John Watson, senior executive of British Airways, will become director-general of the Societe International de Telecommunications (SITA) on Aug. 1. He will succeed Claude Lalanne, who will remain president of SITA Telecommunications Holdings.
Widespread use of automation and advanced robotic manufacturing techniques are expected to significantly reduce production costs of the Raytheon Premier 1 business jet. The eight-place aircraft is scheduled to make its first flight in the summer of 1997 and receive FAA certification to Part 25 standards (including icing amendments) in 1998, according to Roy Norris, president of Raytheon Aircraft. As a result of lower manufacturing and production costs, Norris anticipates the Premier 1's selling price will not exceed $3.9 million.
The FAA has disappointed the National Transportation Safety Board again. Although the FAA last week proposed an upgrade of airliner flight data recorders, NTSB Chairman Jim Hall complained that the proposed changes do not go far enough. The proposal would increase the flight parameters collected to 17 from 11 for older aircraft over the next four years and to 88 for new aircraft types in five years.
Ben Medley has been appointed vice president-operations and Edward C. Rizzotti vice president/general manager of the Cross Systems Div., of Tracor Aerospace Inc., Austin, Tex. Medley was vice president-operations of E-Systems, while Rizzotti was Tracor director of business development.
William E. Turner (see photos) has been promoted to vice president-North American military marketing from region manager in St. Louis for Smith Industries Aerospace. Raymond E. Casper has become vice president-human resources of Smiths in Grand Rapids, Mich. He was vice president of APV Baker Inc. And, Paul A. Seymour has been appointed Washington-based vice president-international trade controls. He will continue as secretary of the board of directors of Smith Industries Aerospace and Defense Systems Inc.
Russia's Myasishchev Experimental Design Bureau is contributing free of charge one of its well-known M-55 Geofizika high-altitude flying laboratory aircraft to a joint polar experiment. An M-55 carrying Italian scientific equipment will perform a number of high-altitude research flights beginning in December. Russia will spend $1.5 million to adapt the platform to carry the Italian payload. Russian officials hope the contribution will stir outside interest in the twin-engine M-55, which ceased production in 1994 for lack of financing.
J. Roger Fleming, senior vice president-economic and external affairs of the American Transport Assn., and Delta Air Lines aeronautical engineer Ray Valeika have received ATA Engineering, Maintenance and Materiel Nuts and Bolts Awards in the aviation and industry categories, respectively. They were cited for more than 30 years' service to the ATA and industry.
Aviation Industries of China has made official what China's politicians made clear months ago--it wants the Europeans to be major partners in the development of a 100-seat regional jet.
Mary Schiavo, the departing thorn in the FAA's side as Transportation Dept. inspector general, said her decision to leave was voluntary and that she will write, speak and practice law. Although she won plaudits for her highly visible campaign against ``bogus'' and unapproved aircraft parts, her more recent public statements--especially in television-sized sound-bites--damning portions of the airline industry and its regulators have garnered some criticism.
Maj. Gen. (select) Donald Cook has been named the next commander of the 20th Air Force, Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyo. He will succeed Maj. Gen. Bob Parker, who has retired. Cook has been director of operations for Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo. Parker is now a senior executive for the U.S. Automobile Assn.
THE FAA RELEASED A REPORT late last week that identifies human factors problems arising from the man-machine interface in automated cockpits. A team of human-factors specialists as well as government and industry representatives from the U.S. and Europe participated in the study. They found problems in a number of areas including pilot understanding of automation capabilities and limitations, situational awareness, and deficiencies in cockpit design and aircraft certification processes.
Dr. Joseph P. Kerwin (see photo) has been named head of Systems Research Laboratories' Houston operation and leader of the SRL/Houston Aerospace Life Sciences team. He was director of space and life sciences at the Johnson Space Center.
Maj. Gen. Roger G. DeKok has been nominated for promotion and as commander of the USAF Space and Missile Systems Center at Los Angeles AFB. He is director of operations for Headquarters U.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs.
The machinists' strike against McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Co.'s St. Louis operations has the potential to become one of the U.S. aerospace industry's longest such labor disputes in recent years, lasting not weeks but months. From the company's perspective, it is vital that the current 62 union job classifications be sharply reduced. ``Tremendous redundancy exists in our manufacturing process, which reduces our competitiveness, and that must change,'' President Herbert Lanese said.
British Airways launched its counterattack against criticism of its proposed alliance with American Airlines, claiming that if it is stopped the U.K. could lose its position as the second largest civil aviation nation in the world. Robert Ayling, BA chief executive, told the House of Commons Transportation Select Committee last week that the U.K. had already lost its domestic shipbuilding and automotive industries because of its failure to understand the international economics of either industry. ``I hope we don't do the same with civil aviation.''
Robert J. Stevens (see photo) has been appointed president of Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management, Rockville, Md. He succeeds Robert F. Welte, who will continue to oversee special projects for Frank C. Lanza, executive vice president/chief operating officer of the Lockheed Martin Corp.
THE ADVANCED NAVIGATION&POSITIONING CORP. will produce a rapidly deployable Tactical Landing System under contracts from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, NASA and the Naval Air Systems Command. The $5.65-million contract will employ technology developed under the name Transponder Landing System by the Hood River, Ore.-based company (AW&ST Jan. 24, 1994, p. 55). Ground sensors and an interrogator at a runway work with existing aircraft ILS receiver and IFF transponder to give a pilot ILS-like guidance for an instrument approach.
Micro Vision Inc. is demonstrating prototype monochrome and full-color retinal displays that shine imagery directly onto the human eye. The compact, lightweight technology has the potential to eliminate in-cockpit head-up display screens and provide high-fidelity augmented and synthetic vision systems for pilots. Other possible uses include portable, full-color flight simulation goggles for on-ship or forward-base recurrency training of military pilots.
Look for a shift from pneumatic tools to computerized, d.c. electric-powered ``wire tools'' at aerospace component and subassembly manufacturers. The tools, which can be hand-held or fixed, are linked to a desktop computer or local-area network and operate to pre-programmed specifications. They also can record historical, trend and quality data including torque values, fastener angle, tool speed and production timing, according to Cooper Power Tools, Lexington, S.C., which manufactures Gardner-Denver assembly tools.
PRESIDENT CLINTON HAS AUTHORIZED proceeding with the oft-delayed, U.S.-led initiative to train and equip the Bosnian Federation's armed forces. The President announced last week that the transfer would begin soon of about $100 million of U.S. military equipment, including 15 utility helicopters, 80 armored personnel carriers and 45 tanks. In addition to the $100 million U.S. contribution, the unified Bosnian armed forces also are to receive $140 million in training pledged by Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia and Brunei.
Worldwide transactions involving used jet transports have outpaced new sales 5,154 to 3,913 since 1990, according to a survey by the Seattle-based Air Cargo Management Group. The trend indicates increasing aircraft useful life as well as strong demand for economical, ``previously owned'' fleet-expansion and freighter alternatives, the report said. Of the 11,200 commercial jet transports now in service, more than 3,000 are 20 years of age or older, according to Lee Hibbets, ACMG research director.
Fiscal 1998 planning for the Air Force is going to shift where the pain is inflicted. Force modernization has moved into first place in the still-classified 1998 ``program objective memorandum,'' with funds being drawn from upgrades of older aircraft, military construction and building restoration and maintenance. To ensure that Congress knows the Air Force is unwavering in its support of the F-22 and Joint Strike Fighter, a senior Pentagon official said, ``we will take a pause on military construction and funnel the money to modernization.
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that the probable cause of the fatal crash of an American Eagle ATR72 on Oct. 31, 1994, was a buildup of ice that caused a sudden loss of control of the aircraft. Sixty-eight people including a crew of four died in that accident at Roselawn, Ind., after the aircraft held for 39 min. waiting clearance for an approach to land. The board absolved the flight crew of responsibility.
A SOUTHWEST AIRLINES 737-200 aborted its takeoff last week and skidded 700 ft. past the end of Rwy. 20C at Nashville (Tenn.) International Airport after a large bird was ingested by the port engine, and cockpit warnings activated. The birdstrike occurred as Flight 436 reached a speed of 135 kt. and had about 3,000 ft. of dry runway remaining plus a level, 1,000-ft. overrun area. The transport had a full load of 122 passengers and five crew for the 7:20 a.m. flight. Temperature at the time was 77 deg.
Justus Hellmuth has become manager of aviation concept planning for Parsons Brinckerhoff in Orlando, Fla. He has created the passenger terminal concept expected to be implemented for Shanghai Pudong International Airport in China.
