In what might be her final public appearance as administrator of the FAA--her term expires Aug. 4--Jane Garvey warned against letting security overwhelm aviation progress. One of successor Marion Blakey's greatest and most difficult challenges will be ``staying focused on modernization and safety in the face of new security pressures,'' Garvey said on July 23 in a speech in Washington. Security concerns ``demand our attention [and] deserve our vigilance,'' she said. ``But the FAA's mission is just as important as ever.''
U.S. Defense Dept. research and development--exclusive of classified programs--is expected to grow at a compound annual rate of 5.9% in the 2002-07 period, according to a new Frost & Sullivan (F&S) forecast. In contrast, anticipated classified R&D efforts through 2003 will grow 27.4%, and will probably continue to increase at the same steep rate, based on budget projections.
Northern Air Cargo (NAC), Alaska's largest all-cargo carrier, has entered into an agreement with Aeronavali as part of an initiative to roll out large cargo-door modifications, expected to lead to a new generation of freighter aircraft. The airline will be phasing out its Boeing 727 jet freighters.
United Airlines and US Airways, unsuccessful merger partners a year ago and the largest airlines to apply for a federal loan guarantee, are back in tandem, this time as code-share allies. Announcing the marketing agreement July 24, the two carriers said feeding passengers to each other in complementary markets will increase traffic and revenue for both.
Scott Bradbury has been named a senior consultant for Sinex Aviation Technologies, Duluth, Minn. He has been a specialist in aircraft maintenance program development and customer support for Boeing and Fairchild Dornier.
Bangkok Airways has ordered nine new-generation ATR 72-500s. Bangkok selected ATR in 1994 and now operates 10 72-500s. Deliveries are to begin in the latter half of 2003. Toulouse, France-based ATR is a joint venture of Finmeccanica/Alenia Aeronautica and EADS.
U.S. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Jones, newly nominated to become Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, said reorganization of the Marines' 10 aircraft-carrier-based strike squadrons will make them completely interchangeable and interoperable with Navy squadrons. However, as the Stovl version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter replaces the eight squadrons of AV-8 Harriers, they will drop to 20 aircraft each from 24. Jones said the Marines intend to maintain a tactical jamming capability.
It's one thing for airport security to reduce delays, and it's quite another for travelers to be confident that they've been reduced. Delta Air Lines awards its Northeast shuttle passengers 20,000 frequent flier miles if they don't get from curb to gate in 20 min. The airline says the guarantee improved revenue per seat-mile 15% in the second quarter compared with the first. And the cost to Delta was minimal; five out of 400,000 passengers got the miles. USAirways launched a comparable program on its shuttle service July 11. Through Aug.
Airlines in the U.S. are continuing to struggle to increase their revenues, and they aren't seeing much success. And, UBS Warburg analyst Samuel Buttrick, in his most recent forecast, has predicted a loss exceeding $5.5 billion for 2002 for the airline industry as a whole. Until revenues increase, there will be prolonged pain for numerous commercial aerospace suppliers whose own fortunes are linked to the health of commercial air transportation.
William G. Eline has become vice president/chief information officer for the Parker Hannifin Corp. of Cleveland. He succeeds John White, who has retired, as CIO. Eline was vice president-information technology for international operations.
Taking its cue from the Bush administration, Boeing has entered separate pacts with three European aerospace companies to cooperate on ballistic missile defense, and more may follow, but the agreements--to collaborate on efforts up to and including national missile defense--mean more politically than they do financially or to specific programs. The agreements with BAE Systems, EADS and Alenia Spazio, announced with fanfare at the Farnborough air show last week, are described as broad long-term alliances, but there are almost no specifics about the work.
Satellite services continue to drive growth in the worldwide satellite industry, estimated at 16% this year in a new report by the U.S. satellite industry association. A survey conducted by Futron Corp. for the Satellite Industries Assn. (SIA) projected revenue of $91.3 billion this year for all industry sectors, up from $78.5 billion in 2001 revenues. Worldwide prime contractor launch revenue alone is estimated at $5.5 billion this year, up from $3 billion in 2001. U.S.
Mike Nellinger, project executive for Rolls-Royce North America Inc.'s Indianapolis-based AE 3007 regional jet engine program, has been appointed chairman of the Embraer & Suppliers Advisory Council.
A first in Pakistan: the Airport Security Force is training 50 women to work as sky marshals for Pakistan International Airlines flights. ``This will instill confidence in all passengers, especially international companies operating here,'' said ASF commander Brig. Jawed Iqbal Sattar. He added that every flight within Pakistan will have a sky marshal on board. The female marshals will be deployed at random.
Steve Fossett, who was the first to circumnavigate the globe solo in a balloon on July 2, and do it in the shortest time, is now trying to break the absolute glider altitude record set by Robert Harris over California's Sierra Nevada mountains at 49,009 ft. in 1986 (AW&ST July 8, p. 34). Working with retired NASA test pilot Einar Enevoldson, Fossett wants to take a modified two-place Glaser Dirks DG-505 glider to above 62,336 ft. in the mountain wave near the town of Omarama on New Zealand's South Island. NASA has provided pressure suits for the attempt.
Two new digital data links that will be critical to the ability of the U.S.' air traffic system to accommodate growth pose tough challenges for the FAA to have ready by the target date of 2009, when some predictions say the existing equipment could be overwhelmed.
Trying to manage demand at congested airports--not just New York LaGuardia, but throughout the country--would be ``a cure worse than the disease'' even if it worked, Boeing Co. told the FAA. Answering an invitation for comment, the transport manufacturer said limiting demand might mask congestion problems and would divert attention and money from measures to increase capacity. Benefits would be eroded by the likelihood of ``a politically-driven mosaic'' of exemptions from demand curbs, for example, promoting service to small communities.
Rockwell Collins last week signed a memorandum of agreement with Airbus and Tenzing Communications Inc. to provide passenger connectivity on board commercial aircraft. As part of its commitment, Rockwell Collins intends to make a $10-million investment in Tenzing and work with that company to develop next-generation passenger connectivity products. In the first phase, Rockwell Collins will concentrate on e-mail and other messaging capabilities.
Despite Global Hawk's misadventures, U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John Jumper proposed operating a constellation of the UAVs as low-flying, intelligence satellites. Analysts here called it a ``shot across the bow'' to warn officials in the Future Imagery Architecture satellite program to get the troubled system on track or risk its being replaced with cheaper and operationally more flexible UAVs.
Threatened with FAA layoffs of air traffic services personnel in September, congressional conferees nonetheless appropriated less to the agency than Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta says it needs, and the approved package came with strings attached. Amassing $200 million in higher-than-expected operating costs during Fiscal 2002, including $90 million for increased security after Sept. 11, the FAA absorbed half of the total and proposed $100 million in transfer authority as part of the emergency supplemental appropriations bill.
The Global Hawk that crashed in Pakistan was lost because it had ``bad'' digital terrain elevation data (DTED). It was the third (out of six built) of the long-endurance UAVs to crash. The aircraft lost power and experienced ``heavy engine vibrations'' over Afghanistan, and operators put it into a glide toward an emergency landing site in Pakistan. According to the Air Force, Rolls-Royce officials suggested that while the UAV was still in flight the engine's core had failed, which likely meant lost turbine blades or damaged bearings.
Visitors to Farnborough '02 will have the chance to appreciate the U.K.'s first foray into powered flight. Few realize that the international air show lies on hallowed ground. On Oct. 16, 1908, American-born Col. Samuel F. Cody piloted ``British Army Aeroplane No. 1''--a full 1,390 ft. Ironically, he later died in a crash at Farnborough, but his contributions to aviation have rarely been commemorated. A rededication ceremony to mark his accomplishments will take place early in the week.
Attempting to bridge a capability gap with the U.S. and to bolster its own equipment program, Britain is upping its defense expenditure, with increased emphasis on rapid mobility, tactical and potentially strategic unmanned air vehicles, and network-enabling technologies. The British Labour government on July 15 revealed what it claims is a 3.45-billion-pound ($5.51-billion) increase in the defense budget out to 2005-06. Three days later, it unveiled its response to the events of Sept.
Modern Technologies has won a two-year, $17.9-million task order under the Flexible Acquisition and Sustainment Tool Contract for the Roll-on Beyond Line-of-Sight Enhancement Program to provide communication upgrades for USAF KC-135 aircraft.
There would be more than a vague hint of irony if, come September, Britain opts for a conventional aircraft for its next-generation carrier, bringing to a close a procurement saga begun in 1986 to find a short-take-off-and-vertical-landing successor to the Harrier. Two flavors of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter are the main focus for Royal Navy's (RN) two future carriers (CVF)--the U.S. Marine Corps' Stovl variant, and the U.S. Navy's carrier-borne (CV) aircraft.
