Since 1997, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft has been transmitting a trove of data that has changed how we think about the planet. Scientists have been busy interpreting photographs, magnetometry, infrared spectrometry, laser altimetry and gravity measurements to paint the new picture of Mars.
Lufthansa German Airlines' executives fear that a strike ratified late last week by its pilots' union could send earnings and revenues tumbling, after rising to record levels last year. Europe's second largest carrier reported revenues of 15.2 billion euros ($13.7 billion) for its passenger and airline-related business units in 2000, up 18.8%, and operating earnings of 1 billion euros, a whopping 44% increase. Net profit was 689 million euros, up 9.3%.
Richard Baird, manager of Friedman Memorial Airport, Sun Valley, Idaho, has received the Airport Executive Partnership Award from the Alexandria, Va.-based National Air Transportation Assn. The award recognizes efforts by airport managers to foster relationships between airport operators and aviation businesses.
It was a short hop for Canada's Roots Air. The startup business carrier folded last week after starting services Mar. 26. Air Canada quickly moved to acquire a 30% equity stake in Roots' parent company, Skyservice Aviation. This also gives Air Canada an interest in Skyservice's low-cost vacation charter operation--an entree to the discount carrier market, in which it previously had expressed interest.
Awards Presented April 25, 2001 Smithsonian Institution National Air&Space Museum Washington, D.C. Aviation Week&Space Technology Honors Extraordinary Achievements in Aviation&Aerospace
Baltimore-Washington International Airport customers this spring will be the first in the nation to test out a high-tech parking system designed to take the mystery out of snagging the rare open slots in the airport's saturated parking garages. The upgrade is part of the airport's new five-year $1.8-billion expansion that officials say will directly assault the growing delays customers face when trying to get to or from the suburban Maryland airport.
Offshore Logistics Inc. has ordered four Bell 412EP helicopters and holds options on another eight aircraft. The company provides offshore transportation to the oil and gas industry worldwide. Deliveries are scheduled to begin this summer. The twin-engine Bell 412EP features a four-blade main rotor system and carries up to 14 passengers.
John Hobbs has become group vice president and head of sales and marketing for FLS Aerospace, London Stansted Airport. He was general manager at Rohr Aero Services Asia.
Norman D. Ham, professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is one of four recipients of the American Helicopter Society's (AHS) Fellow Awards. The other three are: Hidehiko Obayashi, managing director of the Advanced Technology Institute of Commuter-Helicopter Ltd.; Robert A. Ormiston, chief scientist in the U.S. Army Aeromechanics Branch; and Terry Stinson, chairman/CEO of Bell Helicopter Textron Inc. Honorary Fellow Awards were given to: Myron Michael Kawsa, Jr., chief project engineer for the U.S.
Directed-energy weapons, including lasers and high-power microwave devices, continue to trickle out of the Pentagon's classified research and development programs, and the latest, a joint project by the Marine Corps and Air Force, is a nonlethal, millimeter-wave, antipersonnel ray.
Jim Smith has been appointed executive director, Julie Harris marketing program manager and Jim Halbrook public information manager of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Austin, Tex. Smith was assistant city manager of Austin and succeeds Chuck Griffith, who has retired. Harris was marketing representative for the airport, and Halbrook was public information manager for the Austin Parks and Recreation Dept.
The Chilean air force (Fuerza Aerea de Chile) has selected General Electric's F110-GE-129 engine to power 10-12 new F-16C/Ds that it plans to procure from Lockheed Martin. The 29,000-lb.-thrust engine first entered service in 1992.
Michael G. Moroney (see photo) has been appointed Oakland, Calif.-based vice president/national director of airport business consulting, Steven B. Morris vice president of the Western U.S. aviation practice and Larry Migliaccio (see photo) associate vice president/director of the Salt Lake City airport desitgn team, all for the HNTB Corp., Irvine, Calif.
Lewis W. Coleman has been appointed to the board of directors of the Northrop Grumman Corp. of Los Angeles.He is president of the Gordon E. and Betty I. Moore Foundation of San Francisco and was chairman of Banc of America Securities.
Greg Brenneman has resigned as president/chief operating officer of Continental Airlines to return to Turnworks, a private equity company based in Texas. He will remain a consultant to Continental until June 30, according to the airline. Brenneman, who joined a troubled Continental in 1994, helped engineer a major turnaround at the Houston-based carrier in the past six years. He was named president in 1996. Lawrence Kellner, executive vice president and CFO, will replace Brenneman.
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.
