Randall K. Smith has become vice president-sales and distribution for Midwest Express Airlines. He was vice president-scheduling for Trans World Airlines.
EADS' revenues for the first nine months of this year decreased 3% to 19.9 billion euros ($20 billion), including $13.7 billion generated by Airbus deliveries. The European group's earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) decreased 10% to $1.01 billion, a negative trend resulting in the military aircraft division's and space unit's heavy losses. The Airbus division's EBIT regressed 5% to $1.07 billion.
Congress finally completed work on the $393-billion Fiscal 2003 defense authorization bill, with few adjustments to major aviation programs, but lawmakers signaled that they want the Pentagon to do a better job with its intelligence programs. Work on the bill was delayed largely due to jousting between the White House and Congress over health-care related language.
SpaceDev's Miniature Flight Computer (MFC) is to be launched on the tiny 100-lb. Cosmic Hot Interstellar Plasma Spectrometer (CHIPS) satellite in December (www.spacedev.com). The general-purpose MFC has very low power consumption, running at 300 million instructions per sec. with only 6 watts. Processing speed and mode can be varied as needed, running power consumption down to as low as 0.5 watt. The MFC has passed environmental testing for low-Earth orbit missions and is ready for spacecraft or launcher use.
I couldn't agree more with Hal Berenson and Jason D. Steele (AW&ST Oct. 7, p.8). If the airlines want to know why they have fewer customers, their executives should fly from, say, Auckland to Los Angeles in economy class. In an era when people are taller and fatter than ever, airlines reduce seat pitch every year, it seems. I refuse to pay $1,500 to have the head of the guy in front of me in my lap when he reclines his seat. Next time, I'll get a big dog carrier and ride in the hold; it's got to be more comfortable.
Also, Wyld Propulsion Award, Yvonne Brill, for innovations in on-orbit propulsion systems and management contributions to the U.S. space program; George M.
An interagency task force in Washington is being formed to speed the review of the possible environmental impacts of a runway project at Philadelphia International Airport. It will bring together federal officials with concerns as diverse as defense and historic preservation to speed what is typically a years-long process before ground can be broken. Acting on an executive order from President Bush, the Transportation Dept. selected seven projects for expedited environmental reviews, but the PHL runway is the only one that is aviation-related.
Right after the House passed its bill to create the Homeland Security Dept., former Sen. Warren Rudman (R-N.H.) told a Senate subcommittee that the U.S. remains "literally naked" facing the imminent threat of terrorism. Rudman who co-chaired a commission that recommended February 2001 creating such a department, told the subcommittee on technology, terrorism and government information, chaired by Sen.
The Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet last week was awarded the FAA type approval certificate, and European JAA type recommendation is soon expected, according to the aircraft manufacturer. The 86-seat regional aircraft won Transport Canada type approval in September.
Daniel Crowley has been appointed vice president-business development and advanced programs for Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space Operations, Sunnyvale, Calif. He was vice president-business development of the Theater High Altitude Area Defense program.
TUI, a major European tour and air charter operator, has agreed to set up a venture in China in what will be its first major foray outside of Europe. The joint venture, to be called TUI China, will be majority owned by Hannover, Germany-based TUI, in partnership with CTS of China and independent businessman Martin Buese. TUI executives did not say whether the venture would include charter airline operations, but the company's practice generally has been to establish such operations in major markets.
Say goodbye to the U.S. airline industry as we know it. A dramatic transformation is underway, although it still may be imperceptible to most of the flying public. Emerging slowly but surely is a domestic industry that eventually could be dominated not by traditional hub-and-spoke airlines, such as United and Delta, but by low-cost carriers like Southwest. Until a few years ago, they were cavalierly dismissed--begrudgingly tolerated.
Willem Luuk Nijdam has been named Netherlands-based general manager of Goodyear Aviation Tires for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He was vice president-operations for MSI Cellular Investments Holdings in Africa.
The Secure II series of locks are designed for large-cabin business jets. Each set contains up to 23 individual locks for every door and access panel on an aircraft, all accessed by one key that can be duplicated only by the manufacturer. The locks can be installed by aircraft manufacturers on the assembly line or in completion facilities, or through retrofit by the lock company. The Secure II devices mount flush with the airframe, and align vertically when in the locked position so pilots can tell at a glance that all doors and panels are locked.
To state the obvious, the U.S. airline industry needs a major overhaul to restore its financial viability, and analysts have some ideas about what needs to be done to accomplish that goal. At the top of their list isn't bolstering security, boosting fares or reducing the "hassle factor" that has made commercial flying so aggravating and time-consuming. "Unfortunately, the painful prescription for recovery consists mostly of cost-cutting," according to Standard & Poor's analyst Philip Baggaley.
Aviation Week & Space Technology's special report on the U.S. airline industry crisis, starting on p. 52, pulls no punches. The six largest hub-and-spoke carriers are in an unprecedented struggle for survival, and the outcomes for two of them--US Airways and United Airlines--will depend on how well management and labor can work together to improve the carriers' ability to compete.
BAE Systems will supply digital flight control computer equipment for the integrated flight control system on India's Light Combat Aircraft, under a $20-million contract. BAE Systems Controls will supply six sets of actuators and sensors, each consisting of 28 line-replaceable units. The company also has been contracted to complete qualification testing on actuator hardware being flown on two LCA development aircraft.
Correction: The caption on a newly declassified satellite image of Russia's Ramenskoye Airfield, now known as Zhukovsky, incorrectly stated its location (AW&ST Nov. 4, p. 69). The airfield is about 30 mi. southeast of Moscow.
Finmeccanica's revenues for the first nine months of this year increased to 5.31 billion euros, up from 4.49 billion euros in 2001 while before-tax earnings remained stable at 254 million euros. Such enviable financial results were achieved despite a hostile economic environment, the space businesses' difficulties and MBDA missile producer's restructuring, company officials pointed out. However, markets remain volatile, they added.
Testing of the V-22 is about to enter a critical phase with pilots performing high rates of descent operations. The goal is to characterize when the aircraft experiences vortex ring state, the rotorcraft phenomenon that was encountered in a crash in 2000. Marine Corps officials also are trying to decide how to treat seven MV-22s at MCAS New River, N.C., whether to eventually upgrade them at the location or somewhere else. In the interim, the aircraft are being placed in long-term storage.
Virgin Atlantic Airways is committed to the purchase of four-engine aircraft for transatlantic services, according to CEO Branson. The decision is based on results of a recent Virgin-commissioned survey conducted by U.K. company Taylor Nelson. The survey asked 443 adult passengers who had traveled on long-haul routes in the past year about the importance of the number of engines on an aircraft. About 34% expressed general concern about the number of engines on transoceanic flights, and 51% of those concerned showed a specific preference for four-engine aircraft.
The company has developed what it says is new technology that reduces the size of two-way and three-way butterfly valves without compromising capabilities. The technology uses rotary solenoids and DC brushless motors to provide isolation and throttling actuation, respectively. The valves exhibit tight sealing and minimal pressure drop. The company says custom valves have been tested and proven in aerospace and fuel-cell applications. Contrasted with butterfly valves using motor-driven or pneumatic actuators, this technology requires a simpler control device.
Larry Berg, president/CEO of the Vancouver International Airport Authority, has been elected president of the Pacific Region of Airports Council International. He succeeds Toru Nakamura, senior executive adviser to the Narita Airport Authority, who will remain on the executive committee. Other new officers are: vice president, David Pang, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong; and secretary-treasurer, Ung-Sup Yoon, chairman/president of the Korea Airports Corp.
Don Francis has become vice president/chief information officer for InVision Technologies, Newark, Calif. He held those positions for E-M Solutions Inc.
