Michael Andersson (see photo) has become president of the Saab Regional Aircraft Service Div. He succeeds Hans Almer, who is retiring. Andersson was vice president of Saab Aircraft.
In regard to Dan Jurchenko's letter about Galileo not being worth it (AW&ST Oct. 6, p. 6), right after the end of the Cold War, he might have been right asking why Europe should want its own GPS system.
Artist's concept of the National Polar- orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System depicts an NPOESS spacecraft in orbit, weather conditions it will monitor, and a few of the 15 worldwide ground site locations that will receive downlinked data. The illustration also highlights both civilian and military users that stand to benefit from timely high-quality, multi-spectral atmospheric and space weather data acquired and delivered by next-generation environmental satellites and ground networks (see p. 64).
India is seeking to take a $350-million stake in Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system. Details of the deal, which could include Indian participation in designing and building subcomponents and help in launching the spacecraft, are to be discussed at an India-EU summit later this month, along with the issue of control. The stake would give India about a 10% share in Galileo, 50% more than the stake recently acquired by China (AW&ST Nov. 3, p. 30).
SPACED-OUT SURFER New technology devised by the European Space Agency featured prominently in a daring solo windsurfing voyage across the Pacific Ocean that wrapped up last week. Extreme sports adventurer Raphaela Le Gouvello used airbags designed to prevent small craft from capsizing during her "Wind Odyssey" from Peru to Tahiti. Developed under ESA's technology transfer program, the bag automatically inflates within seconds in rough seas, enabling full control to be recovered and the craft to be righted.
ESCORT SERVICE Members of Congress complain that the military is using specialists to fill gaps. Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) says Harry Truman's old artillery unit has been reassigned to work as military police. And elite engineering units in the Guard and Reserve deployed to Iraq to drill wells are now being assigned convoy escort duty, says Rep. Robert Simmons (R-Conn.). The result: geologists from the University of Connecticut are now serving in the infantry.
GKN--THE U.S. PART(S) BRANCH British aero-structures manufacturing specialist GKN Aerospace Services investment in the U.S. appears to be paying dividends with the award of an $855-million contract extension from Boeing to supply airframe components for the latter's F-15, F/A-18 and C-17s. The work will be carried out at GKN's St. Louis site, which it acquired from Boeing three years ago. The company has since spent $40 million in infrastructure and machinery for the plant.
Russia has signed an expanded science and technology cooperation agreement with the European Union that will allow Russian scientists and engineers to participate in research activities under the EU's Sixth Framework R&D program, which runs through 2006. The agreement will cover basic research, technology development and demonstrators in the field of Earth observation, environment/climate and information science.
C'EST LA VIE! In the past 12 months, the French government has poured about 240 million euros ($276 million) into the coffers of ailing independent airlines. Air Lib has ceased operations and been dissolved, Air Littoral and Euralair are flying under bankruptcy protection, and the financial results of Aeris, a startup carrier based in Toulouse, are rapidly deteriorating.
fter bouncing between customers and designs, Boeing has revised the 7E7 range-and-performance plans it discussed just two months ago and settled on the "firm concept" for the proposed aircraft's structural architecture and layout.
Asian exports are once again humming, businesses are more confident of a strong Christmas holiday season, and airfares discounted to stimulate travel after the SARS health crisis have expired. With passenger loads returning to good health, Asian carriers are feeling assured enough to increase air fares.
COMPLAINT DEPT. Airlines unhappy about paying Transportation Security Administration (TSA) "infrastructure fees" equal to their year-2000 security expenses are getting their day in court, or in the docket, at least. The law that created the TSA mandates the year-2000 formula through next Sept. 30, the end of Fiscal 2004, but it authorizes the TSA to change the rules starting in Fiscal 2005.
The Carlyle Group--whose principals include former British Prime Minister John Major, former Secretary of State James A. Baker, 3rd, and former Securities and Exchange Commission Chairman Arthur Levitt--has a new adviser: Kent Kresa. Effective last week, the former Northrop Grumman Corp. chairman and CEO joined Carlyle, a $13-billion, private equity firm based in Washington, D.C. He retired from Northrop Grumman Oct. 1.
The IRIS-T short-range air-to-air missile has finally received its production go-ahead. Late last month, Spain, the remaining hold-out in the six-nation program, committed to pilot production of IRIS-T, clearing the way for a contract award from the German military procurement agency the same day and topping a development effort that began in 1998.
ROMAN HOLIDAY Delta Air Lines is strengthening the international component of its hub at the Cincinnati/ Northern Kentucky International Airport by adding year-round, nonstop service to Amsterdam and Rome beginning May 1. The flight schedule will be daily in summer months but operate on a reduced frequency during the remainder of the year. The Rome service will connect with flights by SkyTeam Alliance partner Alitalia. Amsterdam Schiphol passengers have the potential of connecting with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which plans to merge with SkyTeam partner Air France.
The Homeland Security Dept. rolled out its "US-VISIT" system here last week to demonstrate how digital fingerprints and photos will help keep track of all foreign nationals entering or exiting the U.S. on a visa starting next year.
SHIPMENTS DOWN, SUPERSONICS UP Officials of the General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. (GAMA) said deliveries of new airplanes worldwide in the first nine months of this year decreased 9.3% to 1,602 units compared with 1,767 shipments during the same period last year. In addition, billings fell 24.4% to $6.43 billion. Although overall shipments were down, deliveries of piston-powered airplanes did increase by a meager 0.2% at the end of the third quarter to 1,101 units.
Los Angeles-based Capt. Mark Bathurst has been elected chairman of the Air Line Pilots Assn.'s Master Executive Council at United Airlines. He succeeds Paul Whiteford. Chicago-based Capt. Wendy Morse was elected vice chairman and Chicago-based First Officer Mike Hamilton secretary-treasurer. Morse succeeds Steve Hanel, and Hamilton follows Jeffrey Barath.
Stephen Coonan has become vice president-aircraft sales, acquisitions and management, based at John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, Calif., for PrivatAir. He was an aviation consultant, contract pilot and aircraft appraiser.
American Airlines announced the Chicago O'Hare airport expansion it telegraphed last summer, when it decided to cut back in St. Louis. Effective Nov. 1, the carrier added 25 mainline and 23 American Eagle flights per day, bringing total service to 309 and 223 flights per day, respectively. Some of the mainline markets are seasonal; seven of the Eagle destinations are new or previously served.
INTERFEROMETRIC SAR German Aerospace Center DLR has recommended a follow-on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry mission to meet demand for operational long-term topographic, super-resolution imaging or ocean/ice imaging data, as provided by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission in 2000. The mission would consist of three or more identical SAR mini-satellites with left/right looking and multi-incidence angle capability.
Few airline stocks have performed as well as the shares of JetBlue Airways Corp. Since June, JBLU shares have climbed steadily, peaking at $69 and reflecting growth of more than 100% against the S&P 500 index. In the last two weeks, a bit of bloom on that rose vanished as the share price tumbled more than 10 points.
Republican leaders in Congress got the FAA reauthorization bill moving again last week by dropping a requirement to privatize the staff at 69 VFR towers. The legislative maneuver led to passage of the bill in the House, but the Senate might not be amenable. After the Republicans, led by Sen. Trent Lott (Miss.), chairman of the Senate Aviation subcommittee, called a press conference to say they were going to drop the "69 tower" provision, Democrats called a press conference on Oct. 29 to say that this wouldn't satisfy them.
JUNIOR VARSITY The French government said its new all-volunteer army had 32,000 reservists as of the end of September and is on target to reach its goal of 38,000 by year-end, 68,000 by 2008 and 94,000 when the reserve force is scheduled to reach full strength in 2012. Moreover, defense officials said, recruitment levels for enlisted personnel surged 44% last year, reversing previous trends in which enrollment had been dominated by officers and noncoms.
DIRCM FOR ALL The Homeland Security Dept. plans to evaluate the adaptability of military self-defense systems for use in protecting commercial passenger jets during the first six-month phase of a systems development and demonstration program. Phase 1 will conclude with a preliminary design review that will, along with contractor performance to that point, be used to determine whether to proceed to the next phase. Phase 2 will be an 18-month effort to develop two prototypes for demonstration and flight testing. Congress has allocated $100 million for the project.
