William Blair (see photos) has become Raytheon's vice president/Asia-Pacific regional executive. He was senior executive in India and has been succeeded by Nik Khanna. He was associate vice president of The Cohen Group. William Schmieder has been appointed Brussels-based vice president/regional executive for Europe. He was corporate vice president-international for General Dynamics.
Rankings of publicly traded aerospace and defense contractors are the result of a composite scoring of four equally weighted performance categories that place significant emphasis on operating excellence. Category weightings are based on results of two surveys conducted by Aviation Week with senior management of companies generating annual revenues greater than $1 billion. The four categories are:
Space-launch giants Boeing and Lockheed Martin are getting a boost for their United Launch Alliance (ULA) joint venture from a leading lawmaker in their nascent competition with upstart SpaceX for Air Force business. Rep. Mike Rogers (R), of Alabama—where ULA builds the Atlas and Delta Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles (EELV)—has drafted language for the fiscal 2014 defense authorization bill to “ensure the fair evaluation of competing contractors” in awarding launch contracts.
With wildfires forecast to increase this year, the long-running saga of efforts to modernize the U.S. fleet of large firefighting aircraft has taken another turn: The latest attempt to place more modern airtankers under contract has been hit by another protest from a losing bidder. This marks the second time that a contract protest has delayed modernization of the fleet, and lawmakers are pressuring the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to override the protest and get new aircraft into service.
Frank Morring, Jr., in his commentary “Irregular Ordeal” (AW&ST May 6/13, p. 22) asks, “Is the U.S. space program any less important than on-time arrivals for air travelers?” Well actually, yes. The money originally sequestered from the FAA budget would have immediately impacted safety at more than 140 air traffic control towers. It also would strongly affect the ability of this nation to conduct normal commerce—the lifeblood of the U.S. economy.
SkyWest Inc.'s arrangement to acquire as many as 200 new 76-seat Embraer 175s is the latest in a series of orders expected as the reshaped U.S. airline industry moves to larger regional jets (RJ) and sheds 50-seaters. But the deal—valued at more than $8 billion at list prices if all aircraft are ordered—might not be quite as big as it seems.
I would like to add to your ongoing list of readers' opinions of your magazine. I agree with others that Aviation Week has become somewhat more airline/MRO business-centric at the expense of aviation and engineering-related articles. I appreciate the business articles, but they can seem to overshadow the technical achievements taking place in aerospace. I save the special double issues for reference and found the “Double Issue Innovation—The Return of the Prize” (AW&ST March 4/11, p. 48) to be particularly relevant to my work.
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Mark Atkeson has been named general manager of the GA Innovation China subsidiary of Air China and GA Telesis. He represented Pratt & Whitney in a partnership with China to develop engine overhaul operations at Ameco and headed Pratt & Whitney's construction of a manufacturing facility together with Aviation Industries of China.
The complexity of software still to be integrated, and the potential impact of sequestration cuts on development, are calling into question whether the full combat capability will be ready when the Lockheed Martin F-35 formally enters service with the U.S. Air Force and Navy.
Lars Karsten has been appointed chairman of P3 Voith Aerospace of Hamburg. Hannes Mechler has been named chief operating officer and a member of the board. He was an international manager for Airbus. Departing the board will be Michael Hoffmann, Tim Moog and Thomas Weingarten.
As a lifetime member of both the National and Texas Rifle associations, I object to your support of the anti-Second Amendment agenda included in the Washington Outlook item “Signifying Leadership” (AW&ST May 20, p. 23). When did Aviation Week join the liberal ranks? Fort Worth, Texas
Last but not least, the FAA is advising air carriers transporting “heavy vehicle special cargo loads” to review policy and guidance on weight and balance-control procedures due to the “potential safety impact” of carrying and restraining the equipment. The timing of the Safety Alert for Operators, published on May 20, suggests it may be related to the fatal-and-very public crash of a National Airlines Boeing 747-400 freighter departing from Bagram AB in Afghanistan on April 29, though the FAA did not specify this.
I fully appreciate your understanding of the needs of the “wired” current-generation readers versus hard-core paper types. While I would prefer a magazine that emphasized commercial aviation and worldwide military developments (my previous areas of employment), I know there are other parts of our industry that need to be served. For keeping myself current, I need to at least have a passing understanding of these as well.
The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (Casis) is seeking proposals for stem cell research using facilities on the International Space Station (ISS) to study how microgravity affects the growth, division and differentiation of non-embryonic mammalian stem cells. Casis says it will provide grants, coordinate flight opportunities and locate potential partners for winning proposals. The non-profit organization, set up by Congress to operate the public U.S.
USAF Brig. Gens. Thomas W. Bergeson, Timothy J. Leahy and Paul H. McGillicuddy have been selected for promotion to major general. Bergeson has been appointed director for legislative liaison in the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force in the Pentagon. He has been director of operational capability requirements/deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements at USAF Headquarters. Leahy has been named director of operations at U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters, MacDill AFB, Fla.
U.S. Air Force officials are preparing by year-end to begin flight-testing a communications gateway technology designed to enable stealthy aircraft to communicate with legacy fighters despite the disparate protocols tailored to their covert missions. The goal is to network combat air forces so pilots of the F-22—and, in the future, the F-35—can share data with those flying older aircraft such as the F-15 and F-16, says Lt. Col. Scott Hamilton, chief of the tactical data-links program branch at the service's Air Combat Command (ACC).
