American Trans Air's standing as the top-performing medium-sized airline in 2001 tells you a lot about commercial aviation in the year's eight-plus months of economic downturn and three-plus months of tumult. ATA lost money in 2001 but, unlike most U.S. competitors, operated profitably until the fourth quarter. It was in the black for the first quarter of 2002 but expects operating losses in the second quarter and for the full year. It had nearly $138 million in cash on Mar. 31 but applied in June for a federal loan guarantee.
The Italian air force has begun returning its AMX fighter bomber fleet to full flying status after a military prosecutor agreed to lift a sequester order affecting 25 aircraft belonging to the 51st air wing in Istrana. The order had been issued on Apr. 16 after an AMX belonging to the 132nd squadron of the 51st wing crashed while returning from a standard training sortie. The military prosecutor in neighboring Padua unexpectedly ordered the sequester, not only of the wreckage but also of all the aircraft in the 51st wing.
Arthur T. Murphy has become head of the Microwave Technology Advisory Board of Herley Industries Inc., Lancaster, Pa. He is a DuPont fellow emeritus of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co.
The Pentagon has confirmed its intent to merge Strategic and Space commands into a single entity headquartered at Offutt AFB, Neb. The two unified commands now control the nation's nuclear forces, military space operations, computer network operations and strategic warning. Their merger was anticipated as a measure to eliminate command redundancies and facilitate decision-making (AW&ST June 17, p. 34). Although Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld provided few details about the merger, insiders believe plans now call for almost all of U.S.
Australia has decided to join the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter development program and cut short its Air6000 project to evaluate candidates to replace the F/A-18 and F-111. Defense Minister Robert Hill said the country will spend $150 million to become a ``Level 3'' participant in the 10-year JSF system development and demonstration phase. ``We don't believe there's any other alternative that would meet our capability requirements within the costings that we put into the White Paper'' drafted last year, Hill said.
Airbus has added three Japanese companies--Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) and Japan Aircraft Manufacturing--to the supplier base of its 555-seat A380, which is due to enter service in 2006. The agreements to supply components constitute a major step for Airbus, which has been trying to broaden its supplier base in Japan for years. The contracts are valued at $850 million for the life of the program.
American Airlines pilots picketed five major U.S. airports last week, calling for federal mediation in labor contract talks that began last July. Members from the Allied Pilots Assn., which represents the carrier's 13,500 pilots, said talks were proceeding too slowly. American's parent company, AMR Corp., said it would also welcome the National Mediation Board's intervention in the negotiations.
U.S. Army special ops forces have asked Sikorsky to investigate engine options for the MH-60K Black Hawks after finding during operations in Afghanistan that the helicopter could use a boost--particularly for high-altitude ops. Sikorsky is evaluating candidates. Rolls-Royce is pitching the RTM322 which would make the helicopter more survivable because it would lower its infrared signature, says Stuart Mullan, president of the company's helicopter operations. The engine also is being considered for use on EH101s sold to U.S. government customers.
The emergence of the Transportation Security Administration has prompted some shifting in regulatory designations from the FAA to the TSA. Operators of general aviation, rotary and business aircraft won't find aviation security measures contained under Title 14 of the FARs anymore. Instead, they are included under Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations as TSA regulations. As can be imagined, the switch can cause some head scratching for operators needing to check the regulations.
U.S. major airlines' yields continued their slow recovery in May. As compiled by the Air Transport Assn., the average domestic fare (excluding Southwest's) was 9.5% less than the average for May 2001, the first time since July 2001 the year-over-year percentage decrease was less than double digits. Coach fares continue to come back faster than first and business class--they were down 9.6% and 10.2%, respectively. All three averages were down slightly from April 2002.
Bell Helicopters' selection of Thales to provide helmet-mounted displays for 280 U.S. Marine Corps helicopters could be a lucrative breakthrough into the American military market for the European avionics company. Thales will supply its TopOwl sight/display systems, which offer binocular 40-deg. visor projection along with Flir, symbology and night-vision-goggle capability, for 180 Cobra AH-1Z and 100 Huey UH-1Y aircraft to be upgraded by Bell. TopOwl weighs only 4.85 lb.
Fighters will be scrambled to intercept all aircraft in the Washington area that raise authorities' ``interest or are cause for concern,'' the FAA advises general aviation airports. The agency's June 24 alert came in response to ``heightened concerns'' by the Secret Service and the Transportation Security Administration after a Cessna 182 inadvertently flew within 4 mi. of the White House on June 19. Two F-16s from Andrews AFB intercepted the plane, en route from Massachusetts to North Carolina, but not until it had passed sensitive areas.
Pay close attention to themes that aerospace/defense executives like to talk about, and sooner or later they'll get around to how focused their companies are on execution, or the implementation of operating plans at the core of all business strategies.
An expert panel of the Council for Science and Technology Policy, a planning body headed by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, has proposed streamlining Japan's space budget and concentrating on programs that enhance Japan's space industry and national security. The recommendation affirms an effort initiated a year ago by Koizumi to consolidate Japan's space agencies (AW&ST Sept. 3, 2001, p. 41).
Bell Helicopter is using a combined product from CIMx and Intercim to manage work instructions for engineering changes to the V-22 Osprey. CIMx Apps will provide Web-enabled manufacturing data management while Intercim will provide the electronic content for the supply chain management tasks. The first implementation at Bell is to provide multimedia work instructions. Later implementations are to include shop floor control, electronic data capturing, process visibility and reporting.
The U.S. Marine Corps is upgrading three KC-130F/R tankers with night-vision lighting this year, with 11 more to be upgraded through 2005. The corps also want to add moving-map avionics. The need for enhancements was underscored by an accident investigation into the Jan. 9 crash of a KC-130R in Pakistan. The incident was attributed to pilot disorientation.
Both houses of Congress moved key defense spending legislation late last week for Fiscal 2003, which begins on Oct. 1. The House cleared a $355-billion military appropriations bill by a vote of 413-18 (see p. 27) including a last minute amendment offered by Rep. John M. Spratt, Jr., (D-S.C.) that would shift $30 million to the Airborne Laser out of the space-based kinetic kill vehicle. The Spratt language is intended to keep ABL on schedule to attempt its first ballistic missile shoot-down in early Fiscal 2005.
David A. Powell has been promoted to vice president/chief information officer from director of information technology for the AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Md.
Bombardier is using CaseBank Technologies Inc.'s SpotLight maintenance diagnostic software for Canadair Regional Jet and Q400 turboprop operators. SpotLight uses a case-based reasoning technology to guide users through troubleshooting operations.
Link Jaw, president of Scientific Monitoring Inc. of Phoenix, has been appointed director of compliance certification for the Machinery Information Management Open Systems Alliance.
Jim Rice has been named director of operations for L.J. Aviation, Latrobe, Pa. He was vice president-charter and management for the Raytheon Aircraft Co., Wichita, Kan.
In the run-up to the November NATO Heads of State Summit in Prague, officials on both sides of the Atlantic are exploring the notion of European NATO allies identifying a rapidly deployable ``strike force'' capable of being put in the field at short notice alongside U.S. forces. Geoff Hoon, the British Secretary of State for Defense, told the British Parliament's Defense Committee last week, ``There are certainly some emerging ideas. They have yet to be set out in detail.
A Boeing-led team has captured the award for initial development of a much-prized joint tactical radio system (JTRS)--worth up to $2 billion in just one of its five phases. The system eventually could replace most of the Defense Dept.'s 750,000 radios, many of which will not communicate with each other. The value of the ``cluster one'' work (for Army and Marine Corps ground systems and helicopters), if all the options are exercised, could total $7 billion for the team.
