USAF Maj. Gen. (ret.) Robert H. McMahon (see photo) has joined the board of Tulsa, Okla.-based Nordam, succeeding USAF Maj. Gen. (ret.) Donald W. Shepperd. McMahon's command experience includes a maintenance wing, a logistics group and two maintenance squadrons.
Programs to upgrade Lockheed Martin F-16s for South Korea, Taiwan and the U.S. Air Force could open up a market for more than 1,000 active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar retrofits. Lockheed has received a $1.85 billion contract to upgrade 145 F-16A/Bs for Taiwan, which will use the same AESA that the USAF selects for its planned 300-aircraft F-16C/D upgrade. A request for radar proposals is anticipated shortly, with contract award expected in a year.
While they may disagree on energy policy, crucially for the aviation industry President Barack Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney do agree that a national program designed to expand the production of biofuels should continue. As the Pentagon and airlines try to bridge the gap between the technical feasibility and commercial availability of advanced biofuels as drop-in replacements for fossil fuels, government support for scaling up both feedstock and fuel production is proving critical—and controversial.
Lynn F. Kusy, executive director of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, Mesa, Ariz., plans to retire on March 15, 2013. Under his leadership, Gateway Airport was upgraded from a decommissioned air force base to the Defense Department's premier model for base reuse.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station ejected five cubesats in two waves Oct. 4, demonstrating a first-ever satellite deployment technique using the Japanese Experiment Module's (JEM) Small Satellite Orbital Deployer and robot arm. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide handled the task from a JEM operator's post, commanding the 40-ft.-long combination main robot and small fine-arm extension to extract the deployer, which held the five multinational 1-2 kg (2.2-4.4-lb.)cubesats, from a small airlock.
By the nature of politics alone, the conclusion of the National Research Council was predictable, as reported in “Going Ballistic” (AW&ST Sept. 17, p. 36)
PARIS and NAPLES, Italy - Repurposing Soviet-era ballistic missiles to serve as small-satellite launchers is turning out to be more costly than expected, leaving an opening for players in Europe and elsewhere to field vehicles that could take up the slack. (Photo: Kosmotras)
Low-fare carriers in Asia are mostly to thank for a billion-dollar increase in the profits forecast for airlines in 2012 by the International Air Transport Association ( IATA). But profits will still be more than 50% down from last year and the improvement expected next year will not bring airlines back to the healthier levels of 2011 or 2010.
In response to a recent Up Front commentary (AW&ST Sept. 24, p. 14), I feel Bombardier is approaching abusive behavior if they take the CS300 and increase its passenger-carrying capability. By adding 11 slimmer seats—at a 28-in. pitch—along with eliminating one lavatory, the manufacturer has created yet another passenger aircraft that is a blow to humanity.
Bell Helicopter of Fort Worth has named 18 employees as winners of the 2012 Lawrence D. Bell Pioneer Award for innovation leadership. The winning teams are: Productivity--Donn Hethcock, Paul Oldroyd, Suvankar Mishra, John McCullough and Michael Mackey; Service--Tom Reilly, Warren Moseley, Daniel Scottiaux, Carlo Capozzo and Joshua Mochache; Innovation--Brad Linton, Travis Yates and Chad Haugeberg; and Growth--Clive Davis, Elvis Luis, Tuan Bui, Jonathan Williams and Gordon Mooney.
Oct. 30-31—Engine MRO Europe. Paris. Nov. 6-7—A&D Programs. Phoenix. Nov. 13—Engine MRO Asia. Singapore. Nov. 14-15—MRO Asia. Singapore. Jan. 22-23—MRO Middle East. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. You can now register ONLINEfor Aviation Week Events. Go to www.aviationweek.com/events or call +1 (212) 904-4682.
Robert M. Ball has been elected to the board of Montreal-based Airports Council International-North America for a three-year term. He is executive director of the Lee County (Fla.) Port Authority.
Tim Paynter (see photo) has become director of communications for international programs at Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems Sector, Redondo Beach, Calif. He was senior manager of corporate communications at EADS North America.
Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D), the chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, is proposing a framework for how Congress can reach a deal on $4 trillion in deficit reduction next year, but he will not be on Capitol Hill to reach the compromise. Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, tried to prevent last year's budget penalty from taking place, but he will not be around either. And Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-Ohio) helped broker deals on two transportation bills in 2011. But by January, he will be gone, too.
Katherine B. Posner, a partner in Condon & Forsyth, has been selected to receive the Dallas-based International Aviation Women's Association's 2012 Aviation Industry Woman of Excellence Award. It recognizes women who have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of women in the industry.
Thomas Hellwig (see photo) has been appointed senior aviation program manager in the Atlanta office of Parsons Brinckerhoff. He was VP-aviation at the architecture firm, that designed the international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) welcomes the move by India's government to allow foreign carriers to invest in local airlines, but warns it is no solution to the problems facing India's aviation industry. “I think foreign direct investment (FDI) is a good thing. We'd like to see more countries liberalize foreign investment. The reality, however, is that FDI is in no way a panacea,” says IATA Director General Tony Tyler.
The U.S. Air Force boosted Boeing's third GPS IIF satellite into orbit last week, a spacecraft that is the first to include a fix to the xenon bulb in the cesium clock that is designed to address a problem found on the second IIF, while operating in orbit. Boeing built the satellite for a 12-year design life, and it is slated to be turned over to USAF controllers for testing next month after initial on-orbit checkout, says Paul Rossnock, Boeing vice president for government space systems.
Susan L. Main has been promoted to senior VP and CFO from VP and controller of Thousand Oaks, Calif.-based Teledyne Technologies, succeeding Dale A. Schnittjer, who is scheduled to retire in November. Main will be succeeded by Wajid Ali, who is CFO of Teledyne Dalsa.
