Richard A. Leach has been promoted to president/chief operating officer from executive vice president/COO, Gerry Wigmore to senior vice president-finance/chief financial officer and David Hayes to vice president/general counsel from director of legal affairs, all for Trans States Airlines. Bill Mishk has been named vice president-marketing and planning.
UNITED STATES Editor-In-Chief: David M. North [email protected] Managing Editor: James R. Asker [email protected] Assistant Managing Editors: Stanley W. Kandebo--Technology [email protected] Michael Stearns--Production [email protected] Senior Editors: Craig Covault [email protected], David Hughes [email protected] NEW YORK 2 Penn Plaza, Fifth Floor, New York, N.Y. 10121 Phone: +1 (212) 904-2000, Fax: +1 (212) 904-6068
STIFF COMPETITION Fixing the space shuttle program isn't going to be cheap, and the need to do so comes at a particularly difficult time for the Bush administration. With the occupation and reconstruction of Iraq estimated to reach $60-70 billion, and deficits hitting record levels even before that estimate was made, money for space exploration isn't exactly growing on trees. Retired Adm. Harold W.
Rolls-Royce has completed key tests on components of its lift-fan for the Pratt & Whitney F-135 short takeoff vertical landing engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Subsystems tested included the clutch and shaft.
France has decided to sell its 15.7% share in computer software developer Dassault Systemes for an amount thought to about 550-600-million euros ($605-660 million). The move is part of a new round of selloffs that is expected to include Air France.
SPYING-BY-THE-HOUR Israel Aircraft Industries' Malat Div. won a contract to provide UAV operations for the Israel Defense Forces. The company will operate its Searcher UAV under the fee-for-service arrangement, with a value expected to reach $4 million in the first year. Losing bidders included Elbit Systems' Silver Arrow unit, Aeronautics UAV Systems and EMIT Aviation.
Singapore Airlines Engineering Co.'s decision to delay construction of a new wide-body maintenance hangar and shelve plans for another could signal a Singapore Airlines decision to defer Airbus A380 deliveries. Both hangars at Singapore's Changi Airport were intended for heavy maintenance of the A380. Completion of the one hangar, originally planned for year-end, is now set for late 2004.
You can now register ONLINE for Aviation Week Events. Go to www.AviationNow.com/conferences or call Ryan Leeds at +1 (212) 904-3892/+1 (800) 240-7645 (U.S. and Canada Only) Sept. 16-18--MRO Europe, Cardiff, Wales. October--Network-Centric Conference. Washington. Oct. 28-30--A&D Programs & Productivity Conference & Exhibition. Arlington (Tex.) Convention Center. Nov. 11-13--MRO Asia Conference & Exhibition. Bangkok Intercontinental Hotel.
PROGRESS SHUFFLE Russia's Korolev Flight Control Center near Moscow and the two-man International Space Station Expedition 7 crew have been docking and undocking three different robotic Progress resupply spacecraft during the past two weeks as ISS operations continue without the space shuttle. On Aug. 27, Progress 10 undocked from the aft port on the Zvezda Service Module, where it had been since February, after the last of its oxygen supply was pumped into the station.
Raytheon Co. has filed a lawsuit in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston to obtain adequate assurances of payment and to protect the company's rights in connection with the Exelon Mystic and Exelon Fore River power plant projects. Last month Raytheon transferred care, custody and operational control of Fore River, the last of the two power plant projects to Exelon. Shortly thereafter, Exelon announced that it was exiting the projects and began transferring ownership. Since Exelon's announcement, Raytheon has continued to perform final close-out work on the projects.
UPGRADED HORNETS The Canadian Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps are slated to upgrade their F/A-18 Hornets, fitting them with new avionics. The combined effort, which would be managed by the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command, includes adding ALE-47 countermeasures dispensers, Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System, Multifunctional Information Distribution System (Link-16) data links, tactical moving map capability and color displays. For Canada, it marks the second phase of its CF-18 Hornet enhancement.
ASKING FOR HELP With Congress back from a month-long recess and ready to complete work on the 2004 defense spending measures for the Pentagon, the Aerospace Industries Assn. has gone on a last-minute lobbying binge to thwart strong "Buy America" provisions included in the House version of the defense authorization bill. The AIA late last month wrote Sens.
In order to sidestep problems that have derailed other huge military development programs, managers of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are making changes to the strike fighter's design, requirements and manufacturing plan to preempt emerging shortfalls that could threaten political and financial support for the multibillion-dollar project.
SIMULATION IN ST. PETERSBURG Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp. signed its first contract under the company's partnership with the Russian Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute (TsAGI). The award is based on an agreement among five key organizations: Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant (MVZ Mil), St. Petersburg Aviation Repair Co. (Sparc), TsAGI, Dinamika Scientific-Technical Enterprise (Dinamika STE) and E&S. The organizations will provide the training simulator for the Russian Mi-8 MTV helicopter simulator, which will operate at the Sparc facility in St. Petersburg.
A.B. Ward's letter on the pilot age 60 rule makes a categorical statement that "pilot incapacitation never has been cited as the cause of an airline accident." Aviation Safety Network lists 11 flightcrew incapacitation accidents. Filtering out incidents such as hypoxia, carbon monoxide poisoning and non-air carrier events still leaves several significant occurrences. The probable cause in the 1966 Lockheed Electra accident in Ardmore, Okla., is: "The incapacitation, due to coronary insufficiency, of the pilot-in-command, at a critical point during an approach . . .
SIRTF BLOWS ITS TOP The protective dust cover atop NASA's new Space Infrared Telescope Facility has been ejected as planned, and the 1,900-lb. telescope's aperture door has opened. This will allow infrared radiation from deep-space objects to reach SIRTF's three instruments as the spacecraft begins a two-month hardware checkout, followed by a 30-day science system evaluation. The telescope was launched Aug. 25 on a Boeing Delta II Heavy into a unique Earth-trailing orbit. It has now crossed the Moon's orbit as it slowly falls behind the Earth in its path around the Sun.
MAINTAINING MAINTENANCE BASE Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is sponsoring eight scholarships for apprentices training to become licensed aircraft maintenance engineers. The effort is aimed at helping to reduce the shortage of maintenance workers in regional Australia. CASA is establishing the scholarship program as part of its commitment to supporting the growth and development of the aviation industry. For additional information: http://www.casa.gov.au/hotopics/media_rel/03-08-29.htm.
David Eagan, director of production quality for Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Integrated Systems Sector, El Segundo, Calif., has been elected chairman of the Americas Aerospace Quality Group, which develops and publishes quality assurance standards and guidelines for the aerospace industry.
TUI BACK IN FORM European tourism giant TUI says travel activities are beginning to recover from the effects of the severe acute respiratory syndrome and the Iraq war. The Hanover, Germany-based company reported earnings of 51 million euros ($56 million) in the second quarter, down from $152 million euros a year earlier. Revenues climbed 1.9% to 3.2 billion euros, but without full consolidation of its Nouvelles Frontieres unit would have experienced a 5.8% decline.
Troubled Air Littoral is in line to receive help from unexpected quarters--U.S. investors. They are offering to help the French carrier devise and implement a new survival attempt. Air Littoral late last month filed for Chapter 11-like bankruptcy protection after a recapitalization plan with French banks failed.
Richard L. Ballantyne has been appointed president and Rick Ingraham director of quality assurance and production/distribution for Aero Technologies Group member Kitco, Springville, Utah.
LABOR SHIFT Employees of Swissport Cargo Services and Worldwide Flight Service Inc. have replaced 1,500 warehouse and cargo call center employees of United Airlines Cargo at 17 warehouses owned by the airline at various U.S. airports. The shift was part of United's organizational change aimed at reducing costs and maintaining performance. Swissport and Worldwide, known as WFS, will handle and process all freight at the 17 warehouses. United retains management oversight and employees who work between the warehouse and aircraft.
