Brian Moody has become chief financial officer of the Cabin Management Group of DeCrane Aircraft, El Segundo, Calif. He was a Transaction Services Group director at PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Although the International Space Station has been in permanent operation for barely two months, private entrepreneurs are already seeking to promote commercial use of the facility.
The incoming Administration has chosen one of the more knowledgeable individuals in aviation matters to be the next Transportation secretary. California Democrat Norman Mineta, Commerce Secretary under the Clinton Administration, is a former chairman of the House Public Works and Transportation Committee where he was known as a consensus builder.
The German Ministry of Defense has questioned the suitability of the Meads missile defense system being developed by Germany, Italy and the U.S. to protect against attack by cruise missiles, UAVs or helicopters. Although Defense Minister Rudolf Scharping insists Germany would approve financing for risk reduction engineering, the move could signal renewed trouble for Meads after a skirmish with the U.S. Congress a year ago.
Work is set to begin shortly on modifications to British Airways and Air France Concordes that could allow the supersonic transport back into service this spring.
Jean-Claude Chaussonnet has been appointed chairman/CEO of France-based EADS Airbus, formerly Aerospatiale Matra Airbus. He was president and succeeds Gerard Blanc.
Alain Domeon has been named head of Snecma Services' industrial strategy. He headed the Saint-Quentin/Villaroche engine overhaul facilities and has been succeeded by Pierre-Emmanuel Gires.
The FAA last week implemented its Capstone Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) system in Alaska to track and control traffic in areas where radar service is not available. Each aircraft equipped with the system uses GPS satellites and digital data links to broadcast position, airspeed and altitude. Ground-based transceivers receive transmissions and send the signals via telephone lines and satellites to Anchorage Air Route Traffic Control Center, where the information is displayed on controllers' screens.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Cassini spacecraft flew by Jupiter on Dec. 30, gaining a gravity assist for its trip to Saturn but also observing Jupiter together with JPL's Galileo, which has been orbiting the giant planet for five years. The joint observation period, called the Jupiter Millennium Flyby, runs from Oct. 1, 2000, to Mar. 31. The closest approach was 6 million mi., or 135 Jupiter radii.
L. Carroll Bogard has been named director of sales for Unitron Inc. of Dallas. He was vice president-international and military sales for the TUG Div. of Stewart and Stevenson. Bogard succeeds Steve Larson, who is now director of marketing.
Boeing Satellite Systems has been selected to provide a three-spacecraft Wideband Gapfiller Satellite (WGS) system with a contract that could ultimately be worth $1.3 billion if options on three additional satellites are exercised.
Robert P. Bozzone has been appointed chairman/president/CEO of Allegheny Technologies Inc. of Pittsburgh.He was vice chairman and succeeds Thomas A. Corcoran, who resigned.
A European Space Agency board has completed its report on looming telemetry problems with the Huygens probe, which were discovered last February and could hinder receipt of data when the probe enters Saturn's atmosphere in late 2004, after being released by Cassini. The problem is that the Huygens receiver on Cassini does not have enough bandwidth to handle all the Doppler shift as the probe enters the moon Titan's atmosphere while Cassini flies overhead. This could result in loss of some of the probe descent data (AW&ST Oct. 9, 2000, p. 26).
The number of Western-built commercial jets lost to controlled flight into terrain decreased last year compared with 1999, but nearly 60% of accidents and 56% of fatalities from 1990-99 occurred during the approach and landing phase of flight, underscoring the ongoing threat CFIT poses to global airline safety.
China Southern Airlines has added Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport to its dedicated cargo network in the U.S. for flights to Shanghai and Shenzhen. CSA operates four-times-weekly freighter services from those cities to Chicago (via Anchorage). Alliance Airlines is operating the feeder flights from New York JFK and Hartsfield to Chicago.
Bell Helicopter Textron, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsui&Co. and Mitsui Bussan Aerospace Co. plan to jointly propose building the new Bell AH-1Z Super Cobra attack helicopter as part of Japan's fiscal 2001-05 defense procurement plan. Mitsubishi and Mitsui, which are working together in competition with Fuji Heavy Industries, would build the AH-1Z under license from Bell. Fuji, however, plans to propose the Boeing AH-64D Apache instead of the AH-1Z, which is an upgraded version of the AH-1W Super Cobra.
The U.S. Justice Dept. plans to issue a second request for information pertaining to the proposed merger of General Electric and Honeywell International, as antitrust enforcers continue to scrutinize power systems and military electronics. Except for microturbine engines, industry analysts see little product overlap that could impede government approval.
The first digital radio satellite, XM-1, is due for launch Jan. 8 from the Sea Launch floating platform at 2:35 p.m. PST. Dubbed ``Roll,'' the Boeing 702 is the first of two built for XM Satellite Radio Inc. The second, ``Rock,'' is due for launch in March.
Continental Airlines has confirmed its previously announced intent-to-order 15 757-300s valued at $1.2 billion. The aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce RB211-5354B engines, are to be delivered from late this year through 2003. Continental already operates 41 757-200s. The sale brings Boeing's firm order list to 44 for the stretched version of the single-aisle transport.
Ron Jennings (see photo) has been promoted to director of business development from technical services sales manager for Elliott Aviation, Moline, Ill.
France has offered to assist the Hungarian air force in rebuilding its combat aircraft fleet. According to French Defense Minister Alain Richard, the proposal is to either modernize Hungary's existing force of MiG-29 fighters and Mi-34 attack helicopters or to replace them with new hardware.
United Airlines has launched an electronic upgrade product to replace paper certificates, as well as premium boarding passes that will speed check-in. United customers can now purchase North American upgrades, which are valid for 500 mi. of travel in the next class of service. Mileage Plus members can use the upgrades from full-fare economy tickets; premier members can use the upgrades on most published fares. Members also will be able to electronically upgrade one traveling companion.
For the first time in more than 15 years, the amount of insurance available to cover satellite launches and operation is on the decline. Insurance broker Aon Space reported that capacity declined to around $1.1 billion in 2000 from $1.2 billion the year before. The decline occurred as rising loss claims stemming primarily from inorbit failures nearly wiped out industry profits.
