Reversing a recent ``derivatives-only'' practice, Boeing is seriously considering a radical near-sonic configuration for its next new transport. ``We have focused on derivatives for several years, but when it's time to do a new airplane, it's time to do a new airplane,'' said Michael B. Bair, Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice president for business strategy and development.
The new MRO joint venture between Delta Air Lines and Air France Industries, the French flag carrier's maintenance, repair and overhaul arm, is designed to strengthen the two airlines' other business links while enhancing AFI's efforts to gain more revenues in the Americas. Delta and Air France are the founding partners of the SkyTeam alliance, operate code-share routes and recently formed a joint freight market venture. The U.S. Justice Dept. recently approved the Air France Cargo/Delta Air Logistics linkup dubbed SkyTeam Cargo.
NASA's Inspector General may have hammered any remaining hopes Administrator Daniel S. Goldin has of hanging onto his post for a third presidential administration. In a long-awaited audit report issued last week, the I.G., Roberta Gross, blasted the ``faster, better, cheaper'' approach to spacecraft procurement Goldin has touted throughout his long tenure. ``Although NASA has been using the FBC approach to manage projects since 1992, NASA has neither defined FBC nor implemented policies and guidance for FBC,'' Gross stated.
A consortium of seven British airlines is set to take over the management of the U.K.'s air traffic control system under a controversial partial-privatization plan which is the first of its kind in Europe.
The global maintenance, repair and overhaul business is faced with creating total service packages to attract future work as airlines accelerate outsourcing and retire aging aircraft to minimize life cycle and transaction costs.
Congress is threatening FAA managers in the bluntest terms with unpaid salaries, forfeited bonuses, imminent transfers and withheld staff if they persist in ignoring agency leadership and failing to relieve aviation gridlock. A key House panel armed with the legislative purse strings is even threatening the agency with outright extinction if the high rate of delays and cancellations--disrupting one in four flights--is not brought under control, and fast.
Frederick Bullock (see photo) has become vice president/U.K. managing director of the TRW Systems and Information Technology Group. He was vice president-global indirect markets for EDS.
Mesa Air Group's announcement last week that it is the North American launch customer for the 90-seat Bombardier Aerospace CRJ900 regional jet carries enormous risks for the financially recovering regional airline. Should its partner America West go the way of TWA, and there is evidence of that possibility, Mesa will have the unenviable task of peddling a 90-seat RJ to other major carriers, whose pilot scope clauses may prohibit regional pilots from flying anything larger than 70-seaters, industry observers suggest.
Chief Master Sgt. Cheryl Denise Adams has become command chief of the U.S. Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Ga. She was command chief for the 932nd Airlift Wing at Scott AFB, Ill.
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is prepping the playing fields for the 2002 World Cup, which will be held simultaneously in South Korea and Japan next summer. The ministry forecasts 1,000-2,000 extra flights by Japanese and foreign carriers before and during the games, but just where to land them is the problem. Tokyo has but one international airport, Narita, with one 4,000-meter-long runway. Wouldn't Narita's second runway--conveniently set for completion in May 2002--be the perfect solution for excess traffic? Hardly.
As the world's fleet of commercial and military jet transports continues to age, electrical wiring is coming under increased scrutiny as a major safety issue. Other key installations--such as hydraulics, flight controls and pressurization systems--are overhauled or replaced at specific intervals during an aircraft's service life. However, the miles of electrical wiring bundles buried within the airframe are inspected and repaired as required, but rarely are replaced.
Hughes Global Services says that despite mixed success, it expects to continue growing its satellite salvage operations. The company expects to earn a return on investment for three of the four spacecraft it has recovered so far. HGS-1 (formerly AsiaSat-3) has generated income of $1.6 million and is due to break even on a $4-million recovery cost by year's end, despite an 8-9 deg. inclined orbit.
Michael McConnell has been appointed senior vice president-strategic planning and Joseph Voss director of network sales for the Mooney Aircraft Corp., Kerrville, Tex.
Thales and French aerospace R&D agency Onera have concluded an agreement to reinforce joint research undertakings between them. The agreement, which concerns the air defense and airborne systems units of Thales, concern imaging techniques used in aerial reconnaissance and modeling of physical phenomena related to radar applications and wave propagation.
Deliveries of Raytheon Aircraft Co.'s Premier I lightweight business jet are set for May or early June following FAA certification on Mar. 23. The twin-engine airplane, priced at $5.28 million, was approved following a three-year flight test program involving four aircraft, more than 2,700 flight hours and meeting 6,633 specific flight conditions, said Jack Hulsey, vice president of development for the Premier I. The company has orders for 300 airplanes.
The European Commission has cleared the takeover of Litton Industries by Northrop Grumman. The commission found that the activities of the two companies presented little overlap and thus did not amount to a threat of dominant position.
With applications in aircraft assembly, the 2D Microgage 2D can be used for measuring in two axial directions at the same time, even when the laser and receiver are separated by 70 ft. or more. With a precision of 0.001 in., the system will provide precise measurement in both vertical and horizontal directions. The system includes a laser transmitter, projecting a beam of visible laser light, and a compact receiver that captures the laser light for measurement. A RS-232 interface provides data for PCs and includes company software to collect and analyze data.
Airbus' top executives are not worried by their newest long-range transports' slow start. They are convinced the A340-500/600s, which are scheduled to enter service in 2002, will successfully compete against Boeing's extended-range 777s and maintain a 50%-plus market share.
Having confronted the fact that they will not be able to complete the F-22's test program on schedule, U.S. Air Force officials are urging a several-month extension even though such a delay could cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
The U.K. government has proposed legislation to introduce blood alcohol limits for aircrews, air traffic controllers and aircraft mechanics. The limit is set at 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 milliliters of blood. The government also will empower police to conduct alcohol and drug tests when there is reasonable cause. The proposed law stops short of mandating random testing.
Faced with a widespread increase in the average age of its aircraft and few signs the trend will abate soon, the U.S. Air Force has created an organization to help manage this emerging crisis. The average age of aircraft has grown to ``beyond where we are comfortable,'' said a senior Air Force planner.
T. Wood Parker has been named vice president/general manager of global information technology systems for TRW Inc. He was a managing partner at Pricewaterhouse LLP.
Federal managers are urging the FAA and Congress to shore up budgets, pay and staff in the interests of safety and efficiency. Michael B. Styles, president of the Federal Managers Assn. (FMA), warned a House panel last week that operational errors (violations of separation standards) shot up 51%, Fiscal 1996-2000. Four remedial steps are essential, he said. Testifying before the House Appropriations transportation subcommittee, Styles called for:
``Scroll'' is a real-time, moving window display tool add-on to the Vexcel Direct Capture System that permits immediate viewing of data from optical satellites such as Landsat-7 and Spot-4. With Scroll, satellite images are streamed across the computer screen as the ground station receives them. It sub-samples incoming data, decodes it, then displays it on screen. It benefits users by providing instant visual feedback on the quality of data being received. Malfunctions in data capture may be remedied promptly and labor costs of processing unwanted data are saved.
