Dean Foley has become sales manager of the aerospace division of West Springfield, Mass.-based Atlantic Fasteners. He has more than 25 years of experience in aerospace metals distribution.

Sir Martin Sweeting, executive chairman of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. and director of the Surrey Space Center at the University of Surrey, England, has received the International von Karman Wings Award for his contributions to aerospace, presented by the Aerospace Historical Society and the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

When asked about the future of the low-fare airline industry, Vueling CEO Alex Cruz has a simple answer: “We will grow and the legacy carriers will shrink.” But that is only the short version of a more complex story.

NASA's Langley Research Center, Mitre and several partners have completed the first in a series of inflight evaluations of cooperative automatic sense-and-avoid (SAA) algorithms for unmanned air systems (UAS), in large part to validate a new testbed that will be used for more advanced trials next year.

The changes are modest, but the airframer is cautious.

Careful succession planning is the hallmark of any well-managed company. Chris Kubasik may be taking over as CEO of Lockheed Martin at the beginning of 2013, but the company telegraphed his ascent back in 2010, when he was elevated to president. Louis Chenevert was eased into the position of chairman and CEO of United Technologies over several years. And General Dynamics has long been grooming Phebe Novakovic, who plans to succeed the retiring Jay Johnson as CEO on Jan. 1. Now Rockwell Collins has chosen an heir apparent for its longtime chairman and CEO, Clay Jones.

USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) Dick Newton has been appointed executive VP of the Arlington, Va.-based Air Force Association, succeeding David T. “Buck” Buckwalter. Newton was assistant vice chief of staff/director of the air staff at USAF headquarters at the Pentagon.

Xian is developing a twin-turboprop regional airliner dubbed the MA700. This aircraft is not an MA60 variant, but rather a clean-sheet design. Features include six-blade propellers, a T-tail and an unswept high-mounted wing. There are two versions of the MA700: one with 70-plus seats and one with 90-plus seats. A dedicated freighter variant has also been considered. Service entry of the MA700 is targeted for 2016 or 2017. Xian intends to pursue FAA and European Aviation Safety Agency certification for the MA700. The MA700 could replace the MA60/MA600 in production.