Ralph Leach (see photos) has been named managing director of marketing and sales for the FlightSafety Academy, Vero Beach, Fla. He was vice president-business development for Jet Asia in China and a senior consultant with CMR in London. Randy Annett has been promoted to manager of FlightSafety International's Learning Center in Tucson, Ariz. He succeeds Kelly Allender, who has been promoted to manager of Dallas Learning Center. Annett was assistant manager of FSI's Cessna Learning Center in Wichita.
Shoji Amano, a senior vice president of the Japan-based Mitsubishi Aircraft Corp., has been appointed executive officer of the company's Production Management Office. He was head of engineering and the Overseas Quality Cost Delivery Office.
Europe's Gaia mission lifted off Dec. 19 atop a Soyuz ST-B rocket from the European Spaceport at Kourou, French Guiana, sending the star-charting astronomy observatory toward its final orbit at the L2 Lagrange point 1.5 million km (930,000 mi.) from Earth.
Sikorsky has revealed the unmanned Rotor Blown Wing concept it is designing with Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works under Phase 1 of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (Darpa) vertical-takeoff-and-landing experimental aircraft (VTOL X-Plane) program.
Dana Bell has retired after a 30-year career with the U.S. government. Starting as a photo researcher with the Air Force in 1976, he moved to the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington in 1982. Bell has written 32 books on aviation history and is now a full-time author. This year marked his 17th as a photo contest judge.
I find it interesting that in “The Road To Unmanned” (AW&ST Dec. 2, p. 38) no mention is made of a requirement for thunderstorm-hazard avoidance. At some point that necessity must be addressed, and it will need a from-the-ground-up solution. That implies a unique discipline requiring input from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the FAA and all operators of manned aircraft, plus a totally new infrastructure.
Greg Hart has been appointed executive vice president/chief operations officer of United Airlines. He succeeds Pete McDonald, who is retiring. Hart was senior vice president-technical operations. William Nuti has been named to the board of directors of parent United Continental Holdings Inc. He is chairman/CEO/president of the NCR Corp.
Col. (ret.) Shaul Shahar (see photos) has been appointed corporate vice president/general manager of Israel Aerospace Industries' Military Aircraft Group. He succeeds Aharon Segal, who now holds a senior position in the company's vice president and chief operating officer's office. Shahar was general manager of the IAI Malat Div. and acting general manager of the Tamam Div. of IAI's Missiles Systems and Space Group.
The U.K., which has hoped to sell Eurofighter Typhoons to the United Arab Emirates, has learned that any potential deal has been halted. “The UAE have advised that they have elected not to proceed with these proposals at this time,” says a note to prime contractor BAE Systems's investors. The U.K. had been negotiating with the UAE for the sale of about 60 aircraft, with Prime Minister David Cameron traveling to the Dubai Airshow last month in the hopes of lobbying for BAE's bid to sell the fighter jets.
Avic has launched full-scale development of its MA700 78-seat turboprop airliner, aiming at a first flight in 2016 and first delivery in 2019. An engine supplier will be chosen within a few months, MA700 designer Dong Jianhong says. There are no launch orders. According to Avic, the MA700's advantages will be economy in fuel consumption and maintenance, adaptability to operation from hot-and-high airfields and those with unpaved runways; spacious baggage bins, and comfort.
USAF Maj. Gen. Timothy M. Ray has been appointed director of global power programs, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition at USAF Headquarters at the Pentagon. He has been director of operational planning, policy and strategy/deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements at the Pentagon. Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere has been named deputy director for command, control and nuclear operations at the Pentagon. He was commander of the 509th Bomb Wing of Air Force Global Strike Command, Whiteman AFB, Mo. He succeeds Brig. Gen.
