This week, Aviation Week publishes two editions. On the far left cover, Bombardier's CSeries test aircraft FTV1 makes its first flight from Mirabel, near Montreal, on Sept. 16. The CSeries is the first all-new competitor to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 in the narrowbody market and its success is crucial for Bombardier, but certification and delivery in 12 months will be a challenge (page 28). The cover of our MRO edition shows a laser drilling holes in a second-stage high-pressure turbine blade from a GE CF6-80C2 during a repair.
I was astonished to read in “Tilt Tanking” about refueling trials using a V-22 platform in flight mode to refuel an F/A-18C fighter (AW&ST Sept. 9, p. 37). The corkscrew wake turbulence from the tiltrotor propellors are most likely pulsing the F/A-18 compressor blades during the fueling sequence. This might make the engine designers, especially the fatigue experts, a bit uneasy—not to mention this taxpayer. Kentfield, Calif.
Boeing satellite engineers continue preparing the first Inmarsat-5 mobile broadband satellite for launch on a Russian Proton before the end of the year, after the spacecraft made it through thermal-vacuum testing without a hitch. The 702HP-based satellite and two more are designed for Inmarsat's Global Xpress network of broadband links for mobile users on land, sea and in the air.
The top generals and admiral in charge of the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Navy, respectively, were posed two questions by a congressman last week: Could you carry out military requirements under the latest Defense Strategic Guidance, assuming the 10-year, across-the-board budget cuts stay in effect? And could you prevail in more than one regional conflict—think Iran and North Korea—at the same time? One by one, the four core members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said simply, “no.”
Russia is strengthening its presence in the Arctic Ocean in order to protect natural resources on its part of the Arctic Shelf and the Northern Sea Route. On Sept. 12, the surface ships detachment of the Russian navy's northern fleet arrived at the New Siberian Islands, located between the Laptev and the East Siberian seas. The marines landed on Kotelny Island the next day to restore a military air base abandoned in 1993. The air, called Temp, is scheduled to be ready to receive helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft by Oct. 1.
The Flight Safety Foundation is trying to find out why the vast majority of airliner “unstablized” approaches do not result in go-arounds. The Virginia-based safety advocate says 30 out of every 1,000 approaches can be classified as unstable based on legacy metrics, including airspeed and aircraft configuration below a certain altitude on an approach. However, the number of go-arounds, the proper response for pilots when an approach is deemed unstable, is much lower at 1.2 for every 1,000 approaches.
Thank you for Cathy Buyck's comprehensive Airline Intel column “Accept or Reject” (AW&ST Sept. 9, p. 22). She is correct when she writes about the flight and duty limitations (FTL) and rest requirements and that the European Parliament is reviewing the draft regulations with a possible full implementation by 2015. As an IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) auditor, I am familiar with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Standards Manual, Edition 7, that became mandatory on Sept. 1.
Controllers are preparing another Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF-3) spacecraft for operation after an early morning launch Sept. 18 on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V flying from Cape Canaveral. Liftoff came at 4:10 a.m. EDT; Lockheed Martin Space Systems—builder of the satellite—acquired its signal 51 min. later.
The U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) is ending its association with the Vickers VC10 airliner this week, 47 years after the type entered service. The previous two VC10 tankers, Nos. ZA147 and ZA150, flew their last operational sorties on Sept. 20 with a farewell tour of U.K. airfields before returning to their home base at RAF Brize Norton. Designed during the 1950s, the four-engine airliner was built to operate from hot and high airfields to support services flown by British Overseas Airlines Corp.
Martin Munro has become general manager of Ottawa-based Cubic Field Services Canada. He was executive vice president of Allen Vanguard and general manager of Lockheed Martin Canada.
Tim Lammering, Team Leader (Lindenberg, Germany ), Flight Controls and Actuation Systems, Liebherr-Aerospace (Lindenberg, Germany )
In “Out West” (AW&ST Sept. 2, p. 31), I came across a statement that the “fly-by-wire avionics” of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 are provided by Thales. I am directly involved with this project and would like to correct the record. Yes, the SSJ100 avionic suite is provided by Thales. However, the entire fly-by-wire flight-control system (FCS) is provided by Liebherr-Aerospace.
The Harbin Hafei Airbus Composite Manufacturing Center (HMC) has delivered the first elevator for the Airbus A350. HMC is a joint venture among Airbus and several Chinese partners, including the local Avic branch. Airbus holds a 20% stake. HMC started gaining composite and Airbus expertise by delivering A320 rudders, spars and elevators, initially not as a sole supplier. HMC is expected to become the sole supplier for A350 elevators and rudders by 2017.
Andrew D. Williamson (see photos) has been named CFO of the Merex Group, Camarillo, Calif. Steve Melvin has been appointed director of technical solutions and Eric Hillewaert director business development for OEM and Americas programs for Merex Inc. Williamson was managing director for the Angeles Capital Group and a partner at Allendale Partners. Melvin was operations manager for the Merex Camarillo facility, and Hillewaert customer support/product line manager of the Fluid Controls business for Circor Aerospace.
USAF Brig. Gen. Thomas W. Geary has been appointed director of intelligence at U.S. Southern Command Headquarters in Miami. He has been deputy to the deputy chief of staff for intelligence at International Security Assistance Force Headquarters and deputy director of operations and support for U.S. Forces-Afghanistan in Kabul. Col. Russell L. Mack has been nominated for promotion to brigadier general and appointment as vice commander of the 7th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces/chief of staff of Air Component Command, Osan AB, South Korea.
It is no exaggeration when I say the eyes of the aviation world will be fixed on this month's Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal. This meeting will set the stage for world aviation for years ahead and generate the economic conditions that are needed for this vital global industry to grow. It will tackle many challenges that should not be underestimated: in safety, security, air navigation, global competition, market access and of course, the environment.
