President Barack Obama's widely panned debate included criticism for his lack of interest and intensity. The lackluster performance extended to the few areas in which aerospace and defense entered the discussion, as Obama opted to ignore messages that resonate with Americans in favor of dusting off an old battle that never took off. And his attacks on Mitt Romney's proposal to spend 4% of GDP on defense during a time of tight budgets went nowhere.
Last week's first KC-130J refueling for F-35B pilots was a step forward as the Marine Corps plans to field its first squadron of the stealthy fighters in Yuma, Ariz., in November. Two U.S. Marine Corps F-35B pilots executed the first two aerial refuelings for the stealthy aircraft from a KC-130J on Oct. 2. Instructor pilot Maj. Ty Bachman,and student Maj. Paul Holst each connected with the KC-130J and took on fuel, a first for the 33rd Fighter Wing, which handles F-35 pilot training at Eglin AFB, Fla. The aircraft took on only about 2,000 lb.
This week, Aviation Week & Space Technology publishes two editions. On the cover far left, Boeing's EcoDemonstrator passes by Mount Rainier, Wash, (Boeing photo). The aircraft represents a new approach to evaluating and fast-tracking fuel-saving and other technologies (see page 40). That report, along with a special package on the upcoming U.S. election (see page 46) and feature story on the Iron Dome missile defense system (see page 31) are in both editions. Our MRO edition includes additional features beginning after page 30.
With a 60-aircraft order for GOL Airlines, the formal signing for 75 from GE Capital Airplane Services (Gecas) and another 22 for unidentified customers, Boeing says its new-engine 737 MAX program has accumulated 821 orders. In addition, Gecas ordered 10 737-800s from the current Next Generation series. The order was announced at the Farnborough air show but signed on Oct. 3. The GOL order is the first for the MAX in South America. MAX is now in design and is to enter service in 2017 with Southwest Airlines.
A new mid-year report from Aviation Week's Top-Performing Companies (TPC) study reveals that the aerospace and defense (A&D) industry remains resilient, even as potentially deep cuts to Pentagon spending draw closer. Boeing held on to its top ranking of 10 publicly traded contractors with revenues of more than $20 billion, raising its TPC score two points in the first half of 2012, to 89. And the next three companies, all pure-play defense contractors, also managed to boost their performances, reversing declines in 2011.
Ukrainian aircraft maker Antonov has resumed flight trials of its An-70 medium military transport aircraft. The first three test flights performed Sept. 27-30 involved the only existing prototype with improved powerplants and avionics. According to Antonov, the latest improvements include the installation of low-noise propfans, a new engine and propfans control system and better auxiliary power unit. Almost all components of the aircraft's avionics have been modernized under the requirements of the Russian air force, which plans to purchase up to 60 An-70s through 2020.
Liz DeCastro has been appointed senior director of corporate communications at MTN Satellite Communications, Miramar, Fla. She was public relations manager at Iridium Communications.
It may be one of the most isolated, loneliest flight-test outposts in the Northern Hemisphere, but that is exactly why Boeing prefers to perform flight-testing at the former Glasgow AFB in the northeast corner of Montana.
Cyberattacks have breached the Pentagon and sent businesses into bankruptcy. Still, it might take a cyberdisaster on the scale of Hurricane Katrina to impel lawmakers to pass laws to help shore up the nation's infrastructure. The White House has proposed an executive order to address some of the problem, but Gen. Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency and commander of U.S. Cyber Command, says more is needed. The Pentagon has a pilot program that will help private companies to work with the government to help them protect their own information.
Lufthansa is pushing for new tools to diagnose cabin air quality following passenger reports about cabin fumes onboard Airbus A380s and a serious incident involving an A319. But health damages have not been proven scientifically. The airline is putting in place initiatives to reduce the number of cabin fume events on its A380s. The measures include adjustments to the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, procedural changes and better surveillance of cabin air quality.
NASA stalwarts across the agency have pulled up their socks and forged ahead with the new approach of sending humans to Earth orbit in commercial crew vehicles. But it has been a case of reality transcending preference, says William Gerstenmaier, who runs NASA's human-spaceflight effort. “As a government person, I kind of like the old way of doing business with these big government programs, and controlling specifications and not being in this new world,” he tells an International Astronautical Congress audience in Naples, Italy. “This is a little riskier for me.
Aurora Flight Sciences and Lockheed Martin are to develop concepts for autonomous cargo delivery via robotic rotorcraft under contracts totaling $28 million, awarded under the U.S. Office of Naval Research's Autonomous Aerial Cargo Utility System (Aacus) program. The system will include autonomous threat- and obstacle-detection and avoidance and automatic landing capabilities. Aacus is intended to allow an unmanned cargo helicopter to be operated from the ground with a smartphone-like device.
John DeLisi has been named director of the National Transportation Safety Board's Office of Aviation Safety. He had been deputy director since 2007 and with the safety board for more than 20 years.
Reader Daniel Jenkins was wildly inaccurate in a fact he stated in Feedback (AW&ST Sept. 24, p. 10). He said: “It is estimated that 100 billion people have lived and died prior to 1969.” There are more people alive right now (6 billion-plus) then have lived and died since the emergence of mankind. Paso Robles, Calif.
Oct. 15-18—American Astronautical Society's Fifth Annual Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium. University of Alabama at Huntsville. See www.astronautical.org Oct. 16-18—The Aerospace Corp., Space and Missile Systems Center, and Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology's Aerospace Testing Seminar. Sheraton Gateway Hotel, Los Angeles. See www.cvent.com/vents/2012-27th-aerospace-testing-seminar-ats meetings/2012/annualmeeting
Two key makers of remote air traffic control tower equipment report measured progress in introducing video-based alternative surveillance technologies to airport operators in search of enhanced situational awareness and lower operating costs. Sweden's Saab Sensis says it will begin in January a certification program for what will be the world's first remotely operated control tower at an operational airport, once approved by Swedish regulators in June or July 2013.
George Novak has joined the Arlington, Va.-based Aerospace Industries Association as assistant VP-civil aviation. He was director of safety, borders and security at InterVistas Consulting and also handled regulatory and compliance issues with the FAA, EU and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
