Damon Cram has been named director of marketing for simulation at FlightSafety International, based at New York LaGuardia Airport. He was business development and sales lead for commercial aircraft training at CAE.
Ray Kaess has been named quality inspector for Twin Commander Aircraft, Arlington, Wash. He was an inspector, quality supervisor and quality engineer at Parker Hannifin's Electronic Systems Division.
Eric Martel (see photo) has been appointed president-customer services and specialized and amphibious aircraft at Montreal-based Bombardier Aerospace. He was senior VP-commercial aircraft and had been VP and general manager for the Challenger and Global Express product lines.
Patrick Mouley has been selected as managing director for commercial business for Europe and Russia at Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter. He was VP-marketing and sales for Southeast Asia for Eurocopter.
Ann Ardizzone has been named VP-strategic sourcing and supply chain management for Alaska Air Group. She was Alaska Airlines' VP-inflight services. Ardizzone will be succeeded by Andy Schneider, who has been senior VP-people and customer services at Alaska's sister carrier, Horizon Air. Shane Tackett has moved to VP-labor relations at Alaska Airlines from managing director of financial planning and analysis, and Yvonne Daverin has become VP-maintenance and engineering at Horizon. She was managing director for airframe, engine and component maintenance at Alaska Airlines.
Ann Ardizzone has been named VP-strategic sourcing and supply chain management for Alaska Air Group. She was Alaska Airlines' VP-inflight services. Ardizzone will be succeeded by Andy Schneider, who has been senior VP-people and customer services at Alaska's sister carrier, Horizon Air. Shane Tackett has moved to VP-labor relations at Alaska Airlines from managing director of financial planning and analysis, and Yvonne Daverin has become VP-maintenance and engineering at Horizon. She was managing director for airframe, engine and component maintenance at Alaska Airlines.
Doris (Connie) Bernal (see photo) has joined the University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program as site manager of its incubator at Daytona Beach International Airport. She was manager of the Small Business Development Center at Daytona State College.
David Bernstein has been promoted to senior VP-program management from senior executive director of SES programs at Space Systems/Loral, Palo Alto, Calif. Paul Estey was elevated to senior VP-engineering, manufacturing and test operations from executive director of bus subsystems operations, succeeding Christian Goodman, who retired in July.
Amar Chouaki has been appointed VP-sales for Southern Europe at Air France Industries KLM Engineering and Maintenance, headquartered in Paris and Amstelveen, Netherlands. He was head of cabin modifications product support. Miguel Chiang has been named VP-sales for Latin America. He was product support director for airframe base maintenance.
Itsik Maaravi (see photo) has been appointed president of Piedmont Aviation Component Services, Kernersville, N.C. He was chief marketing officer for Limco Piedmont.
Derek Sharp has been appointed managing director for the Americas for Atlanta-based Travelport. He was senior director of applications at Electronic Data Systems/HP Enterprise Services.
Patrick Yeung (see photo) has been named CEO of Hong Kong-based Dragonair, succeeding James Tong. Yeung was director, general manager and chief representative of John Swire & Sons (China).
Will Zmyndak (see photo) has become director of operations at Chromalloy's Orangeburg, N.Y., advanced coating and repair plant. He was VP-aftermarket operations at Barnes Aerospace Aftermarket.
Laurie Leshin, NASA deputy associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate, will join the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y., as dean of the School of Science. Jon Morse, director of NASA's Science Mission Directorate's Astrophysics Division, will become RPI associate VP for research.
Beth A. Rayner has been named human resources manager at Aspen Avionics, Albuquerque, N.M. Rayner owned a technical recruiting firm that specialized in the engineering and information technology industries.
Paul S. Ratte has become director of aviation safety programs at New York-based U.S. Aircraft Insurance Group. He was the commanding officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station in Atlantic City, N.J.
In Washington, it is now widely accepted that cuts to U.S. security spending will go well beyond the $330 billion, 10-year haircut approved by Congress early this month. If bitterly divided lawmakers cannot agree this year on a way to cut another $1.5 trillion from the U.S. budget deficit, the Pentagon's baseline budget will automatically be returned in 2013 to its fiscal 2007 level—and remain there for another eight years.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is planning a trial in the first quarter of 2012 to demonstrate the ability of two experimental Space Tracking and Surveillance System satellites to provide firing data for an Aegis ballistic missile defense test. The Northrop Grumman satellites, launched in 2009, will be the primary sensors for launching a Raytheon SM-3 IB missile at an Aegis Readiness Assessment Vehicle target. If successful, this test is expected to provide a significant advance for space-based sensing for missile defense.
Aiming for first delivery in 2016 of the foreign fighter aircraft winner of its F-X competition, Japan is scheduled Sept. 26 to choose three main local manufacturers. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, IHI and Mitsubishi Electric seem likely to be chosen to build the airframe, engine and systems, respectively, since a major challenge confronting the defense ministry is to preserve the country's fighter industrial base. The Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet are the contenders for the order for 42 aircraft.
A pilot program to derail cyberattacks is being tested by at least 20 companies, four Internet providers and the U.S. Homeland Security Department, and it will soon be expanded to the rest of the defense-industrial base. The new cyberdefense strategy—Defense Industrial Base Cyber Pilot—lets the Defense Department share National Security Agency tools gained through intelligence-gathering to locate malicious network intrusions.
Obama administration officials say the U.S. Navy will provide the market for the nation's nascent biofuel industry as part of a White House initiative to kick-start the alternative-energy sector. The Navy and Marine Corps will partner with the Energy and Agriculture departments to share equally in a $510 million investment over three years—estimated at half the private sector's cost—in the production of so-called “drop-in” aviation and marine biofuels, which can be used with existing fuels.
An armed U.S. Navy/Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter is to be fielded within 18 months. The requirement for rapid deployment means the Navy initially has selected BAE Systems' Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System to arm the MQ-8, as the laser-guided 70-mm rocket is already approved for deployment on ships. Northrop Grumman, however, will demonstrate Raytheon's Griffin laser-guided mini-missile this month. The Pentagon has validated the requirement for an endurance upgrade for the Fire Scout to support special operations.
