David M. Wing has been promoted to executive vice president/chief financial officer from vice president/controller of the ATA Holdings Corp. He succeeds Kenneth K. Wolff, who has retired. Wing has been succeeded by Wisty B. Malone, who was director of financial accounting.
This cable tie installation tool is for subminiature through standard cross-section cable ties. Pneumatic, push-button operations allows the PTS to automatically tension and cut off the cable tie quickly. No special training is needed to operate the tool. It was designed to reduce operator fatigue through use of a cushioned handle and controlled tip ejection that retains the cut-off tip. A tension adjustment knob and fine adjustment knob are located at the rear of the tool. The narrow nose improves visibility and access to bundles in confined areas.
Another short-notice attempt to kill Iraq's leadership, using a B1 out of Oman, was an early success for the nascent network-centric system of warfighting being introduced by the U.S. Within 12 min. of its assignment, the crew dropped four GBU-31 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs)--two penetrators and two with 25-millisecond delayed action fuzes--on two aim points about 100 ft. apart in a residential area of Baghdad.
CHANGE IN PLANS US Airways and Airbus have agreed to restructure a previous order for aircraft as part of the carrier's emergence from bankruptcy. Under the new plan, the airline would receive 10 A330-200s instead of one A330-300, three A319s and 15 A320s. US Airways has 13 A321s and six additional A320s on order. Deliveries of the 29 transports are scheduled to occur in 2007-09.
SARS WARS As of late last week, airlines were continuing to make cuts in capacity because of decreased demand for international travel (particularly in the Asia region) stemming from the rapid spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). For passengers concerned about flying to Southeast Asia, which has been among the hardest hit areas, Singapore Airlines (SIA) is allowing a one-time change of confirmed reservations for departures through June 30 on SIA or SilkAir. Travel, however, must be completed by Nov. 30, according to SIA.
The Scotch-Brite cleaning pad, made of a textured non-woven web surface coated with a non-abrasive polymer, cleans dirt and residue from the exterior of aircraft. The design increases the wet friction created by the cleaning pad, improving cleaning efficiency, according to the company. The pad conforms to aircraft surfaces and can be used in conjunction with pressure wash systems. In addition, the company says it will not alter or harm high- or low-gloss coatings. It is available in three ready-to-use sizes. 3M Aerospace, 3M Center, Building 220-8E-05, St. Paul, Minn.
Alitalia is embarking on a major revamp of its maintenance, repair and overhaul business to allow it to remain an important player in the industry. Despite the relatively small size of its MRO and engineering activity, it's considered strategic, and there are no plans to spin it off, said Ugo Cucciniello, who heads the Alitalia Engineering & Maintenance group. With annual revenues of 600 million euros ($640 million) and 4,600 employees, the group is barely a third the size of industry leaders such as Lufthansa Technik.
THUMB ON THE SCALE Government intervention as well as good fortune enabled Airbus to overtake Boeing and Bombardier to outsell Embraer, the Brazilian manufacturer's CEO, Mauricio Botelho, tells reporters here. The U.S. Export-Import Bank helped finance $2.9 billion in Boeing international sales in 2001, while comparable aid to Airbus in Europe totaled $4.2 billion, Botelho says. And Canada out-aided Brazil, $3.4 billion to $1.2 billion.
he third time was a charm for American Airlines and British Airways. The Oneworld alliance partners, which applied unsuccessfully twice during the past decade for a transatlantic code-share alliance immune from U.S. antitrust laws, won tentative Transportation Dept. approval Apr. 9 for a non-immunized deal. If the department makes its tentative approval final--after allowing one more round of protests from opponents and another rejoinder from AA-BA, all by Apr. 21--the carriers will be free to implement complex, world-spanning code shares:
The advent of highly complex space systems, such as Transformational Communications and Space-Based Radar, is forcing major changes in military system-acquisition processes. As a result, the U.S. national security space community is shifting its focus from disparate "programs" to "architectures" that can accommodate a variety of networked, interoperable platforms.
DAUPHINS TO GREECE Eurocopter will supply five AS 365 N3 Dauphin 2 helicopters to the Greek merchant marine. The 47-million-euro ($50-million) deal, which includes one option, will enable day/night surveillance ops, starting with the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. The merchant marine already operates four Eurocopter AS 332 C1 Super Pumas.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Assn. (AOPA) last week voiced vigorous opposition to requests by the Defense Dept. and the Secret Service to expand temporary flight restrictions around the President to 30 naut. mi. from 10 naut. mi. A senior AOPA official said the increase is unwarranted by security threats, and urged Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge to reject the request. The Secret Service and Defense Dept. have sought the increase for more than a year, according to AOPA.
David G. Bronner has been named non-executive chairman of US Airways. He is CEO of the Retirement Systems of Alabama, which owns a substantial share of the airline company. David N. Siegel will continue as president/CEO.
The Airborne-DHL Worldwide Express merger--and the muffled but strong resistance to it--is raising a lengthening trail of questions as to the final outcome.
UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON RESEARCHERS, WORKING WITH the Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, have developed an improved interferometer for accurately determining the angle of arrival of radio frequency signals over a wide band of frequencies and signal-to-noise ratios, an essential electronic warfare task. For broadband coverage, most interferometric systems need a large "antenna farm"--typically two three-element linear phase interferometers. The university uses a single, wideband, hybrid multi-mode antenna.
In a deal that will drive Airbus from its fleet, All Nippon Airways is negotiating to buy 45 Boeing 737NGs worth up to $2.5 billion for deliveries beginning in 2005. The agreement will see the Japanese carrier replace 52 aircraft in its single-aisle fleet--25 Airbus A320s, two 737-400s and 25 737-500s. The replacements include some aircraft from ANA subsidiary Air Nippon. The majority of the replacements are to be 737-700s but will include other variants. CFM International will provide the CFM56-7 powerplants.
The White House appears to be moving full speed ahead on privatizing up to 850,000 federal jobs that it considers "commercial" in nature, with the goals of improving efficiency and saving money. For positions with counterparts in the private sector (janitorial services and computer network design come to mind), investigating the alternatives makes sense. Not so, however, when it comes to replacing the people who ensure the safety of our skies: air traffic controllers.
Keeping with tradition on Europe's A400M military transport, the decision on an engine is dragging on longer than anticipated. The politically charged choice--between Pratt & Whitney Canada and a team of Rolls-Royce, Snecma, and MTU--has seen Airbus in last-minute discussions over the powerplant.
Lufthansa Technik and Rolls-Royce are planning to set up a joint engine MRO venture in a move intended to reinforce the role of both players in the aeroengine aftermarket sector.
BIG BIRD The Air Navigation Commission (ANC) of the International Civil Aviation Organization is drafting a report on the impact of NLA (new larger aircraft), including the Airbus A380, on taxiways and runways of major international airports. According to an initial version of the draft, a majority of airports expects few problems in accommodating these transports, while a small number of facilities featuring closely spaced parallel runways faces major obstacles.
CARRYING A BIG STICK AGAIN? JAPANESE Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba has ordered a feasibility study on the introduction of the Tomahawk cruise missile. The country's constitution prohibits possession of offensive weapons, but Ishiba said the Tomahawk does not violate that policy because it would be used to destroy hostile long-range missile bases. However, Yasuo Fukuda, the chief cabinet secretary, said Ishiba's study is for the Japanese Defense Agency and is not being provided to the cabinet.
TORNADO ZAPPER Tornadoes could be stopped before they start with a blast of microwaves from orbit, according to a retired Johnson Space Center engineer. Lyle M.
The essays in the section "Reflections on 100 Years of Aerospace" highlighted many fulfilled dreams (AW&ST Mar. 24, p. 48). What young dreams will be fulfilled in the coming century? Some dream of Mars. Will we really go? For the foreseeable future, distance, radiation and dollars will comprise a barrier to interplanetary human travel, as much as the Pacific Ocean did to Conestoga wagons. These dreams won't be fulfilled.
