There seems to be no doubt about the impact of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's memorandum on "interoperability and connectivity" and his designation of a U.S. Navy admiral to dole out the monies.
Lonestar Propjets in Waco, Tex., has received FAA approval to install Walter M601E-11 turboprop engines in the Beechcraft King Air 90, A90, B90 and C90 general aviation aircraft in place of the original Pratt & Whitney PT6A-series. For the installation, the M601E-11 (751 shp.) is flat-rated to 550 shp., allowing faster climb to altitude and a cruise speed of 235 kt. at 25,000 ft., according to the company. The modifications include engines and five-blade Avia-Hamilton V-510 propellers. The $575,000 conversion will be performed at Waco or Smyrna, Tenn., facilities.
Following a gun battle with a North Korean spy boat in the East China Sea last December, Japan's coast guard says it will armor its helicopter fleet. The agency is seeking $49 million in fiscal 2003 for the program. Although details have not been released, installation of armor plates, bullet-proof glass and flares to deflect heat-seeking missiles are considered likely.
After revamping its business operations to climb free of debt, Malaysia Airlines says it's ready to start making over its first- and business-class cabins and improve inflight entertainment systems as a step toward regaining its global position. The carrier is now ready to begin talking about fleet expansion as well, including acquiring Airbus' A380s for Kuala Lumpur-London services. This expansion talk comes after the airline has moved a massive debt off its balance sheet through a government-backed restructuring tool.
The need to update its bilateral air service agreements with China and India is hampering Malaysia Airlines' expansion plans (see p. 42). MAS makes 17 weekly flights to five Indian cities and 24 to four cities in China. Director Mohammed Nor Yusef said that while the carrier is seeking increased services to all nine destinations, priorities are the doubling of daily services to Shanghai and Beijing and the establishment of daily services to Mumbai and Delhi, which are limited under the existing agreement to four times a week.
A landmark decision by the European Court of Justice could ultimately trigger a vast mutation of Europe's airline industry and transatlantic air services, although changes are unlikely to be felt for some time.
Michael A. Taverna (Paris), Frank Morring Jr. (Washington)
At least two bids have been submitted for the first part of NATO's $620-million Satcom Post-2000 program, a satellite-services buy that is scheduled to replace the organization's existing NATO IV milsatcom system.
HE FAA HAS CERTIFIED the Airbus Corporate Jetliner (ACJ) for scheduled FAR Part 121 as well as private flight operations in the U.S., paving the way for deliveries to customers in North America. Airbus reports having 30 orders for the airplane, and 14 have been delivered. Of these, 12 are in service worldwide. By comparison, through the third quarter of this year, Boeing has delivered 73 BBJ business jets and 57 are in service with customers
Pentagon officials have quietly shifted the planned start for operations against Iraq from Nov. 5 to Dec. 5, and may slip them into early January. The Dec. 5 date marks the end of Ramadan, thereby avoiding military activity during the Muslim holy days, gives more time for finalization of a United Nations resolution on action against Iraq, and it allows time for an initial round of inspections in the search for weapons of mass destruction. It also segues well with a December call-up of U.S. reserve troops
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.
