The U.S. is sponsoring a summit meeting on Earth observation to jump-start work on an integrated and sustained global observing system capable of providing reliable real-time data for climate and disaster monitoring, water/resource management and other environmental concerns.
Conventional wisdom holds that lower-tier suppliers should be striving to move up the "value chain" wherever they can--that is, manufacturing products that represent ever higher levels of systems integration--if they want to succeed long-term. Bradley Morton, operations vice president of Eaton Aerospace, doesn't necessarily subscribe to this line of reasoning. "Our strength is in component design and development, and we offer systems integration only where we think it adds value for our customers," he said.
The near moribund market for commercial satellites and launch services in the last few years--exacerbated by excess industry capacity--has come home to punish Boeing Co. and Loral Space & Communications Ltd.
A. Michael Andrews, 2nd, has been appointed chief technology officer for L-3 Communications of New York. He was U.S. Army chief scientist/deputy assistant Army secretary for research and technology.
The former U.S. Customs Service has assembled what may be the world's broadest-ranging air traffic surveillance and intercept system in one room, and equipped it with databases that help officers gauge the intent of the pilot at the click of a mouse. Under Homeland Security Dept. reorganization, the system is now within the new Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This company has introduced two new ground power units. Model 3324 is rated at 3,200 peak starting amps and a continuous 54-amp DC output when connected to a 220-volt AC source. A multi-unit power supply offers redundant field reliability. Large battery capacity (90 ampere hr.) permits extended usage time when no AC power source is available. It weighs 215 lb. and is priced at $3,495. Start Pac Model 3328 is rated at 2,800 peak starting amps and a continuous 105 amps DC, and will give faster and cooler starts on all turbine engines, according to the company.
Restoring confidence within the space shuttle workforce so it can effectively turn the program around will be a major challenge, said William Parsons, the new shuttle program director.
Investigators probing the June 10 crash of a USAF F-16C near Luke AFB, Ariz., have determined that a faulty fourth stage low-pressure turbine blade in a Pratt & Whitney F100 engine was responsible. Officials from the Connecticut-based engine-maker said an initial investigation into the incident, in which the pilot safely ejected from his stricken aircraft during a routine training mission, indicates that a manufacturing anomaly was responsible for a number of faulty blades. The suspect components were supplied by an outside vendor.
Mark Liberman, who was a vice president-North America of United Airlines, has become president of LA INC. The Convention and Visitors Bureau. He succeeds the late George D. Kirkland.
Michael Bennett (see photos) has been appointed assistant general manager of the Washington Dulles International Airport facility of Signature Flight Support. He was operations manager and has been succeeded by Jonathan Hill, who has been promoted from supervisor. Jeff Zimmerman has been named operations manager at Signature's Dallas facility. He was auditor of flight support operations for Bombardier Flexjet. Joyce Ryan has become an area human resources manager in Connecticut and Massachusetts.
It is amazing that executives from the imperiled "major" carriers at the International Air Transport Assn. annual meeting singled out government as the source of all of their problems (AW&ST June 9, p. 22).
This company has obtained receipt of "certified for flight into known ice" Supplemental Type Certificate for 1984-and-later Beech/Raytheon Bonanza A36 aircraft. With strong demand for a known-ice TKS system for most Bonanzas, the company has concentrated on the late model A36. It plans to expand its facility in Salina to service the expected demand. The company also plans to expand the Supplemental Type Certificate to cover 1978-and-later F33s, A36TCs and B36TCs. Aerospace Systems & Technologies, 3213 Arnold Ave., Salina, Kan. 67401.
PORTABLE FIREFIGHTER A new roll-on/roll-off Airborne Fire Fighting System (AFFS) that converts Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve C-130E/H transports to air tankers will be on fire-base flightlines later this year. The U.S. Forest Service recently exercised an option to buy seven production units after Aero Union Corp. completed an AFFS prototype development program. Replacing the 30-year-old Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System, AFFS carries 1,000 gal. more fire retardant or a water/foam mixture, and can apply 8 gal. per 100 sq. ft.
Rather than trying to develop a high-speed, exo-atmospheric, global-strike vehicle all at once, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has decided to pursue an incremental strategy that would include building demonstrator launchers and re-entry warheads.
WEST WING Next year, Airbus U.K.'s newly completed production facilities at Broughton, North Wales, will deliver the first set of A380 wings to the company's Toulouse, France, final assembly line. Dubbed West Factory, the 1,310-ft.-long facility--a 350-million-pound ($525-million) investment inaugurated on July 4 by Prime Minister Tony Blair--is the largest factory built in the U.K. in the last several years, according to Airbus executives. It is designed to accommodate the A380's impressive wingspan.
John Guan has been appointed senior development chemist for Precix Inc., New Bedford, Mass. He was technical manager of the Eaton Corp., Newbern, Tenn.
Vincent J. Thomas has been appointed value-based six sigma champion and director of operations support for ITT Industries Defense, McLean, Va. He was vice president/director of operations of ITT Night Vision.
The "Flash-Fire" micro-light for aircraft owners and pilots is a super-compact design for cockpit illumination, aircraft maintenance and emergency signaling. Included is an adapter that converts the direct beam light into an area light or wide-view strobe for emergency situations. Designed and engineered in Germany, the mini-flashlight employs light-emitting diodes for its illumination, so replacement bulbs are unnecessary. It operates for up to 100 hr. without a battery change.
DIA WAIT REDUCTION . . . Attendees at a July 2 "Denver Summit" of airport, airline and Transportation Security Administration executives agreed to eight action-items aimed at reducing wait-times at Denver International Airport's security-screening stations. One of those measures--using passenger-load data provided by air carriers to better schedule the TSA workforce--will require more part-time TSA employees to ensure screening portals are properly manned during peak times (AW&ST July 7, p. 16).
BLURRED VISION Japan has set a Sept. 10 date for the second pair of reconnaissance satellites it began launching in March to keep tabs on North Korea's ballistic missile development program. But Optical-1, which was orbited Mar. 28 with the first pair, is not achieving the 1-meter resolution Mitsubishi Electric (Melco) expected it to have. The best resolution it has achieved is 2-3 meters. The National Space Information Center, which runs the program, wants to know if it is dealing with an operational or a design and/or assembly issue.
Daniel DeFazio has been appointed vice president/chief financial officer and Miguel Vasquez vice president-strategic planning and special projects of the Safire Aircraft Co., Opa-Locka, Fla.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency added $242 million to the Airborne Laser program last week to cover cost increases on the project, primarily related to the laser, beam control, integration and test effort. The agency also will move about $160 million from that contract to a separate one to buy its second ABL, a Boeing 747-400.
Rakesh Gangwal has been appointed chairman/president/CEO of Atlanta-based Worldspan. Former President/ CEO Paul J. Blackney will be a special adviser and serve on the board of directors. Gangwal was president/CEO of US Airways.
Jim Kuhn and Gary Freeman have become regional sales managers for Western Aircraft, Boise, Idaho. Kuhn was director of sales and operations for Dassault Falcon Jet's Midway Aircraft Instrument Corp. Freeman was a regional sales manager for CAE SimuFlite in Dallas.
The Flight Safety Foundation and FAA are striving to improve nonprecision instrument approaches by increasing the number of procedures featuring a constant descent angle in concert with traditional step-down fixes.
