Spirit Aviation Services, the Fort Worth-based maintenance, repair and overhaul subsidiary of Spirit Airlines, has given Avexus Inc. a commercial breakthrough. Avexus, a San Diego-based MRO software specialist, has found success selling its Impresa MRO management software to the U.S. military and independent MRO shops, but not directly to airlines--a hard market to crack for everyone in terms of MRO procurement planning. Impresa has a contract management services module that helps in third-party MRO operations, which Spirit Aviation Services is emphasizing.
As shuttle mission STS-87 cleared the launch tower in November 1997, our cheers and shouts of joy were lost in the roar of solid- and liquid-rocket thunder. Our audible exhilaration as observers may have been overwhelmed by the overpowering liftoff, but mentally and spiritually, each of us was on that flight deck, flying again with our friend Kalpana Chawla.
Japan's government is shopping for a VIP Boeing 747-400, but it might not buy new. Japan's air force currently operates two -400s for roles as disparate as transporting the royal family and military special operations. The aircraft are equipped with quick-change features that allow them to be switched to special ops as required--most recently--transporting troops to Iraq. In the U.S., the Defense Dept. charters commercial aircraft to fill that role, but Japanese airlines are leery of the assignment because of security concerns.
Lawmakers here will watch with great interest whether the European Union proceeds with plans to lift an arms embargo on China (AW&ST Feb. 2, p. 18). Hill staffers believe it is too early to say what actions Congress may take. Although there is a feeling such a move by the EU "wouldn't necessarily open the flood gates" of arms shipments, it is a highly "symbolic issue," says Peter Yeo, deputy staff director for the House International Relations Committee.
UH-60A of the 112th Medical Co. from the Maine National Guard flies over the site of ancient Babylon, where the unit is based and which is near the modern town of al Hillah, Iraq. There are three detachments of helicopters spread around southern Iraq to ensure casualties are fed into the aerial medical evacuation system as quickly as possible (see p. 44). Fixed-wing aircraft regularly fly between the air bases at Tallil, Kirkuk, Balad and Baghdad to pick up the newly injured. From Baghdad, casualties are flown to hospitals in Germany or the U.S. Photo by CW3 Jon D.
B-1B representatives are disputing findings by the Pentagon's test community that the latest upgrade of the bomber isn't up to snuff. Testers complained that delivering the inertially guided Wind Corrected Munitions Dispenser (WCMD) could lead to large miss distances. But "this was a single mechanical malfunction of a faulty cartridge that caused the WCMD to separate from the B-1B outside its specified timeline," a Boeing official noted. Software adjustments have been made to ensure the weapon guides to a target even if it releases late.
The proposed Boeing 7E7, which is being developed as was the 777 with the French Catia three-dimensional computer-assisted design system, is expected to be reliant on Dassault Systemes software for its operational life with customer airlines.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Feb. 23-26--The Aerospace Corp. and American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics' Planetary Defense Conference. Hyatt Orange County, Garden Grove, Calif. Call +1 (310) 336-6805 or see www.aero.org
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Robert Wall (Washington)
Top Israeli futurists are arguing against the purchase of any more attack helicopters, particularly the $35-million-per-copy Longbow Apaches. Instead, they believe the Israeli military's experiences in West Bank fighting and U.S. Army and Marine Corps combat in Iraq (where helicopters continue to be shot down even in the current low-intensity phase) show that armed unmanned aerial vehicles provide far cheaper platforms for precision surveillance and bomb dropping than any manned aircraft.
Arne Lindholm has been named president of Saab Nyge Aero, effective Apr. 1. He will succeed Bengt Hornsten, who will be retiring. Lindholm was head of the flight test department at Saab Aerosystems.
USN Rear Adm. James D. McArthur, Jr., has been nominated for promotion to vice admiral and assignment as commander of the Naval Network Warfare Command, Norfolk, Va. He has been director, J-3, of the U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt AFB, Neb.
As the Iraq Intelligence Commission chartered by President Bush explores prewar information about the presence or absence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq, its distinguished members will be facing an issue that's far more serious than the politically driven who-knew-what-and-when questions. Even more important, addressing this deadly serious issue is absolutely critical to U.S. national security and the country's credibility: How good is the intelligence on which elected leaders rely for making decisions?
Hapag-Lloyd Express Group, owned by European travel giant TUI, has agreed to share ticket portals with Volareweb, a member of Italy's Volare group, as part of a broad accord that could ultimately cover information systems, sales, ticketing, marketing and airport services. The alliance will offer Volare access to the German market, while providing TUI with a new Italian partner.
United Airlines and the City of Chicago are at odds over $14 million in lease payments the airline owes on bonds used to build its terminal and other facilities at city-owned O'Hare International Airport. Their differences may be settled on Feb. 20 when the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for northern Illinois has scheduled its next United hearing. Chicago and United have been discussing the issues surrounding lease payments for 14 months since the airline sought reorganization under Chapter 11. But lately Chicago has been talking tough.
Korean Air, which holds the distinction of being an airline with a manufacturing subsidiary, has teamed with Lockheed Martin to market P-3 Orion refurbishment and upgrade services. Korean Air Aerospace Div.'s Gimhae plant will be Lockheed Martin's first "P-3 Orion Service Center" in Asia. The Aerospace Div. is a longtime supplier to Airbus, Boeing and others and has license-built many of the Korean air force's aircraft.
The Bush administration, which tried and failed last year to cut back the Transportation Dept.'s essential air service program, is back with Fiscal 2005 restrictions. The bottom line is simple enough--a cut in the total budget from $113 million appropriated this year to $50 million requested for the year that begins Oct. 1. But the eligibility formula proposed for the program, which subsidizes air service to small communities the free market would pass by, twists and turns. If a community is at least 210 mi.
ShinMaywa Industry expects to deliver the first prototype of its replacement for Japan's US-1A search-and-rescue amphibian to the Japanese navy's 51st Air Wing flight-test unit by next month. The US-1A Kai (modified) prototype rolled off ShinMaywa's Konan plant's assembly line on Osaka Bay in Kobe last April. Flight testing was to begin last August but was delayed until Dec. 18 because of problems with the aircraft's generator system. The initial flight lasted about 10 min. over Osaka Bay.
David Brant has been appointed senior vice president-product engineering and Don Beverlin vice president-supply management for the Cessna Aircraft Co., Wichita, Kan. Brant was director of airworthiness, engineering flight test and product safety, while Beverlin was director of strategic sourcing for the Systems Commodity Group.
NASA is sifting old studies and new ideas for technology and mission architectures that might hit President Bush's Mars-via-Moon exploration targets, with the tight funding levels set in Bush's Fiscal 2005 budget request a major constraint on their activities.
ITT Industries will establish a new Space Systems Div. by combining Eastman Kodak Co.'s Remote Sensing Systems (RSS) business with ITT Defense's space payload and services sector.
Marc Ventre (see photos) has been appointed chairman/CEO of France-based Snecma Moteurs. He was chairman/CEO of Snecma Services. Ventre has been succeeded by Jean-Lin Fournereaux, who was chief executive of Techspace Aero. Fournereaux, in turn, has been succeeded by Philippe Scheicher.
Albert Koszarek has been named president/CEO of Dallas-based Aeroxchange Ltd. He has been chief operating officer. Koszarek succeeds R. Terrence Rendleman, who has resigned.
British Airways appears on track in meeting strategic savings targets outlined in 2002, but it is arguing that additional reductions remain key to meeting its target of a 10% operating margin. The airline's third-quarter results to Dec. 31, 2003, saw pretax profits rise 100 million pounds ($189 million) to 125 million pounds, compared with the same period in 2002. Its operating margin for the quarter was 7.3%.
Roger Fradin has become president/CEO of Morris Township, N.J.-based Honeywell Automation and Control Solutions. He succeeds Kevin Gilligan, who has resigned. Fradin was president of Honeywell Automation and Control Products.
SAS Group posted worse than expected results in its 2003 financial year, illustrating how hard the airline group was hit by low-fare carrier competition. SAS sales for the year decreased by 11.1% to 57.7 billion Swedish kroner ($8 billion), and the company had a net loss of 1.4 billion kroner. Its 2002 net loss was only 132 million kroner.
