American Airlines Capt. Roy I. Steele (Arlington, Tex.)
The top 45 executives of American Airlines were reported to be enrolled in a special fund that shields portions of their pensions from creditors in case the airline goes through a bankruptcy filing. While this is not a new idea for the airline executive, news of the fund was kept under wraps until a required filing the day after American employees were asked to vote to give up a significant portion of their wages. Does anyone wonder why employees mistrust management of the airlines?
Britain is considering shaving the number of Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft it purchases as part of a wide-ranging defense review. Such a move could have far-reaching ramifications for the four-nation program. The outgoing chief of the Defense Staff, Adm. Sir Michael Boyce, confirmed that preparation of the Defense White Paper included examining several so-called legacy systems in order to potentially reduce acquisition numbers. The government plans to publish the document during the third or fourth quarter of 2003.
In the Mar. 31 issue, you published two letters explaining how simple and obvious it will be to avoid future disasters similar to that of the space shuttle Columbia. Bill Ketchum proposed that we develop and build "an orbital turnaround operations facility with a capability for on-orbit maintenance," and Ray Peterson suggested taking two "Gemini capsule-sized lifeboats in the cargo bay."
Richard E. Moore has been named director of information technology for the Keystone Helicopter Corp., West Chester, Pa. He was Northeast U.S. director at Contemporary Technologies Inc., New Castle, Del.
Eighteen years after a London-bound Air-India 747 exploded over the North Atlantic about an hour before landing, killing all 329 people on board, two Sikh separatists went on trial last week in Vancouver. Canadians and Indians made up the bulk of the passenger list on the June 23, 1985, flight, which originated at Toronto and was headed for Bombay via London and New Delhi (AW&ST July 1, 1985, p. 29). The two accused, Ripudaman Singh Malik and Ajaib Singh Bagri, have opted for a trial by judge.
AIRBUS WINS IN CHINA China Aviation Supplies Import and Export Group (CASGC) is expected soon to conclude an order for four Airbus A330s, 16 A319s and 10 A320s. The 30 commercial transports are scheduled to be operated by China Southern Airlines, Air China, China Eastern, Hainan Airlines and Sichuan Airlines, CASGC President Li Hai said. Since Jan. 1, Airbus has concluded firm orders covering 137 aircraft in an indication that the market is not lifeless despite the gloomy airline industry environment.
Michael K. Moore has been named vice president-marketing and sales for Tag Aviation USA of San Francisco. He was vice president-aircraft acquisition and sales.
Poland is slated to become the first export customer for Raytheon's AGM-145 Joint Standoff Missile. The country recently signed a memorandum of agreement to buy a small number, fewer then 150, of the glide missiles to arm the 48 F-16s it's acquiring. Warsaw wants to buy the AGM-145C, the penetrator version that comes equipped with the BAE Systems Broach multistage warhead.
EASYJET SLOT SHORTFALL On July 1, EasyJet will begin serving Paris-Toulouse, one of France's busiest city pairs. However, the British low-cost carrier could not schedule more than four flights per day so as to retain scarce takeoff/landing slots for four daily flights to Nice.
Steven R. Bower has become senior vice president-finance and administration and James B. Fischer vice president-finance of Hitco Carbon Composites Inc. of Los Angeles. Bower was corporate controller for parent SGL Carbon Group, Wiesbaden, Germany. Fischer was chief financial officer of Ogden Atlantic Design.
GERIATRIC GAS STATIONS The Pentagon is to decide in the coming days whether to approve or nix the proposed lease of 100 Boeing 767-200 refueling planes. The lease is estimated to cost $17 billion, $21 billion if the Air Force buys the planes after six years. Adding in support costs pushes the price tag to almost $30 billion. But the service will still have to deal with some extremely old aircraft.
Capt. (ret.) John L. Kastien (not American Airlines) (Kent, Wash.)
There is no limit to the shameful greed demonstrated by then-American Airlines Chairman and CEO Donald J. Carty and his henchmen (AW&ST Apr. 28, p. 39). Their withdrawal from this money grab was not an act of contrition, altruism or anything resembling ethical conduct. Their epiphany occurred only after they were caught with their hands in the corporate cash register and the resulting humiliation was more than they and their board could stand. The entire cost reduction plan likely was doomed to failure.
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Robert Wall (Washington)
A large number of U.S. strike missions to suppress military activity in western Iraq were quietly launched from an airbase in eastern Jordan, despite that government's denial that U.S. forces there carried out offensive military operations against Iraq. Publicly, Jordan's leaders said they were not a party to the conflict and there was no activity from inside their country against Iraq. The U.S. presence was limited, they said, to several hundred troops, most of whom manned Patriot air defense missile batteries.
Barbara L. Barcon has been appointed vice president-planning and analysis for the Northrop Grumman Corp. of Los Angeles. She was vice president-finance and business for Northrop Grumman Space Technology, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Robert E. Brown has been named vice chairman of the board of Air Canada and is scheduled to be named chairman on May 13. He will succeed John Fraser, who is expected to retire later this year. Brown was president/CEO of Bombardier Inc. until December.
MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates subsidiary MD Robotics has won a $1.58-million contract from the Canadian Space Agency to fulfill a CSA/NASA cooperative project for the NASA-led Mars Science Laboratory mission.
Editor-In-Chief David M. North (left) recently spent a day with the USAF 3D Flying Training Squadron at Moody AFB, Ga. (see p. 46). His visit included a flight in the T-6A with Capt. Patrick O'Brien (right). The 3D FTS is a part of the 479th Flying Training Group at Moody. North was able to fly the FlightSafety International Texan 2 simulator under the supervision of Lear Siegler Services instructor pilots. The 1.1-hr. actual flight was in the rear seat of the T-6A.
The Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency has awarded Boeing a $190-million contract to build an Iron Bird testbed for the 747-400-based Airborne Laser. The testbed will be located at Edwards AFB and could be used to troubleshoot ABL, explore potential technology upgrades, and test laser modules for a later version of the boost phase intercept system, called Block 08. The contract could grow to $500 million and would run through April 2013.
The FAA has waived the minimum usage requirement for slots and slot exemptions at high-density traffic airports--John F. Kennedy International, LaGuardia and Ronald Reagan Washington National--through Oct . 25. Under the current rule, the FAA may recall any slot not utilized at least 80% of the time over a 60-day period. The waiver is in response to requests from several carriers who, considering the Iraq situation's effect on industry, questioned the applicability of requirements.
Robert W. Baker, former vice chairman of American Airlines, died Apr. 20 from complications associated with lung cancer. He was 58. Baker joined the airline's marketing department in 1968 and worked in passenger and freight management before becoming vice president of American's Southern Div. late in 1977. From 1979-82, he held other key management positions in passenger sales and automation systems, and in 1985, became responsible for maintenance, engineering and flight operations planning and performance. In 1998, Baker was appointed vice chairman.
MAGNUM CUM LAUDE The first group of airline pilots who volunteered to carry guns in the cockpit just completed Transportation Security Administration firearms training. The pilots received 48 hr. of instruction in safe use of guns inflight, as well as defensive tactics that would deter a potential hijacker. They also learned about legal liability and safe transport of a weapon, and were issued .40-caliber semiautomatic pistols. The candidates were nominated by the Air Line Pilots Assn. and Coalition of Airline Pilots Assn.
UPPER-STAGE ENGINE PROGRESS Pratt & Whitney Space Propulsion this month received a main fuel (hydrogen) turbopump from Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries Co. for the development of its new RL60 engine. The RL60 has 90% of its components complete and is expected to begin full testing in September. The RL60 is a cryogenic upper-stage engine designed to produce 60,000-lb. thrust with a specific impulse of 465 sec. to meet the evolving needs of expendable launch requirements or human-rated missions.
Japan Airlines will use Rockwell Collins avionics in its Boeing 767-300ER aircraft: data links for CNS/ATM applications, high-speed data messaging, Acars, future air navigation systems, controller/pilot data links and GLU-920 multimode receiver.
Canada's concerns about SARS' effect on its airline and tourism industries intensified last week when the World Health Organization (WHO) expanded its SARS global travel alert and warned against "postponing all but essential travel" to Beijing, China's Shanxi Province and Toronto.
