NO PUNITIVE DAMAGES A U.S. District Court judge in San Francisco has ruled that families of those killed in the Jan. 31, 2000, crash of Alaska Airlines Flight 261 off the coast of California cannot collect punitive damages from Boeing. The ruling permits families of the 88 people killed on board the MD-83 to seek compensatory damages as part of a negligence claim. They are barred under an international treaty from seeking punitive damages from Alaska Airlines because the flight originated in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, and was bound for Seattle.
JET FEVER Republic Airways Holdings, which owns regional carriers Chautauqua and Republic airlines, has ordered an additional 12 Embraer ERJ 145LR jets. The first four will be delivered in August, but delivery of the other eight will depend on Republic obtaining financing by February 2004. Bryan Bedford, chairman, president/CEO of Republic Holdings, said three of the first four airplanes will be operated by Chautauqua and the others with Republic, which is scheduled to begin operations in October from Louisville, Ky.
The European Union's defense ministers have declared the EU's new 60,000-man rapid reaction force operational. The ministers said the force would be sufficiently equipped to permit the EU to take over NATO's peacekeeping mission in Bosnia early next year, as has been proposed. However, they acknowledged that engagements beyond that level--NATO has 17,000 troops in Bosnia--would require additional airlift, precision weapons and other capabilities. The EU activated its first peacekeeping mission, a 400-man contingent in Macedonia, in March.
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
Guy Dubois has been named executive vice president/chief financial officer of Zurich-based Gate Gourmet International, effective July 1. He has been vice president-finance, administration, demand and supply chain for Roche Vitamins in New Jersey.
The U.S. Air Force has completed a $320-million contract with Lockheed Martin to build 10 Block 50 F-16s for Chile. Production is scheduled to begin in 2004 with initial deliveries set for early in 2006. Six of the airplanes will be single-seat F-16Cs and the other four will be two-seat F-16Ds. General Electric F110-GE-129 engines will power the fighters.
Malaysia is to acquire an advanced derivative of the Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter aircraft, a move that will considerably bolster the nation's offensive air capability. In a deal valued at roughly $900 million, Malaysia will take delivery of 18 Sukhoi Su-30MKM two-seat combat aircraft beginning in mid-2006.
Early next year, Mars should be under direct observation by six spacecraft, a situation not seen since 1978 when two Viking orbiters and two Viking landers were active at the planet.
The Columbia Accident Investigation Board has identified about a dozen shuttle program safety concerns it will address in its final report, in addition to foam shedding from the Lockheed Martin external tank--believed by many board members to be the direct cause for the loss of Columbia and her crew. As new evidence narrows the location of Columbia's left-wing breach to a lower corner of reinforced carbon-carbon (RCC) Panel 8 and its adjoining T-seal, the board is broadening its penetration of other shuttle safety issues.
Scaled Composites made the first joined flight of its Tier One man- ned space program last week, with the White Knight mother ship carrying the SpaceShipOne rocket-powered glider to nearly 50,000 ft. The company hopes to reach 100-km. altitude (328,000 ft.) by the end of the year with the air-launched rocket ship that was unveiled last month (AW&ST Apr. 21, p. 64). The May 20 captive-carry flight was "solid as a rock," reached performance predictions, and did not reveal any aerodynamic or other concerns, said Scaled President Burt Rutan.
June 6-8--Quad Cities' 16th Annual Air Show. Davenport (Iowa) Municipal Airport. Call +1 (563) 285-7469 or see www.quadcityairshow.com June 10-11--NASA Ames Research Center Symposium. Santa Clara (Calif.) Convention Center. Call +1 (650) 604-1412 or see www.human-factors.arc.nasa.gov/eas June 10-12--NASA Second Century of Flight Conference. Williamsburg (Va.) Marriott. Call +1 (800) 639-2422 or see www.aiaa.org/events/tgir
Correction: The photo that appeared with a Viewpoint by Jon B. Kutler, CEO of Quarterdeck Investment Partners (AW&ST May 19, p. 70) did not depict him but an associate at Quarterdeck. At left is a photo of Kutler.
Mark Grigg has been appointed station manager at Indianapolis International Airport for Southwest Airlines. He was assistant station manager at Nash- ville (Tenn.) International Airport.
Michael A. Taverna (Paris), Douglas Barrie (London)
Often seen as a governmental slough of despond, the ongoing failure to rationalize U.S. technology export rules continues to dog transatlantic cooperation efforts. Ever since switching jurisdiction for compliance with International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) from the Commerce to the State Dept., Washington has promised to break the resulting logjam that requires foreign companies marketing or using products based on U.S. technologies to wait for months for requisite export licenses.
It is ludicrous that the U.S. Air Force and/ or federal government should be concern- ed about overflight of other countries by American ICBMs armed with conventional weapons, as mentioned by Maj. Gen. Timothy J. McMahon in "Rapid Response" (AW&ST Apr. 7, p. 66).
Blair Sullivan (see photo) has been named Southwest U.S. sales director for the Wichita, Kan.-based Raytheon Aircraft Co. He was director of marketing for the Beechcraft Div.
NIGHT STALKING U.S. Army special ops helicopters are being upgraded with new third-generation forward-looking infrared (Flir) systems that should improve crews' ability to operate at night. Raytheon won a $111-million contract, and Flir Systems a $40-million contract, for their electro-optical sensors. Raytheon will build 210 sensors for MH-60 and MH-47 assault helos, as well as 50 Flirs integrated with laser designators for AH-6 and MH-60L attack helicopters. Flir Systems will deliver sensors in a lightweight 40-lb.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge told the House Select Committee on Homeland Security last week that unmanned aerial vehicles may be patrolling U.S. land and sea borders by the end of 2004. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) supports the idea for the U.S.-Mexican border citing the expense of helicopters. The HSD will look at Defense Dept. systems such as the Predator. The Coast Guard's 20-year Integrated Deepwater procurement program also envisions using Global Hawk and a new tilt-rotor UAV from Bell Helicopter, the Eagle Eye.
SOBS AT SAAB SPACE Saab Ericsson Space will cut 80 personnel from its Gothenburg, Sweden, operation because of a falloff in orders. The international market for telecommunications satellites remains weak, and Sweden's space budget has gradually been cut back over a number of years. Since its formation in 1992, Saab Ericsson Space has successfully marketed products for use on board commercial telecommunications satellites. In recent years, some 50% of the company's net sales have been generated by communications satellite system sales.
Roman G. Ptakowski has been appointed president of Innovative Solutions and Support Inc., Exton, Pa. Hewas group vice president/general manager of B/E Aerospace Inc.
E-TOOLING ALONG After assuring the system's security and reliability, the U.K. Defense Ministry has expanded its Purchase to Payment (P2P) electronic procurement system with a link to Exostar, the aerospace and defense trading exchange that includes BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce among its founders. The Defense Ministry said more than 1 million pounds ($1.62 million) worth of contracts went live with the application, which began May 16. These include several contracts from BAE. Rolls-Royce is expected to begin using the link soon.
The article "Rapid Response" contained an idea that was great (and feasible) 21 years ago, and which is even more so now. William B. Scott mentions Pentagon planners proposing a space-based kinetic weapon they refer to as "rods from God --a non-explosive device, such as a titanium rod-based munition delivered at hypersonic speeds from space . . ."
GAMBLERS' RUN Low-fare carrier Allegiant Air will begin nonstop scheduled service between Denver International Airport and Las Vegas on July 3, initially flying three weekly round trips. The airline is offering introductory air and hotel packages starting at $209 per person, round trip. Allegiant has provided direct service to Las Vegas from Colorado Springs for about a year, and "that market continues to build," according to Maurice J. Gallagher, the airline's chairman.
American Airlines will reinstall seats in 140 Boeing 757s and 34 Airbus A300s in an attempt to attract more passengers in leisure and vacation markets. President/CEO Gerard Arpey said, however, that the airline's "More Room In Coach" program will remain in effect on more than 75% of the fleet. Reconfiguration is scheduled to begin this autumn at American's Tulsa, Okla., maintenance facility.
Eric F. Paillet has been appointed executive vice president and Ronald S. Greene chief pilot for the Viva Airlines subsidiary of the Auxer Group, Traverse City, Mich.
