Legend Airlines is scheduled to begin four daily nonstop, round-trip flights from Dallas Love Field to New York LaGuardia on Sept. 6. Legend, which began revenue operations in April, has received 18 slots at LaGuardia as well as slots for two flights daily between Love Field and Chicago O'Hare International Airport. No inaugural date has been set for the Chicago service, according to airline officials. Competitor American Airlines operates 24 flights daily between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and LaGuardia.
Rannoch Corp. has received a contract from a consortium of companies to supply a second AirScene system for Japan. The system provides surveillance from high-density airports to feeder and general aviation airports. The system will be deployed in southern Honshu Island this summer.
A Russian/U.S. program to use demilitarized Tupolev Tu-160 Blackjack bombers as airborne launchers of spacecraft has been restructured, significantly reducing the estimated costs of orbiting a 2,500-lb. payload.
Belgium's Barco has been selected by Boeing Phantom Works to supply high-resolution, rugged-color flat panel displays. They will equip an unmanned combat air vehicle's mission control station.
The International Air Transport Assn. (IATA) and European aviation trade associations are, again, urging governments and Eurocontrol to significantly cut flight delays in Europe's airspace. According to IATA Director General Pierre J. Jeanniot, air traffic control-related delays cause an overall loss in fuel efficiency of 6-12% and also results in a negative environmental impact. Such criticisms are emphasized by financial concerns: In 1999, the airline industry reeled from the shock generated by a 200% increase in fuel prices, Jeanniot said.
GE Engine Leasing has detected an airline trend toward leasing rather than owning spare engines. The trend has developed as cost pressures on airlines continue to grow and airlines tend to operate with fewer assets, General Manager John Abbott said. Sale and lease-back contract provisions also provide welcome cash to the carriers. Abbott predicts that leased spares, now 20% of the 5,500 engines in the marketplace today and valued at $14 billion, will grow to about half of the total number of spare engines in 2008.
A new Internet online auction service has been created to help fill empty seats on deadheads, or empty return legs, flown by charter jet operators. The real-time booking engine, Skyjet.com, allows preregistered members to log on and inspect available flight listings posted by 235 participating charter operators, who fly more than 1,300 jets, turboprops and helicopters. They can then bid on any flight that meets their travel needs.
Roland Bopp has been appointed vice president-international business development for Astrolink LLC, Bethesda, Md. He was New York-based regional director for the Americas for Deutsche Telekom.
The Indian Ministry of Defense and Russia Aviaexport foreign trade association have signed a contract for the delivery of 40 Mi-17-1V helicopters to India within 13 months. The cargo helicopters are to be converted into military transports under a separate contract signed with the Russia Promexport Federal Enterprise. Thecontracts are worth $170 million.
Mark Burns has become vice president-customer program management at the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, Savannah, Ga. He was director of information services.
Kellstrom Industries' Certified Div. will provide to international customers, spare parts and component repairs for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics' P-3 Orion aircraft under a 10-year agreement.
U.S. laser projects are growing in international popularity. The Israeli Defense Force has recently had ``people all over'' Boeing's advanced tactical laser project, a weapon designed to be carried by V-22-size aircraft or a large-payload unmanned air vehicle to attack cruise missiles, missile launchers and, perhaps, buildings (which would mysteriously burst into flames). TRW's high-energy tactical laser, which is already slated for Israel, shot down its first Katyusha nonguided artillery rocket (see p. 33).
The FAA has initiated a Departure Spacing Program to improve traffic flow in the congested New York area. Based on an FAA prototype and developed by Computer Sciences Corp., the data-sharing and decision support aid has been in operation since mid-April at the New York Air Route Traffic Control Center and Philadelphia approach control, as well as control towers at LaGuardia, Newark, Kennedy and Philadelphia airports. DSP spaces departures more evenly by using existing airport traffic and flight plan information and automating several procedures.
Advancements made by Sandia National Laboratories in microelectromechanical system design and fabrication are spawning breakthroughs in the development of compact weapons, nanosatellites and optical telecommunications. In particular, an ability to combine electronic circuits with mechanical systems on the same piece of silicon has opened many intriguing possibilities, according to lab engineers.
Brent Wisch has become director of sales and marketing at Eaton Corp.Aerospace Operations, Irvine, Calif. He was director of business development and customer relations at GE Aircraft Engines.
Orders for 310 regional jets placed here at ILA 2000 continued the rising growth trend for manufacturers, with leasing companies making the majority of the commitments for the first time. The orders constitute a significant boost to the ongoing development programs for regional jets at newly renamed Fairchild Dornier and Embraer of Brazil which have not seen significant follow-up orders after they had initially been launched at ILA 1998 and the Paris air show in 1999.
A landmark order from the European Space Agency and a new strategic partnership involving Arianespace's Starsem affiliate will advance the European launch firm's goal of expanding its government business and broadening its product line.
S. Lee Kling, William H.T. Bush and Gen. Michael P.C. Carns (USAF, Ret.) have been named to the board of directors of Engineered Support Systems Inc. of St. Louis. Kling is chairman of the Kling Rechter Co., while Bush is chairman of Bush O'Donnell&Co., both of St. Louis. Carns, a former USAF vice chief of staff, is an independent consultant and member of the U.S. Defense Science Board.
Northrop Grumman has won a $3.2-million contract from the U.S. Air Force to design an improved wing for the T-38 supersonic jet trainer. Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems and Aerostructures sector, headquartered in Dallas, will build a test article using advanced design techniques and new, more fatigue-resistant aluminum alloys. It will have double the structural life of current T-38 wings, according to Mike Major, F-5/T-38 program manager for Northrop Grumman.
German engine manufacturer MTU plans to set up a new manufacturing site for engine components in the U.S. The company plans to invest between $20-30 million and employ 150-200 people. MTU has not said when and where the new facility will be opened. MTU says it wants to increase its manufacturing capacity with the expansion.
Airbus Industrie's partners, who last week failed to authorize commercial offers for the A3XX mega-transport, say they expect to resolve the remaining difficulties soon and advance the program in the next few weeks.
Mark M. Minot (see photo) has been promoted to vice president/general manager of the Broadband Group from director of engineering of Racal Instruments, Irvine, Calif.
The need to provide pilots with flight-based training in unexpected ``upset'' scenarios has spurred Aviation Safety Training to create its Advanced Maneuvering Program that teaches pilots of all skill levels how to recognize, react to and recover from a sudden loss of control in flight.
Germany's Vidair is installing its video monitoring system in an Airbus A340 next month for a two-month test. The test will include cockpit, cabin and cargo hold monitoring. Testing is expected to lead to an FAA supplemental type certificate for installation in Evergreen's Boeing 747s, primarily for cargo hold monitoring. The Vidair 2000 system is expected to be fully operational by the time federal agencies mandate cockpit video recording, which is anticipated in the near future.
