The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is circulating a draft proposal to member states calling for incremental implementation of flight data acquisition and analysis beginning in January 2002 through January 2005, when it would become an ICAO standard. The three-year period would allow members to comment on the proposal and resolve any technical problems. Similar to the FAA's FOQA initiative, data acquisition would be required for airplanes having a gross takeoff weight of more than 27,000 kg. (59,535 lb.).
Maj. Gen. John Dallher has become the 15th superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He was assistant chief of staff for operations and logistics at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe and director of operations for Operations Joint Guard (Bosnia) and Joint Guarantor (Kosovo). Dallher succeeds Lt. Gen. Tad J. Oelstrom.
BAE SYSTEMS HAS AWARDED a development contract to Primagraphics to supply graphics and video equipment to record and display real-time video signals from the Eurofighter 2000 during flight tests. A multiplexed stream of data will be sent from the Eurofighter over a microwave link and displayed on a standard workstation using VME-based hardware and software. Real-time processing will let the engineers analyze a test flight as it progresses, which should speed up the flight test program. A 5-sec.
The next U.S. spacecraft being prepared for launch to Mars will carry two instruments that could take the search for water at or near the surface of the planet a step further. The Mars Surveyor 2001 orbiter, scheduled for launch in about nine months, is currently undergoing integration and testing at Lockheed Martin facilities near Denver. A companion 2001 lander program was canceled in the wake of the twin failures of the 1998 Mars orbiter and lander.
Northrop Grumman has reversed itself and decided its Integrated Systems and Aerostructures business will remain headquartered in Dallas, although at a different site. Last month it announced it would move the remainder of the group's headquarters operations, renamed the Integrated Systems Sector, to Washington, upon completion of the sale of its aerostructures business and production sites to The Carlyle Group. The decision came after further analysis of the costs and potential disruption of relocating to the Washington area, Northrop Grumman said.
The International Transport Workers Federation was scheduled to conduct its Zero Air Rage Campaign July 3-7, to compel lobbying governments worldwide to pass laws aimed at prosecuting passengers that commit acts of air rage during flights that land within their borders. The ITF, whose affiliate unions represent flight attendants and ground workers, is concerned that incidents of air rage will increase and possibly lead to an accident.
RAYTHEON WILL PROVIDE the flight simulator threat environment for the U.S. Air Force's new F-22, under a Lockheed Martin contract. The software package, known as the Generic Electronic Combat Environment, or ``Geese,'' is intended to give the pilot a realistic simulation of enemy radio frequency threats, both airborne and ground based. Geese also simulates all weapons that the F-22 is capable of using, including the full range of air-to-air missiles, and calculates the effectiveness of an attack.
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center recently lined up actual and mockup versions of X-vehicles intended to demonstrate technology for improved access to space. From left to right are NASA's B-52 launch aircraft, a 95% scale neutral buoyancy model of the Boeing X-37, the Boeing X-40A, a MicroCraft X-43 mockup (in front of X-40A), an Orbital Sciences X-34 and Orbital Sciences' modified L-1011 carrier aircraft.
The first of three Sirius Satellite Radio spacecraft was launched successfully from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on July 1 by a Khrunichev/International Launch Services Proton booster. The 8,300-lb. Space Systems/Loral 1300 series spacecraft was placed into a 47,000 X 24,500-km. elliptical orbit inclined 63.4 deg. from where the satellite will perform its mission. The overall combined cost of the spacecraft and booster is about $200 million.
Sydney Airport, Australia's Olympic 2000 gateway, was thrown into chaos last week by a software glitch in the baggage system. The breakdown caused 2,000 bags to be lost and 61 international flights to be delayed by up to five hr. Australian contractor Bovis Lend Lease is responsible for the software integration of the existing automatic baggage system and the new system, which services the extension to the airport terminal.
An independent audit team hired by Alaska Airlines says Alaska's transports are safe, but criticized the airline for short staffing in maintenance and flight operations, poor communications and other problems. The three-week audit partly overlapped an FAA safety inspection triggered by the Jan. 31 crash of Flight 261, which killed 88. Both reports had similar findings. The 21-person independent audit team, which included eight Alaska pilots and maintenance workers, made more than 150 recommendations.
In spite of difficult obstacles to a merger, negotiators for American Airlines and Northwest Airlines are discussing strategies for the reshaped marketplace that would result from a United-US Airways combination. Officially, the two airlines are not commenting. But union leaders and individuals close to the negotiations say that merger is one alternative under discussion. They speculate that an acquisition by larger American is a Plan B that would be implemented if the U.S. Justice Dept. approved of United's $4.3-billion buyout of US Airways.
The Pentagon has structured the contract to the Army's Theater High-Altitude Area Defense system with penalties and incentives to keep pressure on prime contractor Lockheed Martin to maintain strong program oversight.
Former Virginia Gov. Gerald Baliles is forming an international aviation coalition to work toward new global standards on aircraft noise and try to help nations avoid conflicts such as that between the U.S. and the European Union on hushkits. The group, which will be based here and have offices in Montreal and Brussels, has more than 40 members so far--major airlines, airports, manufacturers and labor unions.
A study of 83 accidents with helicopters used in U.S.-based logging operations revealed the vast majority, 73, took place during logging-related maneuvering and not other phases of flight. Of the accidents, which occurred between 1983-99, 46 resulted from mechanical failure and 27 were attributed to human error, according to a report by the Alexandria, Va.-based Flight Safety Foundation. Engine failure played a role in 22 crashes. One modified military surplus helicopter, certified by the FAA, had accumulated more than 13,000 lift cycles in 380 heli-logging flight hours.
Aerojet General's X-38 Crew Return Vehicle won the top aerospace design award in the PTC Awards 2000 competition for electronic modeling. . . . Agilent's VEE Pro graphical software for measurement and control now includes the analytical power of The MathWorks' ubiquitous Matlab program in the new VEE Pro 6.0. The updated software also has more tutorials and other features. More information is at www.agilent.com/find/vee.
With all the flurry in the aerospace community over all-encompassing Web sites for parts ordering, one of the industry's prime bushing manufacturers says, ``Thanks, but no thanks.'' He prefers the direct approach.
The European Space Agency has approved initial elements of a joint space strategy to be pursued with the European Union and adopted a policy for admitting new members, particularly from Central Europe. Following an ESA Council meeting on June 22 , the agency advanced key elements of a European launcher plan, one of several areas of ESA-EU cooperation outlined in June 1998.
Bob Jouret has become president and Marsha Leeg principal operating officer of the Boeing Travel Management Co., Bellevue, Wash. Leeg was vice president-operations. Jouret succeeds Sam Jenkins, who has taken on expanded responsibilities for the Boeing Military Aircraft and Missile Systems Group. Jouret also remains vice president-finance of the Boeing Shared Services Group.
The 2000 Competitiveness Index incorporates various upgrades to provide a more thorough indication of how publicly traded aerospace and airline companies are performing compared with their peers.
Defense Secretary William S. Cohen's trip to China this week--his first since last year's U.S. bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade--is apt to be a contentious one. Although the visit is supposed to signal the normalization of military-to-military relations that were strained by the bombing, U.S. national missile defense (NMD) plans and charges of Chinese weapons proliferation are expected to stir debate. Intelligence officials only recently reported to Congress that China is continuing to assist Pakistan's ballistic missile program, despite U.S.
The NATO Helicopter Management Agency signed a long-delayed 6.6-billion euros ($6.27-billion) contract covering 298 NH-90 frigate/transport helicopters jointly procured by France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. The first NH-90 batch is part of a 366-helicopter commitment included in the four countries' long-term combined requirement for 595 aircraft. The initial contract, which involves slightly revised numbers, comprises 134 army/air force NH-90s for Germany, 117 army/navy aircraft for Italy, 27 navy aircraft for France and 20 navy aircraft for the Netherlands.
