ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES' ELTA DIV., with Daimler-Benz Aerospace, is supplying the German air force with new Tornado Self-Protection Jammers. Deliveries of the podded electronic warfare (EW) systems for Tornado aircraft began earlier this year. The contract covers development of four prototypes, 60 production systems and integrated logistics support, and is worth more than $150 million to IAI's Elta. The Israeli company has been providing EW systems to the German air force since the 1970s.
Kenton Toomey (see photos) has been promoted to executive vice president from vice president-operations of Osmonics, Minnetonka, Minn. Other recent promotions were: Phil Rolchigo to vice president-research and development; Bjarne Nicolaisen to vice president-international; Lee Comb to vice president-engineered products and systems; and Roger Miller to vice president-marketing and strategy.
Meanwhile, concerns that the U.S. may be withholding or slow on delivering vital intelligence is fueling Japan's new interest in having its own reconnaissance satellite. One idea is to tweak the Advanced Land Observation Satellite being developed by the civil space agency NASDA. It will carry a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with 2.5-meter resolution and is expected to be launched in 2003, last five years and cost $336 million. Mitsubishi and NEC are working on other ideas, including putting SAR, camera and data relay payloads on higher-resolution spacecraft.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) recently signed a New Hire Bridge Program agreement, under which the university's aeronautical science degree candidates, effective immediately, are to be afforded preferred hiring status by ASA after graduation. Embry-Riddle and ASA, a Delta Connection carrier, will jointly set selection critera, screen candidates and determine course and flight experience requirements.
The new 717 narrow-body transport remains a wildcard in Boeing's production plans but otherwise the company's commercial aircraft output next year will remain at near-record rates. Updated Boeing manufacturing schedules show the Seattle-based aerospace manufacturer dropping slightly from an overall 51-a-month rate in December 1998, to 50.5 units a month by mid-1999. At the end of next year, total output will have dropped to 48.5 aircraft a month.
British Airways' selection of Rolls-Royce's Trent 895 to power the 16 new Boeing 777-200ER aircraft it has ordered, plus options for another 16, is a blow for General Electric, which has supplied engines for the carrier's 29 previously ordered 777s.
Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Air System may have decided to ban smoking on international flights, but Japan Tobacco Inc. is not giving up. Its president, Masaru Mizuno, has lobbied the presidents of the airlines, saying 34 million of Japan's 120 million residents smoke. The JTI contends that Japanese smokers will put up with a domestic ban because most flights are less than 2 hr., but will not accept a ban on longer international routes.
Joe Golio has been promoted to vice president/managing director of the United Airlines account from regional vice president of Dobbs International Services Inc., Memphis, Tenn. Others recently promoted are: Keith Drachler to Las Vegas-based regional vice president from inflight kitchen manager in Memphis; Scott Bergner to Northwest U.S. vice president from general manager of the kitchen in Denver; Bill Webb to Northeast U.S. vice president from director of special projects; and John Gill to assistant vice president/general manager in Chicago from manager in St. Louis.
CFD Research Corp. is in final assembly of an advanced, air-breathing powerplant that combines rocket and turbojet engine technologies. Ground tests of the non-flight weight demonstrator are planned by year-end with flight trials possible in 1999.
Edward W. Stimpson, vice chairman of the Washington-based General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. (GAMA), has been named to receive the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy from the National Aeronautic Assn. on Dec 11. The trophy recognizes ``public service of enduring value to aviation in the U.S.'' Stimpson is a former president/CEO of GAMA and assistant FAA administrator.
James E. Goodwin has been appointed president/chief operating officer of United Airlines' parent, UAL Corp., succeeding John Edwardson, who has resigned. Goodwin was senior vice president-North America. He will be succeeded by Christopher D. Bowers, who was head of the International Div.
Twenty years later, it is fair to say that if it isn't perfection, transportation deregulation has been a powerful, almost revolutionary force in our economy and fulfilled its promise to help America compete.
In what promises to be a costly shift of philosophy, the FAA and air transport industry plan to stiffen maintenance requirements for electrical, hydraulic, fuel, pneumatic and flight control systems on older airline aircraft.
Go, British Airways' low-fare subsidiary, is to lease a further eight 737-300s to be phased into service over the next 15 months. Six of the eight are to be brand new aircraft leased from GE Capital Aviation Services. The no-frills carrier is also planning to double its staff to 400.
Thomas D. Hyde, senior vice president/general counsel of the Raytheon Co., Lexington, Mass., will also be corporate secretary. He succeeds Christoph L. Hoffmann, who has resigned as corporate secretary/executive vice president-law and administration.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense has awarded Cubic Defense Systems Inc. a contract worth $130 million to design, manufacture and deliver two ground combat training systems for the British Army.
Israel's $2.5-billion fighter buy is almost a must-win competition for Boeing if the company is to keep open its F-15 production line beyond 2000. Boeing faces the prospect of having to shut down its F-15 line if it can't win the on-going Israeli or Greek fighter competitions. It is currently building U.S. Air Force F-15Es and F-15Is for Israel and F-15S fighters for Saudi Arabia, but will deliver the last of those aircraft in early 2001.
Robert Moran has been named chief information officer of the Fairchild Aerospace Corp., San Antonio, Tex. He was director of information systems for Europe for the Carrier Corp.
Nico Buchholz has been appointed head of commercial marketing and sales for BMW Rolls-Royce, Oberusel, Germany. He was European commercial sales director for Airbus Industrie.
A U.S. Air Force program to upgrade Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missiles achieved two test milestones recently when a Stage 1 rocket motor was ground tested and a new guidance control system/flight computer was successfully launched. The first of eight qualification test rocket motors was fired at Thiokol Propulsion's Promontory, Utah, site on Sept. 15.
John D. Odegard, dean of the aviation program at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, died Sept. 27 of cancer. He was 57. He founded UND's Aviation Dept. in 1968 and became dean in 1984. Odegard, who logged more than 14,000 hr. in piston- and turbine-powered aircraft, was recognized as an innovator in ab initio airline pilot training. He won the FAA's 1998 Excellence in Aviation Award. The John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is named for him.
California Institute of Technology has won a $6.25-billion, 5-year contract from NASA to continue management and operation of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Only Ireland, Germany and the U.K. are opposed to letting the European Commission negotiate a multilateral aviation agreement with the U.S. on their behalf, according to one European Union official who was counting votes last week. However, the commission needs all 15 EU member states to agree to let it do the negotiating. A solution could be reached as early as Nov. 30 at the next European transport ministers' meeting in Brussels, according to Austrian Transport Minister Caspar Einem.
