In trading last Wednesday, shares of Nasdaq-listed EchoStar Communications Corp. soared 203/16, to close at 12013/16. Less than 52 weeks ago, the stock was selling--if you can believe it--for a mere 1131/32.
A Boeing 767 recently delivered to Canadian Airlines shows the carrier's revised livery, which is similar to that of its new owner, Air Canada. The two carriers and their regional airline partners have developed an integrated summer schedule that features 30 new routes, 11 new destinations and more than 380 more trans-border flights a week. For the summer, the combined airline's trans-border and international capacity from Toronto will grow by 18% and 22%, respectively, and there will be a 13% growth in available seat miles to Asian markets from a Vancouver hub.
The European Space Agency is proposing to use space technology to monitor hazardous cargo movements and prevent environmental disasters such as the oil spill that badly polluted the Brittany coast at the end of last year. The proposal--which would combine positioning equipment to be installed on oil tankers and other vessels, as well as space-based sensors and trackers to be provided under the planned Galileo satellite navigation program--received a warm welcome from the European Commission. The commission is cofunding Galileo with ESA.
A race has begun to apply the Internet in business-to-business transactions to drive down costs and speed processes for the aerospace industry. The initial focus is on airlines, but many executives expect a digital makeover of the industry's business functions during this decade.
The Boeing Co. has established a ``new ventures'' initiative to pursue opportunities that may include e-commerce businesses. Anil Shrikhande will lead the effort and report to Chief Financial Officer Debby Hopkins.
Midwest Express management and the Air Line Pilots Assn., which represents cockpit crewmembers at the Milwaukee-based carrier, have reached a tentative agreement that gives pilots improved pay and retirement benefits. According to an official of The Newfoundland Group, which monitors airline labor developments, most pilots are pleased with the pact and will ratify the agreement. In addition to salary and benefit issues, negotiations focused on whether the 330 pilots should stay at Midwest Express or leave to join major carriers where demand for experienced pilots is high.
Martin P. Klauss has become director of airline sales for Aerospace Products International, Memphis, Tenn. He was Airline Div. director of inside sales for AAR Distribution.
An orbital test flight of an inflatable reentry system has proven the validity of the innovative technology, designed to provide a low-cost, straightforward means to bring orbital payloads and booster stages back to Earth, according to preliminary results.
This new line of machines take precut tubes and automatically produce an inside chamfer, an outside chamfer and faces the tube. They can be used as stand-alone units or as part of an automatic line. Bowl feeders and chain conveyors are available for short or long parts. The machines have a range of 3/8 in.-minimum to 3-in.-maximum tube and can chamfer and center solid material as well as tube and pipe. Depending on application, a user can expect up to 1,200 pieces per hour. S&S Machinery Corp., 140 53 St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11232.
The rapid recovery of Asia's economies following their meltdown in 1998 has surprised defense companies, who are now gearing up to pounce on the business opportunities they feared had disappeared.
Bond Air Services has selected Turbomeca's Arrius 2B1 turboshaft engine to equip five twin-engine Eurocopter EC135 utility helicopters it recently ordered.
Christopher Korenke has become New York-based vice president/general manager-U.S. for Air France. He succeeds Jean-Louis Pinson, who has been promoted to executive vice president/chief operating officer for the Americas. Korenke was general manager for Germany.
The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission is moving toward conclusion this week after making nearly 1 trillion measurements for a high-resolution 3D map of most of Earth's terrain while demonstrating large structures technology critical for the International Space Station. Endeavour's 197-ft. radar receiver mast is the single largest structure ever deployed in space, and the C- and X-band radars it is supporting were mapping the planet's terrain at a rate of 100,000 sq. km. per minute late last week.
Donald E. Washkewicz has become president/chief operating officer of the Parker Hannifin Corp. of Cleveland. He was president of Parker's Hydraulics Group.
``Before This Decade is Out. . .'' Personal Reflections on the Apollo Program edited by Glen E. Swanson is a collection of oral histories relating to the Apollo Program that gives the perspective of some of the political leaders, engineers, scientists and astronauts who made it possible. The observations are far-reaching from administrators Webb and Paine to top managers such as von Braun, Faget and Mueller to astronauts Schmitt and Duke--each contributes significant insights to this astounding scientific achievement.
Delta Air Lines is testing its Web site with wireless hand-held organizers and new cellular phones. Participating passengers can check personal travel itineraries, flight arrival/departure and gate information, and Delta's worldwide flight schedules. Delta plans to roll out the service systemwide later this year. The airline's redesigned site (www.delta-air.com) adds a corporate purchasing section where customers can apply their specific corporate sales agreement.
BAE Systems sees its Hawk Synthetic Training Facility for the Royal Air Force as a stepping-stone for further service support projects in the U.K. and possibly elsewhere around the globe.
Gerald Laderman has been appointed senior vice president-finance of Continental Airlines. He was vice president-aircraft finance, general corporate finance and investor relations.
The REA 9000W probe gun has an external-charging probe to apply waterborne coating with high transfer efficiency without isolating paint. Electrostatic air caps produce the charging voltage required at 70 kV., resulting in consistent spray patterns and paint build-up while minimizing paint consumption and environmental impact. The gun is field repairable with no air driven parts and its major components are constructed of high-strength engineered resins. ITW Ransburg, P.O. Box 913, Toledo, Ohio 43697-0913.
Carnegie Mellon University's Nomad robot has left Antarctica after demonstrating it could autonomously search for meteorites and distinguish them from indigenous rocks--a task not always easy for humans. The NASA-funded effort is a major step toward intelligent robots--able to think and act independently--which would have direct applications for unmanned explorations of the surface of Mars and the Moon.
Hughes Global Services Inc., has won a second six-year contract with a potential value of $490 million from the Federal Technology Service for satellite services for the U.S. Defense Dept.
The panel layout for Boeing's Joint Strike Fighter candidate underscores a simple, flexible design philosophy aimed at freeing the pilot from actively managing data flow and allowing greater focus on the mission and tactics.
