In the midst of the 100th anniversary year of the Wright brothers' first flight and adverse effects on aerospace from the war in Iraq and an economic downturn in the U.S., some industry leaders are looking to better days ahead. That's the message several of them delivered during Aviation Week & Space Technology's 15th annual Laureates Awards dinner last week at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum here.
Each Laureate Award winner from 1988-2002 automatically has become a member of the Laureates Hall of Fame. But what about the Laurels winners selected prior to 1988? To ensure the Legends of the past are remembered in Aviation Week's Hall of Fame, each class of inductees now includes the current year's winners and a number of legendary achievers selected by Aviation Week & Space Technology editors. This year, the following legendary Laurels winners from the past have been selected for induction into the Hall of Fame.
ITT Industries will modify GPS IIF satellites with two new transmitters and associated components, improving jam-resistance through proprietary multiplexing techniques that boost transmission signal strength. Under a contract potentially worth $31 million from Boeing Integrated Defense Systems, the award to ITT's Aerospace/Communication Div. covers upgrades to 12 GPS Block IIF spacecraft. The upgrade--due for completion in 2008--is similar to ITT modifications being done on eight GPS Block IIR systems.
Virgin Atlantic is offering to fly relief supplies to Iraq, and has informed the British government it is willing to reintroduce scheduled air service, which has been suspended between Britain and Iraq since 1990.
KEEPING SECRETS In an unprecedented move, the U.S. government has classified the orbital parameters of Japan's first two reconnaissance satellites launched together Mar. 28 on an H-2A booster. Since 1983, the U.S. has classified the orbits of its own reconnaissance spacecraft, but has always published the orbital elements of non-U.S. military satellites. The two Japanese spacecraft--an optical imaging satellite and an imaging radar spacecraft to monitor North Korea--are in similar orbits, about 490 km. (304 mi.) high, inclined 97.4 deg. from the equator.
PHONY CAPITALISTS? The airlines have worn out their welcome in Congress, at least in the view of the House Appropriations Committee's ranking Democrat, David Obey (Wis.). "In my belief, the airline industry is composed of let-us-pretend capitalists," Obey complained during House passage of Iraq war supplemental appropriations that included $3.8-billion in aid for the carriers (see p. 59). "Every couple years, they come to the Congress for another bailout, and I think that instead of pretending that they are independent business operations . . .
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE HAS LAUNCHED SKYJET EUROPE--a new charter program that charges customers a fixed hourly rate only for the hours flown and without incurring the cost of repositioning the airplane for a flight. Users pay the same price for trips of the same length regardless of point of departure and destination, according to the company.
Rather than wait 10 years to develop the next reusable launcher, why not go for a vehicle that combines the low cost of an Apollo-style capsule and reusability of the shuttle? Capsules are a proven technology and relatively cheap. The largest cost of the vehicle is on the inside: controls, radios, seats and computers. These expensive components can be designed for reuse.
A caretaker crew of two is set to lift off for the International Space Station late this week, and while U.S. and Russian space experts are satisfied the pair can safely operate the ISS for now, the path that will keep the station flying into 2004 is far from clear.
John J. McDevitt, who has been Louisville, Ky.-based vice president-air operations for UPS, has been promoted to membership on the Management Committee to coordinate the company's evolution as a provider of supply chain services. He has been succeeded by Jovita Carranza. She was president of the Miami-based Americas Region and, in turn, has been succeeded by Stephen Flowers. He was head of operations for France, the Benelux countries and Switzerland.
David W. Hockersmith has become chief information officer of Seko Worldwide, Itasca, Ill. He is a former president of the Airforwarders Assn. and founder of Trans-Soft Inc.
Sylviane Lust has been appointed director general of the Brussels-based International Air Carrier Assn. She was chief executive officer of Sobelair. Lust succeeds Ken Smith.
THE FAA HAS APPROVED AN EXEMPTION FOR CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO. to certify its new Citation CJ3 business jet at a maximum gross weight of more than 12,500 lb., clearing the way for single-pilot operation. The change grants Cessna its request for an exemption to Commuter Category rules in FAR Part 23. Since 1977 Cessna has obtained single-pilot approval for 12 different versions of the Citation product line. The CJ3 is scheduled to make its first flight in the second quarter of this year, followed by certification one year later.
GET MORE, SAVE MORE Still unhappy with the terms of a potential Air Force lease of Boeing 767-200 tankers, the Pentagon is now considering options to reduce the average cost of the flying gas stations. One scheme being considered is boosting the number of tankers in the deal to 180-200 from the previous 100 sought. The hope is that the larger quantity will drive Boeing to offer a better per-plane price. Another option being considered is to buy some of the tankers outright and lease others.
Glen Sowry has been named vice president-public affairs and group communications for Air New Zealand, effective Apr. 28. He has been head of public affairs at state-owned broadcaster TVNZ.
As for Bruce D. Nordwall's article on air traffic controller attrition (AW&ST Feb.17, p. 49), he probably is not aware there is a double standard concerning early retirement of controllers at age 56.
R. Earl Good, who just retired as director of the Air Force Research Laboratory's Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M., has received the Outstanding Civilian Career Service Award. He was recognized for a 40-year career as a researcher, director and mentor. Good was praised for his scientific works as a researcher on atmospheric dynamics, chemistry and composition, and as a team leader measuring atmospheric optical turbulence.
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Robert Wall (Air Base Near Iraq)
Three U.S. Air Force A-10s were hit by Iraqi anti-aircraft fire on successive days during the battle for Baghdad. Of these, one was shot down, another made an emergency landing at an occupied base in southern Iraq and the last made it back to Kuwait with its hydraulics shot away. The pilot of the third aircraft, a captain identified only as "K.C.," recovered the aircraft from uncontrolled flight after being hit and flew back to base. Friends confide that K.C. stands for Killer Chick. She was one of two women piloting A-10s in the Iraq conflict.
DELTA AIRELITE BUSINESS JETS WILL HAVE ACCESS to five additional Learjet 60s to meet demand for travel services, bringing to more than 275 the number of jets available to members. AirElite offers the jets in blocks of 25, 50 or 100 hr., and is the only business jet charter company owned by a major U.S. airline.
Three years ago, the U.S. Navy/ Boeing/Raytheon APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array team began developing an advanced radar that would allow the F/A-18E/F to counter the evolving threat beyond 2020. Led by three program managers, Capt. (select) Dave Dunaway, Don Thole of Boeing and Tom Kennedy of Raytheon, the team has met every milestone since contract award in 2000, including 100% on-time delivery.
There are those who say that there are no new aerospace frontiers. Others say, even if there are, that there are no longer any bold inventors, barnstormers or risk-takers able to meet today's challenges. I invite the pessimists and hand-wringers to look closely at this issue's cover and read the stories that begin on p. 64.
Fitzhugh L. Fulton, Jr., has logged 16,700 hr. of flight time in 240 different aircraft types as a research test pilot for the U.S. Air Force, NASA and Scaled Composites, a California-based civilian firm. His colleagues know him to be the epitome of a professional test pilot, yet few outside the flight test community know of his many accomplishments.
Scaled Composites unveiled its privately funded manned space program here on Apr.18, displaying largely completed hardware designed to take three people in a suborbital trajectory to 100 km. (62 mi.) altitude. It is in essence a version of the 1960s NASA/USAF X-15 rocket plane program but with less severe aerodynamic and thermal stresses.
