TRW IS FORMING VELOCIUM, a new company in Manhattan Beach, Calif., to provide very high-speed indium phosphide (InP) and gallium arsenide (GaAs) components for digital and analog applications, including fiber-optic and wireless telecommunications systems. The InP products operate at rates of 40 Gbps., which is four times the speed of the fiber-optic Internet backbone, but a speed that fiber-optic system developers need to convert optical data to electronic bits for computer use. An InP device recently demonstrated 80 GHz. digital circuits.
The protracted pilot strike at regional carrier Comair is creating an opportunity for other airlines to recruit pilots from Comair Aviation Academy (CAA), which specializes in training neophyte pilots for positions with the airline. The strike has drastically reduced demand for Comair pilots, and company officials ``are taking protective steps to link our students with other airlines'' that are recruiting, said Gray Green, CEO of the academy.
Joseph G. Fazio has been named general manager of flight support at Teterboro (N.J.) Airport for Atlantic Aviation. He was vice president/general manager for Jet Systems at Westchester County (N.Y.) Airport.
Transportation Dept. Inspector General Kenneth Mead is ``a little nervous'' about legislative and administrative remedies being considered for over-scheduling at congested airports. Measures under consideration for New York LaGuardia include higher fees for peak hours, a slot restriction regime to succeed last year's lottery and antitrust immunity to enable airlines to participate in scheduling committees. Any of these might threaten service to small markets and new-entrant competition at big airports.
General Dynamics' acquisition of Galaxy Aerospace Corp. will strengthen the company's foothold in the business jet market and reinforce its position as a major manufacturer of upscale executive aircraft.
The Netherlands reportedly has summoned the U.S. ambassador to express its ``ire'' over a U.S. government threat to block a bid by ASM Lithography Holding NV to buy Silicon Valley Group, a U.S. company specializing in lithography technology used in surveillance satellites and other sensitive defense applications. The Defense Dept. is concerned that the technology could find its way to China or other destinations to which high-tech exports are restricted.
Seldom has a top executive brought his company so far so successfully in such a short time. In 1995, when Mauricio Botelho took the helm of Embraer, the Brazilian airframer was a small manufacturer of turboprop commuter and training aircraft, attempting to make a success of a newly launched privatization program while trailing a steady flow of red ink. With the exception of a fighter joint venture with Aeritalia--now Alenia--and a modest presence in North American regional airline fleets, the company remained on the edge of the aerospace industry mainstream.
The Seabreeze I was a decommissioned cruise ship with a small crew of 34 sailing from Nova Scotia to Charleston, S.C., on Dec. 17, 2000, for a bankruptcy sale when it ran into a storm generating 25-50-ft. seas. As the ship was battered, one of its cooling lines ruptured. The ship lost power and the engine room began flooding about 200 mi. east of Cape Charles, Va.
THE ARMY HAS AWARDED ROCKWELL COLLINS a $35-million contract for the Single Channel Anti-jam Manportable (Scamp) system enhancement program which includes an advanced extremely-high-frequency (AEHF) upgrade. The Scamp terminals are being modified to communicate with the AEHF satellite constellation, using the new AEHF waveform to provide greater capability than the current Milstar satellite system over a new 128 Kbps. modem. The terminals now operate at 75 bps.-2.4 Kbps. Scamp provides worldwide, secure, jam-resistant, covert voice, data and imagery communication.
A 52-min. electrical power outage at Denver International Airport (DIA) on Apr. 22 prompted the FAA to stop flight operations for about 45 min. More than 50 flights and about 5,000 passengers were affected by the failure--the first since DIA opened early in 1995. Backup generators kept the airport's safety systems in operation until service was restored. High winds during a fierce snowstorm may have induced ``galloping power lines,'' but investigations are underway to determine the exact cause, according to Exel Energy, which serves DIA.
Four U.S. aerospace companies will conduct $1-million studies for NASA on alternate ways to bring samples of rock and soil back from the surface of Mars for study on Earth. President Bush added $548 million to the Mars exploration program in his Fiscal 2002 budget request, which could advance a sample return mission to as early as 2011 (AW&ST Apr. 16, p. 29). Ball Aerospace, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and TRW will carry out the six-month studies to help guide mission development.
ROBINSON HELICOPTER CO. CAPTURED more than 61% of the North American commercial helicopter market in 2000, according to the Aerospace Industries Assn. Robinson delivered 390 new aircraft, including 264 four-place R44s and 126 two-place R22s. By comparison, Bell Helicopter Textron delivered 143 aircraft and MD Helicopters delivered 41 units. The R44, priced at $299,000, has outsold all other four-place helicopters for the past three years, a company official said.
Consolidation among business aircraft manufacturers has been stalled in recent years, even though there are at least a dozen airframe builders that compete in at least one, and in some cases, multiple market segments. But that situation may soon change.
Udo Rieder, vice president-engineering and planning of Delta Air Lines, has been named chairman of the Air Transport Assn.'s Engineering Maintenance and Materiel Council, starting in June. He will succeed Kenneth J. Hylander, vice president-quality, reliability and engineering for Northwest Airlines.
U.S. regional carriers of tomorrow will be larger, but fewer in number because of the expected consolidation of the airline industry. Those that remain must keep their costs in line as demand for larger regional jet equipment and salaries grow. The scope clause protecting mainline pilots will continue to be a determining factor in the regionals' growth, several industry experts believe.
With the prospect for new manned combat aircraft programs disappearing until about mid-century, Northrop Grumman is aggressively moving to win a pole position in the race for development of unmanned aircraft. One of the company's unmanned reconnaissance aircraft just last week completed the first transpacific flight to Adelaide, Australia, where it will be used in military roles and to monitor illegal immigration and smuggling operations in that country's sparsely populated north.
THE GROWING DEMAND FOR AIRBORNE SATELLITE communications equipment was highlighted recently when the 2,000th Honeywell/Thales multichannel airborne satellite communications (Satcom) system was delivered to Singapore Airlines. The airline, which has 76 of the systems, was the launch customer. Honeywell and Thales jointly developed the three-, four-, six- and seven-channel systems, which are used by airlines, business jets and military aircraft.
FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL AND BOMBARDIER Aerospace have opened new training facilities at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The 110,000-sq.-ft. FSI building has 16 simulator bays and is similar to another new center opened recently in Atlanta to handle pilot training for business jet operators and regional airlines. Bombardier's facility, which is collocated with SimuFlite Training International, includes 81,800 sq. ft. and will house simulators for the Learjet 31A, 45 and 60 series aircraft, as well as the Challenger 604 and new Continental business jet.
Roy Bridges, director of the Kennedy Space Center, has received the 2001 Dr. Kurt H. Debus Award from the Florida Committee of the National Space Club in recognition of his ``progressive, visionary leadership and contributions to space technology and exploration.'' The award honors achievements and contributions made in Florida to the U.S. aerospace effort and is named for the first KSC director.
Randal E. Morger (see photos) has been promoted to vice president from director of communications of the Information and Electronic Systems Integration Sector of BAE Systems, Nashua, N.H. Richard E. Ashooh has been promoted to vice president from director of public affairs for the Information and Electronic Warfare Systems unit and Alan Mertz to director of the infrared countermeasures (IRCM) product line from program manager for the advanced threat IRCM/ common missile warning system line.
ON APR. 23, AN AMERICAN AIRLINES 767-300ER demonstrated the first communication over the Aeronautical Communication Network (ATN) between an airborne production-ready ATN avionics suite and an operational ATC center, according to Arinc. The aircraft, airborne over Oklahoma, successfully exchanged messages via controller to pilot data link communications (CPDLC) with the Maastricht Upper Air Center, Netherlands.
THE ASIAN BUSINESS AVIATION ASSN. is set to meet and draw up its by-laws and mission statement May 8 in Shenzen, China. The organization is being formed to promote business flying in the region. Three sites--Hong Kong, Macau and Malaysia--are under consideration for ABAA headquarters.
Peter Kellner has become director of communications for Europe for Fairchild Dornier, Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. He was head of corporate communications for DaimlerChrysler's MTU Aero Engines.
