Training videos outlining the limitations of instrument approaches could help pilots better appreciate their risk of approach-and-landing accidents. A joint Flight Safety Foundation/International Civil Aviation Organization team working on ways to reduce such accidents is finding that while professional flight crews perform instrument approaches on a daily basis, many of them do not understand the limitations of an approach.
Durability problems with Pratt&Whitney F100-229 engines have prompted the U.S. Air Force to study whether the powerplants should be removed from the service's F-15E strike fighters and replaced with General Electric F110-129 engines.
Marty Stieglitz has been named program manager for the Boeing AH-64 Apache helicopter program and site manager of the Mesa, Ariz., facility. He was vice president of the Boeing Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche program. Stieglitz succeeds Dean Borg- man, who is scheduled to retire this month. Chuck Vehlow, former vice president of the Apache program, will succeed Stieglitz.
Jay Korman and Jeff Abramson have been promoted to senior associates, and David Brinkley and Douglas Berenson have been named senior research analysts, at DFI International of Washington.
The Pilots Record Improvement Act of 1996 is having some unintentional effects and may fuel increased unionization of regional and charter carriers. One commuter carrier, which largely hires single-engine flight instructors on a probationary basis, is experiencing about a 50% washout rate as it transitions them to sophisticated modern glass-cockpit-equipped transports after a minimal training course. Those failing the course receive an ``unsuccessful completion of training'' notation on their permanent records, a strong deterrent to future job prospects.
THE ALCATEL-LED SKYBRIDGE Limited Partnership has decided to expand its SkyBridge multimedia broadcasting network from 64-80 satellites to meet growing demand for wide-band services. The extra satellites will translate into a nearly 50% jump in capacity, to more than 200 Gbps., allowing SkyBridge to serve more than 20 million users when it becomes operational in 2001. The cost of deploying the network will rise 20%, to $4.2 billion.
Swissair moved up its planned 1999 start of nonstop Zurich-San Francisco services as a result of a gain in MD-11 capacity, which followed the carrier's cancellation of services to Seoul when the South Korean economy went flat. The carrier, in a code-share arrangement with Delta Air Lines, began five-times weekly services in late May. While North America remains its strongest market, Swissair is seeing significant growth in Middle East and African routes, according to its regional manager for the Americas, Walter Vollenweider.
After months of foot-dragging, the French government now appears ready to take meaningful steps to help remove some of the obstacles that have been hindering the long-awaited restructuring of the European defense industry.
Richard Schwartz, chairman/president/CEO of Alliant Techsystems of Minneapolis, has been named to the U.S. Space Foundation Hall of Fame. He was recognized for his role in the development and launch of the first GPS satellites during the 1970s.
Grumbling lawmakers say the intelligence failure to detect India's nuclear test preparations was rooted in defects flagged long ago, but continually sidestepped by both Congress and spy agencies. A quick review led by Adm. David Jeremiah, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, produced a litany of familiar flaws: lack of critical thinking and analytic rigor, weak internal coordination, botched collection priorities, and too much reliance on technical intelligence-gathering, too little on spies.
Spanish carrier Iberia has signed an initial agreement with Royal Air Maroc to pursue cooperative opportunities with the Moroccan carrier. Iberia officials said the deal, yet to be fully developed, would include code-sharing and linking of frequent-flier programs. Earmarked for code-sharing are flights between Tangier and Casablanca in Morocco and Barcelona and Malaga in Spain.
Thomas C. Robinson has been appointed president of the Defense Group, Paul Confoni president of the Technology Management Group (TMG) and Michael W. Laphen president of the Civil Group, all of the Computer Sciences Corp., Falls Church, Va.Jerry B. Hilmes and George O. Meyerson have been promoted to senior vice presidents of the Defense and Civil Groups, respectively, from federal business division presidents. Robinson was president of TMG and Confoni its Eastern Region vice president. Laphen was Integrated Systems Div. president.
The Mexican government last week took control of the nation's largest airline, Aeromexico, after more than 1,000 flight attendants went on strike on June 1 alleging discontent with wages and working conditions. As a result of the takeover, which is authorized under Mexico's constitution, flight attendants agreed to return to work. The airline and the Unionized Assn. of Flight Attendants have made progress in negotiating a new wage package, but disagreement over benefits and working conditions remain major obstacles.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada is investigating a May 18 incident in which a single-engine Pilatus PC-12, carrying two crew and eight passengers, glided 16-25 min. with engine out to a crash landing near Clarenville, Newfoundland. All on board the PC-12, operated by V. Kelner Airways Ltd., survived, but the crewmembers and one passenger suffered injuries. Aviation safety investigator Roy Bears said the pilot, Boyd Bursey, 30, guided the powerless aircraft safely through thick overcast from an altitude of approximately 12,000 ft.
AN AEROSPACE TEAM FROM BRITAIN AND THE U.S. is supplying 71 TADS/PNVS for the British Army's new WAH-64 Westland Apache helicopter. The team consists of Lockheed Martin Electronics&Missiles of Orlando, Fla.; Avimo Ltd. of Taunton, England; British Aerospace Defense Systems of Christchurch, England; and Pilkington Optronics of Glasgow. Nineteen of the 26 line replaceable units of TADS/PNVS were manufactured by the U.K. companies--the first time a system with LRUs produced by a company other than Lockheed Martin have successfully completed production tests.
Greg Redican has been appointed senior vice president, Curt Tackett vice president-operations, Howland Foster vice president-sales and Mike Hudson manager of quality assurance, all for Syncro Vac, Milpitas, Calif.
Air France pilots' strike, which began on June 1, is costing the airline an estimated $17 million per day in lost revenues. In addition, it provides a competitive edge to independent carriers Air Liberte, AOM and Fairlines.
Jean-Francois Bigay has been appointed chief operating officer of the Aerospatiale Aircraft Div. He succeeds Claude Terrazzoni, who will join Airbus Industrie. Bigay will remain Eurocopter chairman/ CEO until his successor is appointed. Aerospatiale also named Michel Delaye COO of the Space and Defense Div., Francois Auque corporate executive vice president-finance and strategy and Denis Verret corporate executive vice president-international and commercial affairs. Jean-Louis Fache, an executive president, has been assigned to Italy-related issues.
Datamatics of Mumbai (Bombay) has developed software for British Airways to use in fuel management, cargo and personnel systems in its Indian operations. By year-end, the Mentor system is to be linked with British Airways' facilities in the U.K.
