A prototype of the MiG-29 twin-engine air superiority fighter/interceptor first flew in October 1977. The MiG-29 uses two 18,300-lb.-thrust Klimov/Sarkisov RD-33 augmented turbofan engines. The MiG-29 has gone through several revisions, with the modern variants being known as the MiG-29SMT and MiG-29UBT, which are single-seat and tandem-seat, respectively. The SMT has new avionics and greater range than its predecessor, while the UBT incorporates many of the same upgrades but in the tandem-seat configuration.
The MiG-AT is a twin-engine jet trainer design in development at RAC MiG. One prototype made its first flight in 1996, and a second in 2004. The aircraft uses two 3,150-lb.-thrust Turbomeca/Snecma Larzac 04-R20 turbofans, although it has also been tested with 3,750-lb.-thrust Soyuz RD-1700s for the Russian air force. There also is a single-seat light fighter/attack version designated the MiG-AS.
Oct. 23-25—Supply Chain World Europe. Dorint Hotel, Amsterdam. Call +1 (202) 962-0440 or see www.supplychainworld.org/europe Oct. 24-26—Cargo Facts' Aircraft Symposium. Encore Hotel, Las Vegas. Call +1 (800) 320-4418 or see cargofactssymposium.com Oct. 24-26—American Astronautical Society's Fourth Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium: “Launching the Future in Space Exploration.” University of Alabama, Huntsville. See www.astronautical.org
Despite a sour economy that has slowed business jet sales generally, the market for larger aircraft such as these Challenger 300s being completed at Bombardier's Montreal facility has proved firm, allowing airframers to invest in new products and services in anticipation of an eventual rebound. Bombardier photo.
As Michael Mecham's “First 787 Delivery in Tokyo This Week” makes clear (AW&ST Sept. 26., p. 53), the 787 program broke new ground in several technical areas, but perhaps especially in aerospace supplier management and relationships, by exposing the vulnerable ways complex manufacturing is still arranged in a “chain” of sub-manufacturers under contract.
In Pierre Sparaco's “Muddled Vision” (AW&ST Sept. 19, p. 21), he has evidenced the same sort of thinking process that prompted the building of the Maginot Line. Has he forgotten the Airbus A380 debacle? Sparaco begins by denigrating Boeing and its officers, and concludes that the U.S. should learn from Airbus. He should also conclude that were it not for the U.S. there would be no Airbus. This nationalistic rant highlights his journalistic bias—and that of AW&ST for printing it.
Kerry Lynch's Business Aviation post: Fight On Over Proposed $100 Obama ATC Fee elicited: RBinDC saying: As a private pilot I'm OK with user fees proposed for corporate jets or any other turbine aircraft, which almost by definition fly IFR and impose costs on the air traffic control system. The people flying/riding in these aircraft are among the most affluent [and should] pay their fair share of the ATC system.
Cedric Goubet (see photo) has been named executive VP of West Chester, Ohio-based CFM International, succeeding Olivier Savin. Goubet was deputy to the chief operating officer of Safran and before that worked for the French ministries of the interior and economy, industry and finance.
Steven Hargin has been appointed leisure sales manager-tour operations in New York for Dubai-based Emirates. He was product manager for special sales at Lufthansa in the U.S. Daniel Cadeaux has become district sales manager in Washington. He was VP in the Americas for British Midland International.
Chad N. Boudreaux (see photo) has joined Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News, Va., as VP-litigation, investigations and compliance. He comes from law firm Baker Botts.
John Spanjers has been named VP and chief operating officer of Memphis, Tenn.-based Pinnacle Airlines Corp., succeeding Douglas W. Shockey, who left the company. Spanjers was president of Pinnacle subsidiary Mesaba Aviation and will remain Mesaba's senior VP-operations.
Stuart McSorley (see photo) has become director of quality for Circor Aerospace, Corona, Calif. He was quality manager at Triumph Aerostructures' Vought Commercial Div.
Chuck Gray, deputy associate administrator of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, has been named acting associate administrator. He succeeds Ed Weiler, who has retired from the agency after 33 years.
Patrice Charmey has been appointed sales director in Asia and the Commonwealth of Independent States for Daher-Socata, Tarbes, France. He was sales director at RUAG Aviation.
Donna Hrinak has been named president of Boeing Brazil, based in Sao Paulo. She was VP-global public policy and government affairs for PepsiCo and had been corporate affairs director for Latin America and the EU at Kraft Foods.
Steve Fuhr has been promoted to president and CEO from VP and director of business development of SkyTrac, Kelowna, British Columbia. He succeeds Kathleen Wallace, who remains chairman.
Dennis Gillespie has been appointed planning leader for HOK Aviation + Transportation Group of Los Angeles. A 10-year company veteran, he has worked on projects at New Doha International Airport, Indianapolis International Airport and Transbay Transit Center in San Francisco. Keith Hui has become director of the Asia-Pacific region, based in Hong Kong. He has led modernization programs at Salt Lake City, Honolulu and Kona, Hawaii, international airports.
Dwayne Williams has joined Aero Dynamix, Euless, Texas, as a night-vision goggle specialist. He was director of flight operations at Bell Helicopter Textron.
Scott Neal (see photo) has been named to succeed Larry Flynn as senior VP-marketing for Gulfstream Aerospace, Savannah, Ga. He was VP for the Central U.S. and has held executive sales positions for the South Central and Northeast U.S.
Joakim Landholm has joined Stockholm-based SASScandinavian Airlines as head of the Commercial Department. He was chief operating officer at RSA Scandinavia.
Joakim Landholm has joined Stockholm-based SASScandinavian Airlines as head of the Commercial Department. He was chief operating officer at RSA Scandinavia.
Benjamin S. Lambeth (see photo) has become a non-resident senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments in Washington. He was a senior research associate at the Rand Corp.
Robert Knebel has been named VP-executive aircraft sales for the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean at Embraer Executive Jets, Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. He has held various sales and general management positions with Gates Learjet, Securaplane and Cessna Aircraft.
David Birtwistle, senior VP-business development of Balfour Construction, has been elected to the board of the Washington Airports Task Force, Dulles, Va. Other new board members are: Kenneth E. Gazzola, president and CEO of FlightLogix and former executive VP and publisher of Aviation Week; Jonathan Genn, executive VP and general counsel of Percontee Inc.; and John Milliken, partner in the Venable law firm and former chairman of the Virginia Port Authority board.
