Aviation Week & Space Technology

NASA, which invested $400 million in the project on top of a further $250 million invested by industry partners, says the potential payback to airlines could be significant.

Aviation is, by and large, an incredibly safe mode of transportation. But it wasn’t always so, and there are challenges coming soon. Join Editors Jim Asker, John Croft and Bill Sweetman as they discuss the history and future of aviation safety and read the special report.

B oeing has appointed Heidi B. Capozzi (see photo) corporate senior vice president-human resources. She also will join the Boeing executive council. Capozzi replaces Tony Parasida, who is retiring.

Threats abound, yet we do not have a clearly stated, coherent security, intelligence or foreign policy strategy for each of these threats.

The EC should finally address delayed approval of Norwegian Air International in the joint committee as defined by the EU/U.S. open skies pact.

Although the geared turbofan (GTF) is certified and meets all performance requirements, originally scheduled A320neo launch operator Qatar Airways flagged the start issue as a reason for not taking delivery of the aircraft as planned in December.

Air travel could not have grown without getting safer, and some safety innovations were more important than others.

Debate swirls around the right way forward for air safety. But the history of air safety shows that debates and mysteries are part of the process.

After its December first flight, NATO’s first Alliance Ground Surveillance Global Hawk is being mated with its radar sensor for test flights in the U.S. and Europe.

Jan. 25-28—IMAC 34. Rosen Plaza Hotel. Orlando, Florida. See sem.org/conf-imac-top.asp Feb. 2-4—The Unmanned Systems Conference and Exposition. World Forum. The Hague, Netherlands. See tusexpo.com

The two leading aircraft manufacturers remain upbeat about their prospects and appear to be undeterred by warnings of overcapacity.

AoA and Commercial Airlines, Comments on AW&ST 2016 A&D Forecast

DEFENSE Northrop Grumman is installing the radar in the first NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Global Hawk following first flight of the unmanned aircraft in December. After tests at Edwards AFB, California, the first of five NATO AGS will be ferried to Sigonella, Sicily, for integration with the European-developed ground systems.

Considering defense budget changes; A-10 evades retirement; United Airlines fined for treatment of disabled passengers.

Sierra Nevada Corp. will join incumbents Orbital ATK and SpaceX.

Rockwell Collins and Thompson Aerospace are among the innovators working to meet new European tracking rules, with cost-effectiveness in mind.

It might look like fun and games, but virtual reality head-mounted displays and specialized software will become key to keeping aircraft flying and technicians trained.

Israel’s defense industry often seems a jump ahead of competitors. Technology leaders explain how it’s done.

Simulation is not the same as real flying, say Israeli engineers and aircrew. It can be far superior.

The big consumer electronics show in Las Vegas recently drew A&D eyeballs with chatter over autonomous cars, UAVs and the technology tie-in with the Pentagon’s Third Offset.

Most experts think future targets will be even harder to find and identify. Israel’s defense industry is getting ready.

Russia buys Su-35s; Hellfires to Iraq; EW for C-130Js; Korean Air to make military UAVs; B-52’s South Korean flyby.

The aircraft has changed the competitive dynamics not only between Airbus and Boeing but among international airlines.

Secrecy, nuclear weapons and (of course) the JSF will be talking points in the coming year.

Governments should be ready for the possibility of commercial UAV technology falling into the wrong hands, says think tank.