Glen Golden has been named executive vice president/chief operating officer of the Distribution Div. of Aerospace Products International, Memphis, Tenn. Other recent appointments in that diviaion are: Don Cox, vice president-sales, Lisa Spillars vice president-customer service/general manager of API Technologies and Jim Etter vice president-fulfillment services. Mark Luetkemeyer has become vice president-information technology and Marty Klauss director of logistics programs in the Logistics Div.
The number and severity of security breaches at U.S. airports is decreasing. Ross Hamory, director of the FAA's Office of Civil Aviation Security, told the agency's Security Advisory Committee last week that unplugged metal detectors, exit lane breaches and untrained screeners were largely to blame for the evacuation of 26 airport terminals or concourses since Oct. 30. These events caused the delay of more than 1,100 flights and another 408 were canceled.
As he presented details last week of the Dec. 13 attack on the Indian Parliament, Indian Home Minister L.K. Advani characterized it as an attack aimed at destroying India's leadership and vowing that it will be avenged. His statements were taken as a virtual declaration of war. As he spoke, troops from India and Pakistan were massing on the disputed Jammu and Kashmir border between the two countries.
European Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio has accused the U.S. of trying to pressure European Union governments into abandoning the troubled Galileo satellite navigation project. De Palacio said U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz wrote to EU defense ministers saying Galileo would complicate the U.S.' ability to provide GPS services in times of crisis, and to deny them to adversaries. French defense ministry spokesman Jean-Francois Bureau confirmed that such a letter had been sent.
UAL Corp. subsidiary Avolar has ordered 67 Gulfstream 200 business jets under a contract valued at up to $2 billion, including a long-term maintenance agreement, valued up to $2 billion. Deliveries will begin in 2002 and extend through 2007.
Northrop Grumman has conducted the first engine runs of its Pegasus unmanned combat aircraft demonstrator. The aircraft's software is 90% built and 50% tested, with failure mode evaluation next on tap. Meanwhile, surrogate tests in a manned testbed are being conducted at the U.S. Navy's China Lake, Calif., facility. Officials also are testing the aircraft's shipboard relative GPS system for simulated carrier landings at China Lake. If the landing dispersion pattern is tight, the test program will consist of 30-50 landings. The UCAV itself is expected to fly by spring.
By DAVID A. FULGHUMBy ROBERT WALLBy DAVID M. NORTH
For the U.S. Navy's top requirement official, the Afghan conflict has highlighted a clear need to put more money into improved communications links, better surveillance and reconnaissance sensors and long-endurance unmanned aircraft.
Boeing Co. expects to lay off 25,000-30,000 employees in its commercial aircraft segment by the middle of next year, or about 25% more than it previously thought, according to Alan Mulally, the head of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group. Senior management said the sharp decline in new aircraft production, to 24 a month from 48, will prompt the huge reduction in force.
A renewed show of government support and a commitment to further industry restructuring stand to make Europe a tougher competitor for U.S. contractors, provided that these gains do not unravel in the face of differing national political agendas.
Jon Tennyson (see photo) has been appointed vice president/chief development officer for the Experimental Aircraft Assn. Aviation Foundation, Oshkosh, Wis. He was vice president-corporate sponsorship and television. Scott Guyette has been promoted to executive producer from managing producer and Wendy Stoneman to director of sponsorship from sponsorship manager, both for EAA Television.
French and Italian land forces have test fired a modified Hawk PIP III air-defense missile battery. It features an advanced open-architecture, Ada-language fire control center--developed by Alenia Marconi Systems with Raytheon and Thales--designed for enhanced man-machine interface and operational flexibility. It will allow Hawk units to receive early warning data, share data with adjacent batteries and control Shorad and VShorad units while directing their own fire.
The no-fly zone over Washington for general aviation has developed some tiny chinks. After thousands of waiver requests, the FAA has approved at least two--one from a traffic reporter based 10 mi. south of the city, the other for a pilot seeking instrument instruction in his plane based at the College Park (Md.) Airport, 7.2 mi. east of the Capitol. The process seems ad hoc, however. Paperwork may be more important than substance. The College Park pilot, Kurt Schneckenburger, sent his self-prepared application to the FAA on Nov. 26, received an approval Nov.
Deliveries of new business jets this year should meet projections but sales of piston-powered general aviation aircraft and turboprops continue to lag as demand weakens in the wake of terrorist attacks and a sluggish U.S. economy.
South Korea complies with International Civil Aviation Organization safety standards and has been upgraded in the U.S. from Category 2 to Cat. 1, the FAA said Dec. 6. Airlines from Cat. 2 nations serving U.S. points draw intensified surveillance from the FAA and are not allowed to increase service except through wet-leasing. Asiana Airlines and Korean Air felt they suffered decreased passenger bookings during the time South Korea was rated Cat. 2.
China continues to be a backstop for Asian carriers fighting recession in the U.S. and elsewhere in the region. Korean Air will increase its seating capacity on Chinese routes by 20% with the addition of six new flights, bringing the total to 51 passenger and cargo flights per week. Last year, Korean Air carried 674,000 passengers on 32 flights between the two countries, a 38% increase over 1999. It expects to carry about 800,000 this year.
Hispasat is negotiating to sell a 5% minority holding to EADS/CASA and other Spanish firms. Eutelsat, in the process of acquiring a 21.15% stake in Hispasat, has an option for an additional 8%, but some of this could be sold to other entities provided they are not Eutelsat competitors. A decision is expected by late December. The Spanish operator also said it had completed an agreement to lease C-band capacity on a new Amazonas satellite, to be built and operated with Telemar of Brazil and Eutelsat.
Although many of their activities are classified, there is little doubt the U.S. and allied military space complexes are providing vital support to Enduring Freedom operations in Afghanistan, as well as to domestic antiterrorism efforts.
Boeing's $3.85-billion purchase of the former Hughes Space and Communications was aimed more at tapping the company's expertise in space-based communications than it was at getting into the satellite manufacturing business. Boeing officials are quick to add, however, that they plan to keep Boeing Satellite Systems (BSS)--with its approximately $4-billion firm order backlog of more than 36 satellites--at the forefront of the commercial and government satellite market.
Boeing's Phantom Works has completed an evaluation of a technology that could provide lighter, more efficient, cooling systems. Cool Chips plc, a subsidiary of California-based Borealis Exploration Ltd., developed a form of vacuum diode that pumps heat from one side of the chip to the other to provide localized cooling and refrigeration. The solid-state technology operates silently, without use of motors or environmentally harsh fluids. Although further development is needed, Cool Chips could carve out a place in efficient thermal management of aircraft and spacecraft.
This line of GS:V (Grinding System:Vertical) grinders provides higher grinding speeds and the capability of using advanced abrasives. The grinders are based on established vertical designs with several improvements. First, the vertical grinding spindle is fixed at 90 deg., which increases grinding rigidity and simplifies set-ups. Another improvement is the capability to incorporate high-speed spindles, up to 75,000 rpm. A range of abrasives can be used, from aluminum oxide and seeded gel to CBN and diamond.
The actors are in the wings as the conclusion of the big transatlantic-alliance drama nears. Will the U.S. and the U.K. negotiate open skies? Will American and British Airways, and United and British Midland, win antitrust immunity? The U.S. Transportation Dept. turned down as unnecessary a bid from Continental, Delta and Northwest for an oral evidentiary hearing on the alliance applications, which AA-BA had denounced as dilatory. The department itself said a hearing would have delayed its attempt to decide the immunity cases by ``early next year.'' It set Dec.
The business flying community is coping with security issues, an economic recession and the specter of skyrocketing insurance costs as it struggles to recover from the effects of terrorist attacks in September. Although business flying was crippled in the weeks after the assault on America, close cooperation between industry and government officials is leading to the easing of flight restrictions for both airplanes and helicopters, but much work remains before full access to airspace and major airports is available to general aviation.
