Congress will likely go along with President Clinton's decision to continue China's normal tariff status, but only after a noisy debate. Disgust with Most Favored Nation (MFN) standing is intense because lawmakers perceive China as intransigent and the White House as mollycoddling a vicious dictatorship. Aerospace and other business lobbies began mobilizing months ago to save MFN and their hand is strengthened by Hong Kong's support. But opposition has spread to the grass roots. Conservative religious groups have joined the ranks of the opposed.
US Airways intends to buy an unspecified number of medium-range jets from one of two airframe manufacturers, thus taking the first tentative step toward transforming the company into a regional carrier from its current status as the U.S.' sixth largest airline. The aircraft are expected to replace turboprops now used on some US Airways routes.
Jeffrey H. Erickson has joined the board of directors of C-S Aviation Services Inc. of New York. He was president/chief executive officer of Trans World Airlines.
U.S. Air Force officials, in an effort to boost pilot retention, are considering a proposal, in cooperation with the U.S. airlines, that would allow the latter to recruit Air Force pilots only after they have served for 15 years or more.
Susan Bailey, a junior majoring in commercial aviation at the University of North Dakota, has won the 1997 Dr. Harold S. Wood Award for Excellence of the General Aviation Manufacturers Assn.
Robert De Boer (see photo) has become general manager for aviation and performance products for Elf Atochem North America Inc. in Philadelphia. He was director of purchasing.
James C. Metsala has been named Washington-based program development director and Theodore R. Spies North American sales manager for commercial markets and systems for Eastman Kodak Commercial and Government Systems, Rochester, N.Y.
Richard Bijjani has been appointed director of programs for Vivid Technologies Inc., Woburn, Mass. He was director of research and development for Machine Vision for InVision Technologies.
A new $65-million state-of-the-art training complex is intended to put Dubai and the fast-growing Emirates Group at the forefront of training in the Middle East. Opened in January, the eye-catching Emirates Group Training College--built in the shape of an aircraft--is expected to be used increasingly to train flight and cabin crews and engineering and maintenance staff from around the world.
A proposal by Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities to impose overly restrictive regulations on extended range operations on twin-engine business jets makes no sense whatever, and could actually have a negative impact on safety.
NASA WILL PROVIDE the smallest instrumented rover ever flown in space for Japan's Muses-C spacecraft, which expects to return samples from the mile-wide asteroid 4660 Nereus to Earth in 2006. To be launched by the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science in January, 2002, the 800-lb. Muses-C spacecraft is part of a worldwide effort to understand comets and asteroids (AW&ST Dec. 9, 1996, p. 68). NASA's contribution to the mission is centered on a 2.2-lb.
Air India and Air France are planning to forge strong business links that are expected to lead to a far-reaching strategic alliance. Within the next few weeks, the carriers are planning to finalize a code-share agreement that covers routes between India and France. The next steps include unification of the carriers' frequent-flier programs and moving Air India's Paris operations to Air France's terminal at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.
FAA certification flight tests are underway of a simple and economical sensor that can reliably detect and measure ice formation on aircraft airfoils during flight. The flush-mounted capacitance detector, made by Innovative Dynamics Inc., Ithaca, N.Y., could be retrofitted to existing aircraft or embedded in new anti-ice and deice systems, according to Joseph Gerardi, president. The technology has been licensed to BFGoodrich for integration into its pneumatic boot deicing systems for general aviation, business and commuter aircraft.
A FAN BLADE FAILED and was ingested into the No. 1 Pratt&Whitney JT8D engine of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 727-200 on May 9, resulting in an in-flight shutdown. Flight 252 had departed Atlanta at 7:50 p.m. for Nashville and was climbing to its cruising altitude when the engine fire warning light illuminated. The cockpit crew activated the fire extinguishing system, declared an emergency and landed safely at Atlanta about 25 min. after takeoff. There were no injuries. The engine is undergoing disassembly and inspection by Delta, the FAA and safety board officials.
HONG KONG'S CIVIL AVIATION DEPT. withdrew ETOPS approval for Trent 700-powered Airbus A330-300s May 12 following three recent shutdowns on Cathay Pacific Airways flights. Cathay suspended its ETOPS flights two days before the CAD acted. Earlier this month, the FAA issued a separate airworthiness directive against the Trent 800, but it apparently pertains to a different problem (AW&ST May 5, p. 17). Cathay and Rolls-Royce suspect, but have not confirmed, that a bad batch of step-aside gearbox bearings are the culprits on the Trent 700.
LAUNCH OF THE Lockheed Martin Launch Vehicle (LMLV) has been delayed due to a problem detected during routine testing at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. The LMLV most recently had been scheduled for launch May 23, but company officials last week said the task of analyzing the test data from a thrust vector control system would keep the program officials from making the launch date. No new date has been set.
William Sharp (see photo) has been appointed manager of space-based meteorological instruments for ITT Aerospace/ Communications, Fort Wayne, Ind. He was a research scientist and project director with the University of Michigan Atmospheric, Oceanic and Space Science Dept.
The Brazilian airline Tavaj (Transportes Aereos Regulares) will expand its operations in the Amazon region with four de Havilland Dash 8Q-200Bs it is acquiring from Bombardier Regional Aircraft Div. through a $48-million, 12-year lease. Two of the combination passenger/freighter aircraft are in service with the Rio Branco, Brazil-based airline. The remaining aircraft are to be delivered next month and in July. Tavaj will operate the aircraft in a 29-passenger configuration that accommodates 3,635 lb. of main deck cargo.
A CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES Boeing 737-300 crashed during a heavy rainstorm while attempting to land at Shenzhen's Huangtian Airport, killing 35 of the 74 passengers and crew on board.
Terry L. Hibbard (see photos) has been appointed vice president-external tank project and Larry D. Knauer vice president-technical operations of Lockheed Martin Manned Space Systems of New Orleans. Hibbard was director and Knauer project director of the Super Lightweight Tank Project.
Land Attack Missile Expanded Response (SLAM ER) in its first flight show the weapon off the Naval Air Weapons Center at Point Mugu, Calif. During the 12-min., 100-mi. flight, the missile went through a number of preprogrammed course and altitude changes after launch from an F/A-18. SLAM ER is designed to provide a precision strike capability against high-value targets, even in darkness and bad weather, using an imaging infrared seeker.
Organizing U.S. forces to fight two regional wars was prudent four years ago, but now Congress and the Pentagon have to reevaluate, says Sen. John McCain (R.-Ariz.). He believes the Pentagon must start preparing for growing Chinese military might instead of anticipating war in Korea. Other benchmarks should be a less stable Russia that proliferates weapons and the rise of Islamic radical fundamentalism which could threaten Turkey's secular status, McCain said. ``I would spend a hell of a lot of time thinking about China and its emergence as a world power, . .
