appointed U.S.-based vice president-supply chain management for Smiths Aerospace. He was senior vice president-supply chain management for the Cessna Aircraft Co., Wichita, Kan.
The Pentagon wants to implement changes to its U.S. Special Operations Forces to better tailor them to combat terrorism. Although military officials have expressed satisfaction with the performance of their elite combat units, particularly during the past two years' high operational pace, areas for further improvement are surfacing. Adjustments to special operations forces (SOF) range from their global posture, skills set and technology, according to several senior Defense Dept. representatives.
Recommendations from the Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) for a 12% more stringent standard for nitrogen oxide emissions and new guidance for noise management have been forwarded to the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The new noise management guidance adopted the "balanced approach" recommended by the ICAO Assembly in 2001. CAEP could not reach consensus on imposing taxes for carbon dioxide emissions, levies that are advocated by European nations.
Research Inc.'s PanelIR series of heaters are designed with ceramic or aluminum reflectors to provide consistent heat over a large area. Typical applications include the drying and curing of materials such as paint, graphite, adhesive, ink, coating and plastic. The configuration and infrared energy of the units are adjustable to meet specific heating needs. The lamps heat up and cool down instantly in response to power control signals, reaching 90% of full operating temperature within 3 sec. of a cold start, says the manufacturer. Five sec.
Robert O. Rowland has been promoted to vice president from director of government affairs in the Washington office of Textron Inc., Providence, R.I. He succeeds Richard F. Smith, who is retiring. Kathleen M. Bader has been named to the board of directors. She is chairman/president/CEO of Cargill Dow.
Keith A. Dunn has been named a principal and director of Tidewater operations at DFI Government Services of Washington. Dunn was coalition coordinator in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Julie Werbel has returned as a principal to oversee program support for the Africa Center for Strategic Studies. Kevin Apel and James Raycraft have been appointed senior associates. Apel is a retired U.S. Navy commander assigned to the Missile Defense Agency, while Raycraft is a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel assigned to the Joint Staff.
Enno Littmann has become general manager of Sostar Gmbh., Friedrichshafen, Germany, a joint venture of Dutch Space, EADS, Galileo Avionica, Indra and Thales. He was senior manager for business development at EADS ISR. Littmann succeeds Eugene Herpfer, who plans to retire this year.
The next space shuttle crew will have another way home in case their orbiter suffers the same sort of thermal protection system damage on launch that destroyed Columbia on reentry. William W. Parsons, Jr., the shuttle program manager, says the crew of the second mission after return to flight will be trained to rescue the crew that precedes them to space, with software ready to go for a rescue mission to the International Space Station.
India's government has added an inducement for regional air services by cutting landing charges by 15% for aircraft with fewer than 80 seats. There's a political twist, however. With India's elections set for June, the fee reduction benefits helicopter operators and, indirectly, political parties that use their services to reach voters in remote areas. Still, the government has been helping civil aviation. It recently cut fuel and ticket taxes for all carriers.
U.K.-based BAE Systems Customer Support & Solutions has been awarded a 70-million-pound ($133-million) contract to supply 128 Advanced Radar/Map Display Information Systems for Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 ground attack aircraft. The award is a follow-on of a $150-million contract for cockpit upgrades.
Don Wilson has been promoted to vice president-business development from director of government and international business development for the Inventory Locator Service, Memphis, Tenn.
L-3 Communications will rework an F/A-18C Weapons Tactics trainer at NAS Oceana, Va., to F/A-18E/F configuration. A new visual system will be installed to provide pilots with a 360-deg. field-of-view.
Navy and Marine Corps test pilots have completed a three-week Naval Preliminary Evaluation (NPE) of the EH-101 medium-lift helicopter--a variant of the US101 that is vying to become the next rotary-wing platform to fly U.S. presidents. Conducted Jan. 12-28 at Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., the NPE trials familiarized evaluators with the EH-101's flight handling and performance. Evaluation was completed two days ahead of schedule, and there were no maintenance issues. Britain's RAF operates the EH-101 Merlin Mk.3 aircraft that was used for the NPE trials.
India's government has added an inducement for regional air services by cutting landing charges by 15% for aircraft with fewer than 80 seats. There's a political twist, however. With India's elections set for June, the fee reduction benefits helicopter operators and, indirectly, political parties that use their services to reach voters in remote areas. Still, the government has been helping civil aviation. It recently cut fuel and ticket taxes for all carriers.
Dennis P. Gauger has been appointed chief financial officer for Groen Brothers Aviation Inc. of Salt Lake City. He succeeds Robin H.H. Wilson, who has become senior vice president-business development. Gauger has been a corporate consultant and was an accounting and auditing partner at Deloitte & Touche.
The 41 member states of the European Civil Aviation Conference have launched the first phase of a long-term effort to improve air traffic management (ATM). The priorities of the two-year-long initial phase, dubbed the European Strategic Safety Action Plan, will include human resources and safety training, incident reporting and use of airborne and ground-based warning systems.
