Third-quarter figures released by Finmeccanica show the company on track to meet 2007 revenue targets, though its debt-to-equity ratio is higher than management would prefer. Strong performance in the company’s aeronautics and helicopter businesses contributed to a 7% revenue growth over the same period for last year. Revenue for the period grew to €9.1 billion against a target of €13.1-13.7 billion for the financial year. Profit was also up over the previous period to €294 million from €199 million.
Alenia Aeronautica has delivered the first of five C-27J tactical transports ordered in 2006 by the Bulgarian air force, replacing Soviet-era Antonov An-26 aircraft. The C-27s comply with NATO standards and are interoperable with larger transports in service with other countries of the alliance. They also are equipped with active and passive self-defense systems for operating in threat environments.
The 2007 Kolcum News and Communications Award in honor of the late Harry Kolcum, Aviation Week & Space Technology’s managing editor and Cape Canaveral bureau chief from 1980-93, has been won by Joe Carroll, a video journalist with CBS affiliate WCPX/WKMG in Orlando, Fla. Carroll also covered the Apollo 11 launch in 1969 as part of Walter Cronkite’s team. Babs Angel of the USAF 45th Space Wing, Patrick AFB, Fla., was the other winner of the award presented by the National Space Club’s Florida Committee.
EADS is not going to ask A400M customer nations for more money, insists the company’s CEO Louis Gallois. When he announced the €1.37-million ($2-million) charge for A400M delays, Gallois spoke of burden-sharing with partners and customers, vented frustration over the fixed-price development contract, and said he would talk to governments to help address the situation. But Gallois now insists he didn’t mean he wants fresh money, or even relief from the fixed-price deal.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the U.S. Air Force have revitalized confidence in the powerful new Delta IV Heavy following the flawless launch of the final USAF/Northrop Grumman Defense Support Program missile warning satellite. The 232-ft.-tall United Launch Alliance (ULA) vehicle lifted off from Launch Complex 37 here on 2 million lb. thrust at 8:50 p.m. Nov. 10. NRO flights with the vehicle are planned from the Cape in April 2008 and late 2009, and at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., in 2010.
China Eastern Airlines aims to double its business- and first-class loads on long-haul flights to 70-80% within a year under the guidance of its new major shareholder, Singapore Airlines.
Heidi Pursley (see photo) has become vice president-sales and marketing of DeCrane Aerospace , Columbus, Ohio. She was a market planning and strategy executive for Honeywell Aerospace.
The competition between Boeing Co. and Airbus generates a lot of headlines in the daily press, especially when it can be framed as a battle between the U.S. and Europe. But an often-overlooked point is that many suppliers on both sides of the Atlantic are selling to both companies —and reaping the benefits of a third consecutive year of strong orders for commercial aircraft.
Richard Hall has been appointed general manager of operations of Hong Kong’s Dragonair , succeeding Tim Watts, who is resuming flying duties with Dragonair and will be based in the U.K. Hall was general manager of flying for Cathay Pacific Airways. Geoff Marinko, who headed flight training for Cathay’s Airbus fleet, has become chief pilot for Airbus aircraft at Dragonair. Dennis Leung has been named chief of crew planning, rostering and control. He was head of Cathay’s integrated crew management.
Alan Klapmeier, chairman/CEO of the Cirrus Design Corp., has been elected chairman for 2008 of the Washington-based General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. He was GAMA vice chairman and chairman of its security issues committee. Mark Van Tine, who is president/CEO of Jeppesen, has been elected vice chairman. He will continue as chairman of the international affairs committee.
A shift in leadership assignments on the 787 program underscores how much Boeing is looking beyond the milestone of that airplane’s first flight, certification and delivery to its long-term requirements for manufacturing it with international suppliers. Toward that end, the aircraft’s new general manager, Pat Shanahan, has assigned four vice presidents to bird-dog specific aspects of manufacturing and logistics for the organization, as well as the processes and quality performance of suppliers.
The long process in France of finding a buyer for Europe Airpost appears to be drawing to a close. The French postal service has named Irish firm Air Contractors as the exclusive negotiating partner; Aigle Azur was also in the running. But unions are already signaling they oppose the sale. Air Contractors plans to put money into Europe Airpost to finance a much-needed fleet renewal program. Talks about a sale of Europe Airpost began almost two years ago.
If the Bush administration is so concerned about China’s anti-satellite (ASAT) test and other possible technologies that place our space assets at risk, then it should immediately develop a plan to lessen the risk.
Barry Kohler has been appointed vice president-commercial production programs and Rudy Lopez vice president-contracts for Bell Helicopter Textron of Fort Worth.
Robert T. Francis, 2nd (AW&ST Nov. 5, p. 70) implores “ . . . that we must find ways to attack the causal factors in which we find statistical evidence of continuing elevated risk.” And, “ . . . it is incumbent on us all . . . to make certain we are using accurate data and analysis to ensure we are allocating our limited resources to the area of most risk in the system.” He continues on about the strong cooperative efforts in the industry that have produced programs such as the Aviation Safety Information and Analysis System (ASIAS).
USAF has received seven proposals from firms hoping to nab business from the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (Jassm) built by Lockheed Martin. They were in response to a request for information from industry issued this fall after problems with Jassm reliability brought flight tests to a halt. The $5.8-billion program is also under scrutiny for major cost overruns. USAF officials say they hope to improve Jassm’s performance with a series of upgrades, including a fix to its GPS receiver.
Nobody has to remind British Airways how cutthroat the transatlantic aviation market has become. Even as it prepares to launch a subsidiary to infiltrate its rivals’ key routes, the airline is seeing fresh competition emerge in its own backyard.
Bombardier is betting on Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan (GTF) technology to power its CSeries narrowbody as the aircraft maker heads into a critical year for its big bet in the commercial aircraft market. The company selected the 23,000-lb.-thrust engine over offerings from CFM International and Rolls-Royce. The Pratt engine promises to help the CSeries deliver a 20% fuel-burn advantage over current aircraft, says Bombardier Aerospace President Gary R. Scott.
Democrats on the House Science Committee are pressing NASA Administrator Michael Griffin to speed up the agency’s release of aviation incident data mined from a controversial $11-million pilot survey. Griffin promised last month to release a version of the confidential National Aviation Operations Monitoring Service survey’s data, once it had been scrubbed of identifying information. He said that could take two months.
The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery plans to collaborate with British museum authorities in recovering what may be the oldest P-38 in existence: a Lockheed “Lightning” that has been all but buried in sand on a Welsh beach since 1942. A fuel problem forced the pilot to make an emergency landing. Based on the aircraft’s serial number, Ric Gillespie, who heads the U.S.-based nonprofit group, said the fighter could be the oldest surviving 8th Air Force combat aircraft of its type. It is nearly intact, and recovery work is expected to begin next spring.
Capt. Scott Markle has won the U.S. Air Force ’s Mackay Trophy for operational achievement. Markle was prevented from using used his A-10’s weapons because U.S. special forces troops were intermingled with Taliban forces. Instead the 81st Fighter Sqdn. pilot flew low passes over the engagement, firing his self-protection flares. The aerial light show distracted the Taliban from its attack and gave the special forces team time to pull back so Markle could bring his 30mm. cannon into action against the enemy.
A U.S. Air Force General Atomics MQ-9A Reaper, the service’s big, new, missile-firing unmanned strike and reconnaissance aircraft, has dropped its first precision-guided bomb in Afghanistan. The Reaper fired a Hellfire missile during its first combat strike on Oct. 27 and has dropped two GBU-12 500-lb. laser-guided bombs.
Elbit Systems captured a $30-million unmanned aerial vehicle order for the Israeli Defense Forces. The three-year contract involves development and manufacturing of new UAVs (which may include the new, larger Hermes 900 or its variants) as well as upgrades to existing designs.
