To help reverse the decades-long decline in the pilot population—there are 617,000 ticket holders in the U.S., down 25% from 1980—the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association is investing $1 million-plus to foster and support flying clubs. These are popular in Europe, where sharing costs and post-flight pints help make lightplane ownership more affordable and enjoyable.
India is likely to buy an additional 42 Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighter aircraft and 71 Mil Mi-17 V5 medium-lift helicopters from Russia. The Su-30 MKI order will be in addition to the 230 aircraft of the type already under contract, as the Indian air force plans to raise 13 to 14 squadrons in the near future, according to a defense official. The Su-30 MKI is being developed by Russia's Sukhoi and India's state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. for the air force.
Airbus Military has teamed with aviation services company Discovery Air of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to offer the C295 light tactical transport for the Canadian Forces' Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue (FWSAR) program. Discovery has signed a memorandum of understanding to be the primary Canadian partner in the bid, providing in-service support. FWSAR plans to replace an aging fleet of six de Havilland Canada CC-115 Buffalos and 13 Lockheed Martin CC-130 Hercules used by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for fixed-wing search-and-rescue.
In “Going Ballistic” (AW&ST Sept. 17, p. 36), Michael Fabey says privacy issues regarding unmanned aerial vehicles are the least of our concerns. I disagree. A group of terrorists within a mile or so of any busy airport could bring down several airliners in 15-30 min. or less by flying UAVs into their engine intakes—an electronic “bird strike”—with little or no trace. UAVs should be banned from domestic airspace except for use in military-supervised airspace.
Although it has been months since the sad event, I am still lamenting the death of Pete Rustan, a “can-do” fellow if ever there was one (AW&ST July 9, p. 23). We were looking forward to working with him because of his ability to “tear a hole in the wall” to meet top people and get action for Daphne (our advanced technology marketing tool). It can boost the effectiveness of surveillance by a factor of 10,000. Moreover, it offers the potential to cover 100% of a population to identify individuals and their likely occupations.
CEO, AirAsia Berhad, Age: 38 Aireen Omar was appointed CEO of AirAsia Berhad in July 2012. Previously, she was the regional head of corporate finance, treasury and investor relations at the carrier. She joined AirAsia Berhad in January 2006 as director of corporate finance.
A Mitt Romney administration would take an “incremental” approach to U.S. defense weapons development and combat cost growth and schedule delays with “strong civilian leadership” to head off so-called “requirements creep,” say the father-and-son duo Dov and Roger Zakheim, influential players in conservative defense circles. They tell reporters that the main difference between Romney's plans and the Obama administration's handling of the Pentagon's acquisition portfolio is that Romney, co-founder of Bain Capital, would “set the tone” of efficiency and effectiveness.
It was certainly no coincidence that Etihad Airways announced its tie-up with Air France-KLM on the same day that Qatar Airways confirmed it will join the Oneworld alliance. But the two deals are about much more than just well-known rivalries.
This past decade has brought big news in the evolution of designs and materials used for airframes and engines as manufacturer try to counteract rising fuel prices and reduce life-cycle costs. But many components have changed little for decades, largely because the industry is comfortable with what it has and will only consider a switch to a new product that saves money, cuts aircraft weight or extends maintenance cycles—and preferably all three.
As the 737 EcoDemonstrator program moved into a new phase in mid-September, Aviation Week was invited to Boeing's remote facility here to witness a typical flight test.
I read with interest “A Test of Wills” (AW&ST Oct. 1, p. 26) regarding the difficulties inherent in a “kinetic” attack on Iran by the U.S. or Israel. I disagree with the answer to one of the article's questions: What could the two countries do to slow Iran's progress?
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.
