Simulator manufacturer CAE has forged a 15-year contract with Dallas-based Southwest Airlines to provide a Level D full-flight simulator for the Boeing 737-700, and includes options for another seven units. The first simulator, which is scheduled for delivery to the airline's training facility at Love Field in mid-2002, will feature a digitally controlled motion base instead of a hydraulically actuated system. Toronto-based CAE also will provide desktop capability to teach aircraft systems to both pilots and maintenance personnel.
Air force chiefs from 11 coalition nations that operate in the Middle East have agreed to a wide slate of initiatives that should improve their interoperability and draw them closer militarily. The ambitious initiatives are aimed at better coordinating assets and procedures from the strategic down to the tactical level. This includes moving toward common hardware, development of common doctrine and tactics, joint information operations, and possibly joint ownership and operation of a fleet of airlifters.
The Air Force wants to accelerate its assessment of when and how to replace its more than 500 tanker aircraft. A requirement study, soon to be completed, would be followed by a two-year study to determine what kind and when a new aircraft would be built. But USAF Gen. Charles (Tony) Robertson, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, says there is interest in speeding all this to have a program defined about a year earlier, in time for the Fiscal 2004 budget--the drafting of which would begin in 2002.
Intelsat has completed the first leg of a three-stage plan intended to increase capacity over the Pacific Ocean region (see illustration). The plan, driven by burgeoning demand in Asia--especially in Internet traffic, which has tripled over the last year--aims to expand capacity by 36%. It will entail reducing the spacing between Intelsat 802 at 174 deg. E. Long. and Intelsat 701 at 180 deg. E., allowing four spacecraft to be operated in a segment presently served by just three.
Sue Oliver has become senior vice president-human resources of American Airlines. She succeeds Thomas J. Kiernan, who has retired. Oliver was vice president-employee relations.
The International Space Station crew--Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidsenko and Sergei Krikalev--are this week to unload supplies from the Progress M1-4 unmanned resupply spacecraft that was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Nov. 16. The 7.5-ton spacecraft was to dock with the FGB Zarya module's nadir port on Nov. 18, the first time a Progress has flown an automatic approach to that down-facing location. Gidsenko was prepared to remotely pilot the approach from the ISS if the auto system failed.
Continental and Northwest airlines have agreed on terms governing the sale to Continental of common stock held by Northwest. Continental will repurchase about 6.7 million Class A shares for $450 million in cash. Northwest will retain about 2.6 million shares of Continental's Class B common stock, or less than 5% of the outstanding common shares, according to Continental.
In an effort to expand the base of its unmanned systems offerings, Northrop Grumman is turning to new aircraft designs and tailored modifications of existing unmanned products to capture new markets. ``It is logical to suppose that in the unmanned combat side of the business we'll have a whole range of aircraft,'' says Bob Mitchell, who runs Northrop Grumman's Ryan Aeronautical Center. ``They'll go all the way from a small missile to much larger aircraft that can stay on-station a long time.''
Having seen the number of F-22s the Pentagon plans to buy whittled away, U.S. Air Force officials are planning to mount a major offensive to reverse that slide and boost the procurement numbers for the stealth fighter.
Emirates is looking at converting its 10 options for the Airbus A340-500 into firm orders for the A340-600, which was rolled out in Toulouse, France, only days ago. The decision, due by the middle of next year, is part of Emirates' long-term fleet planning which could see the airline also take on more firm orders for the A3XX. The carrier, operating from a new terminal opened earlier this year at its Dubai hub, has ambitious growth plans for the next few years.
Nicholas J. Iuanow has become corporate vice president/treasurer of Evans&Sutherland of Salt Lake City. He held the same positions at Cordant Technologies.
The Multi-service Operational Test Team has approved the U.S. Marine Corps' MV-22 for shipboard operations following successful demonstration of an improved blade fold/wing stow system (BFWS). As a result, the U.S. Navy's Operational Test and Evaluation Command has declared the MV-22 ``operationally effective'' and plans to recommend that the tiltrotor enter full-rate production. A decision to authorize production is scheduled for next month, according to the Marine Corps.
Paul M. Cervino has become president of the Allied Devices Corp., Hicksville, N.Y. He succeeds Mark Hopkinson, who remains chairman/CEO. Cervino was chief operating officer.
Stealth is still considered one of the major areas for research and development at Northrop Grumman. However, the definition of stealth or low observability has broadened considerably to include infrared and visual masking as well as the ability to evade radar by deflecting or absorbing its beams.
Faced with the obsolescence of key components on its F-117As, the U.S. Air Force is trying to initiate an upgrade program to keep the small fleet of stealth attack aircraft operational past 2009.
The British Royal Air Force will acquire GPS-guided Enhanced Paveway munitions from Raytheon to provide its Tornado GR4 aircraft with all-weather strike capability. Enhanced Paveway features a dual-mode laser/GPS targeting system. U.K. officials have had an urgent priority for such weapons in the wake of lessons learned from the air campaign in Kosovo (AW&ST Oct. 30, p. 44). The upgrade program will use guidance kits to modify existing stocks of Paveway II and Paveway III laser-guided bombs.
Since the first tentative flight attempts of Orville and Wilbur at Kitty Hawk at the beginning of the past century to Neil Armstrong's first step on the Moon, the words America and aerospace have been intertwined in success. But as we approach the centennial of Kitty Hawk, the future looks very murky. The buoyant self-assurance and confidence that have been the hallmarks of our industry are fading. They are being replaced by doubt, apprehension and uncertainty.
About 70,000 employees of Zurich-based SAirGroup will soon be able to access the Internet through a program called PC Prive, established jointly with Compaq and Sunrise. Workers will receive a new PC, printer and Internet subscription for only 55 cents per day. In the next few months SAirGroup's 25,000 employees in Switzerland will be the first to use the program, followed later by their counterparts in Europe and other nations.
The Independent Assn. of Continental Pilots (IACP) has asked Continental Airlines' CEO Gordon Bethune if the two sides can begin negotiations in May 2001 instead of July 2002. IACP officials said the airline has experienced significant improvements in its financial condition since the last contract was signed in 1997, but that pilots' wages remain nearly 40% below leading industry rates at United Airlines and by 2002 could fall behind other airlines by more than 60%. According to the IACP, pilots are scheduled to receive only a 1% pay raise next year.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. (ret.) Robert Shadley has been appointed group vice president-defense systems of Alliant Techsystems of Minneapolis in addition to his position as vice president-Army operations. He succeeds Don L. Sticinski, who has retired.
The government of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's decision to grant an $880-million low-interest loan to the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co.'s German unit brings the Airbus Industrie partners closer to the A3XX mega-transport's go-ahead.
Typically, not a whole lot of decisive action comes out of this town between presidential administrations. But this time, with the outcome of the presidential election still in doubt and the incoming House and Senate both amazingly closely divided, an extraordinary uncertainty hangs in the air. So what's likely to be an early victim of a delayed presidential election process? It could be the Pentagon's Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR), which is designed to set military priorities for the next four years.
Avions de Transport Regional is banking on all-cargo, twin-turboprop derivatives in an attempt to revitalize its orderbook. The growing dominance of twinjets has significantly undercut turboprop sales in the regional market. Nevertheless, the Franco-Italian consortium hopes to continue securing more orders and maintain a 50% market share in a heated competition against Bombardier/de Havilland's Dash 8.
