Is the recent decline in the average age of aircraft retirements an illusion when it comes to determining the economic life and valuation of the jets—or does the false impression come from the reports that dismiss its significance? Avolon, the Dublin-based aircraft leasing company, argued in a report a few months ago that the years-long decline is misleading. Now Boeing is out with a similar study that presents its case for why the dip is a blip, not a trend.
I am in disbelief that no one seems ever to include in the evaluations of lithium-ion batteries any study of their simple carriage as cargo (AW&ST March 25, p. 35). The only fatal accidents involving lithium-ion batteries were in those situations where they were carried inert in large quantities, not in operation or being charged and discharged. I know Aviation Week has mentioned those cases in previous reports (the UPS 747-400 and the Asiana 747 accidents come to mind).
April 16-18—Asian Business Aviation Conference and Exposition Conference and Exhibition. Shanghai. See www.abace.aero/2013/ April 17-18—SMI's Second Annual Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Conference. Copthorne Tara Hotel, London. See www.isrconference.com or call James Hitchen +44 (207) 827-6054. April 17-18—Civil Avionics Forum 2013. Shanghai. See www.galleonevents.com/avionics2013/en/home.html
Boeing has expanded its investments in Brazil's infrastructure as part of its bid to win the country's long-delayed F-X2 fighter competition with the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet. The company and the state of Pernambuco signed a preliminary agreement last week to cooperate on training for welders and development of other critical assembly skills in support of ship building for Brazil's petroleum, oil and gas industries. The agreement is among those Boeing has made in an attempt to have the Super Hornet beat out the Dassault Rafale and Saab Gripen NG.
Mexico's Satmex 8 is en route to its operational geosynchronous slot after an International Launch Systems Proton rocket orbited it March 26 in a 9-hr., 13-min. mission flying from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The launch puts the big Russian rocket back in business after a Dec. 8 anomaly left a Russian telecom satellite in a low orbit. Based on SS/L's 1300 bus, the 5.5-metric-ton spacecraft will be operated by Satelites Mexicanos of Mexico City, providing video content and distribution, broadband services and cellular backhaul from its position at 116.8 deg. W.
No war can be won except by ground forces: Washington buzzes with that mantra, often from terminally degreed employees of academic institutions linked to the Army and Marines.
While most of the prime and top-tier suppliers that head to Mexico export assemblies and finished products back to their home factories or to customers, an increasing number of specialty suppliers are shipping within the country.
An article on page 28 of the print edition of the March 25 issue should have noted that the Pentagon is planning to select a non-deployed AN/TPY-2 radar for use in Japan to monitor North Korean ballistic missile launches, adding to the one already located in Shariki. Those deployed to Qatar, Turkey and Israel are not candidates for deployment in Japan. The article in the digital edition of the magazine was correct.
The U.S. Air Force could clear the Delta IV rocket for flight as soon as May as an investigation into a mishap with the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10B-2 upper stage winds down.
April 16-18—MRO Americas/MRO Military. Atlanta. May 7-8—Civil Aviation Manufacturing. Charlotte, N.C. May 14-15—MRO Eastern Europe. Vilnius, Lithuania. Sept. 9-11—NextGen Ahead. Washington. Sept. 24-26—MRO Europe. London. Oct. 29-31—MRO Asia. Singapore. Nov. 12-14—A&D Programs. Phoenix. You can now register ONLINEfor Aviation Week Events. Go to www.aviationweek.com/events or call +1 (212) 904-4682.
One of Mexico's smallest states in area and population, Queretaro had a well-established industrial base in food processing, electronics, metals and automotive products in its eponymous capital city when the persistence of state officials caught the attention of Bombardier Aerospace in 2005.
Bill Peltola has been appointed Asia-Pacific senior director-aviation services for London-based Inmarsat. He held a senior level position at Panasonic Avionics Corp. in its Global Communications Services group.
Cindy Miller has been named president of Atlanta-based UPS's Europe division and Derek Woodward president of the Emerging Markets division, effective April 30. Miller, currently president of UPS U.K., Ireland and Nordics, succeeds Jim Barber, who was appointed president of UPS International. Woodward is president of the Global Integrations division.
Chihuahua, the capital of Mexico's largest state (also called Chihuahua), is a pioneer in aerospace manufacturing and a locus especially for general and business aviation original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). But in the past few years, growth has come courtesy of larger aircraft.
Glenn Gerstell, managing partner and head of Washington-based Milbank's global communications practice, has been named to the D.C. Homeland Security Commission by Washington Mayor Vincent Gray.
Bill Tillson, co-CEO of Encompass Digital Media, has been named 2013 Teleport Executive of the Year for the second consecutive year by the New York-based World Teleport Association. The honor is given to an individual for demonstrated entrepreneurship, leadership and innovation in the development or operation of a teleport-based business.
