THE NUMBER OF ACTIVE HELICOPTER PILOTS in the U.S. decreased 28% to 19,239 in 1996 from 26,766 in 1987, and is projected to decline another 30% by 2010, according to a report by the Sierra Academy of Aeronautics. Historically, the military has supplied commercial operators with 85-95% of the helicopter pilots they need, but that task is shifting to civilian schools. In addition, more than 50% of pilots employed by major operators are at least 55 years old, according to the report.
EUROCOPTER HAS AWARDED the first series production contract for the electronic warfare suite for Tiger attack helicopters to DaimlerChrysler Aerospace's Airborne Systems operating unit. Valued at 48 million euros ($47 million), the contract covers the first 160 integrated EW systems out of a total of 427 required for France and German Tiger helicopters. An identical EW suite is planned for the NH-90 helicopter. DASA would like to interest Switzerland, which is considering adding an EW suite in its new Super Puma helicopters, and Spain and Australia.
The fuselage for Sino Swearingen Aircraft Co.'s first production SJ30-2 business jet has been completed in preparation for wing mate operations scheduled to begin in April. Jack Braly, president and CEO of the San Antonio, Tex.-based company, said the fuselage is the first to conform to production specifications. Wing panels are scheduled to arrive this month from Gamesa Aeronautica in Spain in preparation for final assembly this summer. Gamesa also builds the fuselage, which is manufactured in three sections.
Graham Austin, formerly head of training at New York-based FlightSafety International, has been named chief executive of the Cabair College of Air Training, Cranfield, England.
EIICHIRO SEKIGAWAMichael Mecham contributed to this report from San Francisco.
In the third major aerospace consolidation this year, NEC and Toshiba Corp. said last week they intend to merge their satellite manufacturing operations into a 50/50 partnership, a move some in the industry see as the first step toward creating a single spacecraft builder in Japan.
As air traffic continues to grow, Europe and the U.S. are struggling with increased urgency to come to grips with congestion and flight delays. In the Oct. 25, 1999, issue, a wide range of topics involving ``Air Travel in Crisis'' was explored. Now, in the following three articles, several recent developments are highlighted. First, the U.S. appears to be making progress toward data link communication between pilots and controllers. Meanwhile, in Europe, where national rivalries have been a stumbling block to airspace consolidation, privatization might offer a new path.
UPS will reportedly demand that the European Commission require the German post office (Deutsche Post) to split up its commercial and public service activities. The EC is investigating the postal service under a complaint alleging unfair competition in the parcel post sector, filed by UPS in 1994. The post office has spent nearly $5 billion during the past two years to build up its parcel express business and is said to be discussing an alliance with Lufthansa Cargo and DHL (AW&ST Feb. 28, p. 21).
Paul E. Brotto has succeeded Kevin Benson as president/CEO of Canadian Airlines. Brotto was senior vice president-business development of Air Canada. Benson will continue as a member of Canadian's board of directors.
ORGANIC LIGHT-EMITTING DISPLAYS (OLEDs), once thought impractical for mass production, could be for sale and challenging LCDs next year, according to the U.S. Display Consortium. OLEDs can be manufactured like film on plastic rolls, giving lighter weight displays with low power consumption but good color resolution. Stanford Resources predicts the OLED market will grow from $3 million last year to $715 million in 2005. A U.S. film manufacturer has an OLED display prototype that's only 2.4 in. square and 1/16 in.
Martin Kaiser has become managing director and Seven Domke head of marketing and sales/deputy CEO of Shannon (Ireland) Aerospace. Kaiser was head of production and has been succeeded by Tom Caffrey, who was deputy production head. Domke was manager of materiel stores and supplies for Lufthansa Technik.
More than $700 million in upgrades to the U.S. Air Force Eastern Range are underway to enable more efficient operations and a 24-hr. turnaround capability between launches by mid-2000. The effort involves a $225-million Phase I contract that has already been completed by the Harris Corp, and a $290-million Phase IIA program underway by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon. This contract is also helping upgrade the Western Range and includes an option for an additional $200 million in work. The upgrades include:
Sabena Belgian World Airlines grows at a robust pace, despite its limited home market, but is suffering heavily from decreasing yields and a weak load factor. After briefly restoring profitability in 1998, last year the Belgian carrier reported $14-million losses on $2.2 billion in revenues. Delta Air Transport (DAT), its regional subsidiary operating short-haul routes, and Sobelair, a charter affiliate, also had substantial losses.
Gordon J. Comerford has been appointed to the board of directors of Exigent International Inc, Melbourne, Fla. He recently retired as senior vice president of Motorola. Comerford also is a director of the Iridium South America Corp. and Iridium Canada Inc.
John A. Martin has become president of the BFGoodrich Aerospace Aviation Services Div., Everett, Wash. He was president of the Airframe Services Div. James A. Hodgson has become vice president/general manager for airframe maintenance and paint, William B. Ashworth vice president/general manager of aircraft modification services and James Russell vice president/general manager of component services.
Boeing Airplane Services is studying an upgrade for existing 747-200 ``classic'' models that would convert the cockpit to two-pilot configuration and install a modern panel. The new avionics would include FANS capability, or the ability to operate in future air navigation systems that employ satellite-based communications, navigation and air traffic control surveillance. FANS is in use on certain transpacific routes where there is limited radar coverage, allowing airlines to fly more economical, direct routes and at the most fuel efficient altitudes.
Praising the FAA's civil aviation forecast as ``dynamic, integrated and sensitive,'' Herbert J. Kelleher, chairman of Southwest Airlines, a keynote speaker at last week's forecast conference, placed the onus for achieving the optimistic projections squarely back on the U.S. government. The validity of the forecast, Kelleher said, ``fundamentally depends, to a great degree, on the actions, or inactions, of our very own government.''
TIACA has added the following to its Roll of Honor: Jacques Ancher, former head of KLM; Max Morehouse, a shipper who was cited for his leadership in the first promotional use of air cargo as a sales tool; Maggie and Terry Oldham, co-owners of Anglo Cargo Airlines, who were called instrumental in establishing rights for supplemental air cargo carriers; David Pierce, a TIACA trustee who is retiring from Boeing and is considered an authority on cargo trends and forecasts; and Joseph Sutter, a Boeing engineer who is considered the instigator and designer of the Boeing 747 a
Predictably, top management at Globalstar Communications continues to express utmost confidence that a large market opportunity exists for the company's satellite-based, global telephone system. But investors apparently harbor doubts, as reflected in Globalstar's faltering stock price--which also has been a drag on the share price of major stakeholder Loral Space&Communications. Moreover, it would appear their concerns have some validity, based on red flags being hoisted by some industry analysts.
William R. Craven has been named president/chief operating officer of Paravant Inc., Melbourne, Fla. He was executive vice president-corporate development. Chairman/CEO Krish Joshi had been serving as president.
Problems with a secret Hughes/National Reconnaissance Office data relay spacecraft have forced a major postponement in its launch and removal of its Atlas Centaur booster from the launch pad at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The spacecraft is not designed to gather imagery or signal intelligence, but rather to link such data from reconnaissance platforms that are out of range from U.S. ground stations. It is being returned to the Hughes plant for modification.
Beal Aerospace completed benchmark tests of its 810,000-lb., vacuum-thrust BA-810 rocket engine near Waco, Tex., paving the way for firing of the more powerful first-stage engine in 2001 and initial flight of the BA-2 launch vehicle in mid-2002.
The European Space Agency has down-selected six proposals for its next round of science missions, to be approved in September. Among the leading candidates is a proposal to participate in NASA's New Generation Space Telescope, which will replace the Hubble orbital observatory. Also short-listed were an asteroid flyby, a solar orbiter, solar ring current and extra solar planet detection missions and a fundamental physics project.
Following an insider tiff over House appropriations prerogatives, the Senate voted 82-17 to adopt the conference report to the three-year, $40-billion FAA reauthorization bill. The House was expected to follow suit shortly. Transportation Secretary Rodney E. Slater promptly lauded senators for a bill that ``embodies 95% of what the Administration proposed'' (AW&ST Mar. 6, p. 36). The White House indicated President Clinton will probably sign it into law.
