During two days of flights at Edwards AFB, Calif., a B-1 bomber may have set 50 world records if times and payloads are verified by the National Aeronautical Assn. Among the records are fastest speeds in the 15-km. (679 mph.), 100-km. (644 mph.), 500-km. (694 mph.) and 1,000-km. (685 mph.) closed-circuit courses in the 330,000-lb. weight class. In the under-330,000-lb. class, the speeds in the same distances were 805.5 mph., 659 mph., 642 mph. and 630 mph. The records were further broken down into cargo classes per speed category.
Discount carriers are expected to expand in the Asia-Pacific region, despite the difficulties of competing against national flag carriers with government-backing in traffic and landing rights.
FILLING THE GAP Air Canada is now providing daily nonstop Airbus A340-300 service between Toronto and Delhi after a lull of four years, helping to fill a large service gap in the India-North America market. On Dec. 4, Air-India will increase its weekly schedule of flights from 15 to 20 to the U.S. (seven to JFK, seven to Newark, six to Chicago), up from 10 flights last December. After Sept. 11, 2001, the capacity loss in the U.S.-India market was approximately 8,000 seats a week.
Southwest Airlines' plans to serve Philadelphia International Airport is good news for travelers in the region but bad news for ailing carrier US Airways.
Marshall O. Larsen, who has been president/CEO of the Goodrich Corp., Charlotte, N.C., is now also chairman. He succeeds David L. Burner, who is scheduled to retire on Apr. 30.
MRO IN INDIA Indian Airlines and Singapore Airlines (SIA) have reached preliminary agreement to establish a joint-venture maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in India. State-owned Indian Airlines will hold 51% of the stock, SIA the rest. Singaporeans have been trying to invest in Indian aviation against persistent resistance from unions and government workers. However, this latest effort is regarded as evidence that the Indian government is interested in promoting privatization.
Mona Simpson, director of supplier management and procurement for the Boeing Phantom Works, Huntington Beach, Calif., has won a Professional Achievement Award from the Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards Corp. She was cited as "a role model for future generations of female engineers in the Hispanic community and at Boeing. Her leadership, contributions, and skills serve as an example that a diverse workforce is valued at Boeing."
NATIONAL DEBATE While the Bush administration runs a closely held West Wing study of options for the future U.S. space program (see p. 28), some members of Congress are pushing for a more public approach. South Carolina's Ernest F. Hollings, the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, has proposed creating a "National Space Commission." Members would be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate and their task would be to address space policy issues on a set timeline.
European aerospace and defense companies may be missing a golden opportunity to become more competitive with U.S. rivals because of their preoccupation with managing short-term business cycles, versus implementing structural changes that could lead to sustainable advantages.
Patricia Pickett has been appointed vice president-business development of Universal Systems & Technology Inc., Centreville, Va. She was an account executive with BearingPoint Inc., McLean, Va., and had been vice president/general manager of civil markets at GTE Government Systems Corp., Chantilly, Va.
A U.S. wildland fire that warrants calling in airtankers carrying 2,000-3,000 gal. of retardant normally will also need a leadplane to scout the area, determine a plan of attack, then guide the heavy tankers through their drop runs.
Japan's proposed fiscal 2004 defense budget includes funding for weapons systems useful in a regional threat environment, such as surface-to-air; multi-purpose and anti-tank missiles; and modernization of EP-3 electronic warfare aircraft, F-15J fighters and E-2C airborne early warning aircraft.
Swiss WorldCargo has purchased capacity on Polar Air Cargo's Boeing 747 freighters serving markets from Switzerland to the U.S. and Asia. The blocked-space agreement, effective Nov. 17, covers flights from Zurich to Penang, Malaysia, via Delhi, with access to Bombay and Madras; and flights in each direction from both New York and Atlanta to Liege, Belgium, and Zurich. The flights will operate under the LX code of Swiss International Air Lines.
Transportation Security Administration Deputy Administrator Stephen McHale and Paul Polski, chief of staff to the TSA chief technology officer, have received Service to America Medals from the Partnership for Public Service and Atlantic Media Co. McHale received the Federal Employee of the Year medal. He was cited for developing the agency's structural plan and overseeing the hiring of 158 federal security directors and transfer of 1,200 FAA employees into the TSA. McHale also led the team that allowed for transition of the TSA from the Transportation Dept.
The British Defense Ministry's top-level equipment decision-making body will determine in the coming weeks whether to recommend a Boeing or an Airbus platform to meet a 13-billion-pound ($22-billion) program for a future Royal Air Force tanker-transport. A recommendation by the Investment Approvals Board (IAB), as the committee is known, will be submitted for clearance to senior government ministers, probably in mid-to-late November.
House leaders of both parties called for hearings and investigations last week after disclosure that a college student snuck box cutters and other suspicious materials past airport security, even though the same feats accomplished recently by government agents produced little reaction.
U.S. Air Forces Europe has awarded the Titan Corp. a $74-million, five-year contract to provide assistance and advisory services to the European Command, Joint Analysis Center, Warrior Preparation Center, U.S. Air Forces Europe and U.S. Army Europe.
BANDWAGON European leaders were quick to take advantage of China's Shenzhou 5 launch to promote new space ties with the most recent member of the human spaceflight club. European Space Agency Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said the two parties would soon sign a five-year cooperation agreement covering Earth observation, environmental monitoring, meteorology, telecommunications and microgravity research, as well as satnav.
MODULE TESTS ADVANCE Complex electrical and software tests continue on the International Space Station's Japanese/Mitsubishi Kibo module and Italian/Alenia Node-2 hardware at the Kennedy Space Center. The Node-2 module (foreground) will be launched to the ISS first, and the much larger Kibo (background) will dock to it later. The modules, shown in their stands at the KSC Space Station Processing Facility, were recently jointed electrically (AW&ST Sept. 22, p.
