California and Texas ranked first and second, respectively, in aerospace-aviation employment in 2001, but they were headed in opposite directions. California lost 14,400 jobs during the 1996-2001 period, more than any other state, while Texas gained the most, 15,600. Even so, California had nearly 60% more jobs than Texas, 294,000 versus 184,200. Data were compiled by Content First for the U.S. Aerospace Commission, which published them Oct. 31. All told, aerospace and aviation accounted for more than 2 million U.S.
San Diego-based Titan Corp. will provide systems engineering and program management support to the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Div., Patuxent River, Md., under a five-year, $45-million contract. Programs covered include foreign versions of the P-3C, P-3C Aircraft Update II and P-3C Update III.
Athens-based Hellas Jet is scheduled to begin operating between Greece and European destinations early next year. The low-cost startup carrier, which recently concluded a leasing agreement covering Airbus A320s, is jointly owned by Cyprus Airways and Greek investors. It will initially fly to Paris, London and Brussels and later add more points. "We will be a low-cost airline but nevertheless plan to offer comfort and inflight service to our passengers," a company executive said.
At no time in my 20 years at American Airlines have I known it to strive for less than perfection in its service to our passengers and less than the best effort to provide what they have a right to expect: safe, comfortable and efficient transportation. I also have never known my company to shirk its obligation to its shareholders. But given the vagaries of the business, we sometimes fail to meet those obligations. And, then we apologize and try to do better.
Two extended duration orbiter (EDO) space shuttle missions will fly to the International Space Station by mid-decade to help increase manpower for science operations, at least temporarily. The EDO pallet carrying several thousand pounds of additional liquid oxygen and hydrogen for the shuttle fuel cells can be flown only when payload bay loads are relatively light. But the capability can increase orbiter time at the ISS from seven to about 14 days. NASA is also examining development of a system that could convert station power to a form the shuttle could use.
Anita Antenucci has been named managing director/head of the aerospace and defense practice at Washington-based investment bank Houlihan Lokey Howard & Zukin. She was co-president of Quarterdeck Investment Partners.
Kevin Kronfeld has only just begun his career in aerospace technology. Seven years into his work, he's researching artificial intelligence at the Rockwell Collins Advanced Technology Center. Yet, he already knows the lingo of singles and home runs. Singles are the incremental steps in improvement--a new process, a new metric, a product extension. Home runs are the breakthrough technologies that lead to all-new products in all-new markets.
A study led by two former U.S. senators says the transportation security agenda is skewed toward aviation even though the weapon-of-mass-destruction threat on U.S. soil indicates that the stakes are higher in land and sea transportation. The report, by a task force headed by former Sens. Gary Hart and Warren B. Rudman and sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations, says attacks on America with weapons of mass destruction are likely, "but the structures and strategies to respond to this serious threat are fragmented and inadequate."
Richard Rosenjack has become senior vice president-commercial business for Bell Helicopter Textron of Fort Worth. He succeeds Paul Costanzo, who has resigned. Rosenjack was vice president-procurement and materials management.
Northrop Grumman has obtained a $34.2-million contract to design a new radar antenna for the B-2. In what may become a $900-million program, the company will integrate an active electronically scanned array to improve radar range and resolution on the bomber fleet by decade's end. Raytheon is the principle subcontractor and is also teamed with Northrop Grumman to build the radar on the new multi-sensor command and control aircraft. AESA radars can scan, track and jam simultaneously in low-probability-of-intercept modes.
Rosemary Moore has been appointed senior vice president-corporate affairs and Pete McDonald executive vice president-operations of United Airlines. Moore was vice president-public and government affairs for ChevronTexaco. McDonald has been vice president-operations services.
The 250-km. (160-mi.) range Prithvi-II surface-to-surface ballistic missile, which can carry a 500-kg. (1,100-lb.) warhead, has been accepted into service by the Indian air force. The Prithvi-II is an upgrade of the 150-km. Prithvi in service with India's army. But critics contend aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-30, which can carry eight tons of payload, are a better choice. One air force officer called the new missile "a waste of manpower and money" because it can't carry a nuclear warhead. That task is reserved for the army's Agni ballistic missile
Ed Parrish, president of the LPA Group Inc., Columbia, S.C., has been elected chairman of the Alexandria, Va.-based Airport Consultants Council for 2003. Other officers for next year are: vice chairman, Laddie E. Irion, URS Corp.; secretary-treasurer, Charles R. Chambers, Global Aviation Associates; Paul Bowers, Airport Business magazine; G. Patrick Brown, Austin Co.; Belinda Hargrove, TransSolutions; Vesta Rea-Gaubert, Vesta Rea and Associates; Terry A. Ruhl, CH2M Hill Aviation Services; Melissa B.
Eileen Denne has become vice president-communications for the Alexandria, Va.-based American Society of Travel Agents. She held the same position for the American Assn. of Port Authorities.
Europe's emerging airship businesses could be combined into a unified Anglo-German company if CargoLifter and the Advanced Technologies Group can negotiate a merger. In a newly completed preliminary phase, CargoLifter and ATG agreed on the principle of joining forces with the goal of creating a European airship manufacturer to develop manned and unmanned vehicles for commercial and military use. This objective grew from requirements tied to the war against terrorism.
An Air France Concorde landed safely at Paris-CDG airport on Nov. 5 after suffering an engine failure at supersonic speed over the North Atlantic. The transport was cruising at 60,000 ft. en route to France, when one of its four Rolls-Royce/Snecma Olympus 593s had to be shut down. The aircraft rapidly descended to about 33,000ft., at subsonic speed, and continued its flight to its destination.
Boeing is presenting three variations of a high-speed Sonic Cruiser to airlines as well as a high-efficiency "reference configuration," and hopes to have a decision on which new development path to take by around the end of the year. All designs meet a target of carrying 200-250 passengers for at least 7,500 naut. mi.
Ronald D. Abramson, chairman of the Washington office of the law firm Silverstein and Mullens, is one of seven new members of the board of directors of the Washington Airports Task Force. The others are: John M. Kane, president/CEO of the Kane Co., a Baltimore trucking concern; Charles S. MacFarlane, director of the Virginia Aviation Dept.; former U.S. Rep. Owen B. Pickett, who is counsel to the law firm Troutman Sanders; Robert M. Pinkard, CEO of real estate brokerage Cassidy & Pinkard; David C.
Network-centric schemes abound as military and aerospace industry planners try to juggle expenses and efficiency in designing fusion systems to tie improved sensors into a great machine that can sort through intelligence almost instantaneously and strike with great effect--perhaps lethally, perhaps not.
China is attempting to develop fourth-generation imaging infrared-guided air-to-air and man-portable surface-to-air missiles, which--if successful--would mark a step change in the country's guided-weapons capability. A prototype imaging-infrared (I2R) seeker is claimed to be already under test. Development of the air-to-air missile would give China a route to acquiring a capability more akin to the AIM-9X, or British Advanced Short-Range Air-to-Air Missile.
NASA has rewritten its Fiscal 2003 budget request to reflect a dramatic shift in its long-term planning, using Space Launch Initiative (SLI) funds to pay for space shuttle "enhancements," International Space Station activities and early work on the small orbital spaceplane that would replace Russian Soyuz capsules as the ISS lifeboat.
Chengdu Aircraft has begun final assembly of the first prototype of its FC-1/Super-7 light fighter, with a maiden flight anticipated next June, according to program officials. Construction of the prototype began in July, with the aircraft to be powered by a version of the MiG-29's RD33 engine. The FC-1 is a joint program between China and Pakistan. One Chengdu official said the Pakistani air force would purchase 150 of the type, although the extent of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) commitment remains to be determined.
The races in which NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe campaigned for Republicans had widely differing results. With a 62-38% victory margin, Tom Feeney clobbered Democrat Harry Jacobs in Florida's 24th Congressional District, which includes Cape Canaveral, and where neither was the incumbent. But O'Keefe's glad-handing on behalf of Rep. Bob Riley's bid to unseat Gov. Don Siegelman in Alabama led to a gossamer-thin margin still too close to call late last week. Not everyone saw the NASA chief's politicking as an exercise of his rights as a citizen (AW&ST Oct. 28, p. 78).
EchoStar Communications Corp. and Hughes Electronics Corp. late last week were expected to challenge a Justice Dept. lawsuit blocking their proposed $18-billion merger. Industry officials believe such a move would have little chance of success. The Federal Communications Commission remains opposed to the transaction.
Newly declassified pictures show the U.S. had satellite imaging capabilities as far back as the early 1960s that were at least on a par with the highest-resolution commercial satellites in operation today. Historians of the Cold War and natural scientists are beginning to sift through a treasure trove of about 50,000 newly declassified images gathered by two U.S. reconnaissance satellites from 1963-80.
