USAF Gen. (ret.) Charles A. Horner has been named vice chairman of the Nimbus Group Inc., Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He retired as commander-in-chief of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Space Command/commander of Air Force Space Command.
The U.S. Air Force's Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) community is capitalizing on new technologies and processes developed through time-sensitive-targeting initiatives to drastically cut the time required to locate and recover downed pilots. In so doing, CSAR is becoming a pathfinder for the Pentagon's transformation efforts.
To become ``an active global player'' in aircraft manufacturing constitutes the prime goal of Hindustan Aeronautic Ltd.'s new chairman. But the company does not intend to follow the example of telecoms and some other Indian industries by privatizing. Instead, state-owned HAL will push partnerships with private Indian suppliers. N.R. Moharty, a 30-year veteran engineer who took control of HAL last September, outlined a number of approaches to encouraging development of a private Indian aircraft industry, but they all centered on subcontract work.
THE BOEING BUSINESS JET WILL NOT BE PERMITTED to operate at New Jersey's Teterboro Airport. The FAA recently upheld the airport's 100,000-lb. weight restriction, which has been in place since 1967. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey--which owns and operates the airport--says the weight-bearing capacity for Runway 01/19 and 06/24 cannot handle the BBJ's potential 171,000 lb. Boeing, which sought but failed to receive relief from the FAA to overturn the limitation, has met with strong opposition from the Port Authority as well as local politicians.
Among the 10,000-ft. mountain tops and snow-covered ridges of southeast Afghanistan, large groups of Al Qaeda and Taliban fighters for the first time have battled U.S. units, rather than Afghan troops accompanied by special forces advisers who primarily provided supplies and communications and designated targets for air strikes.
As the Air Force considers new tankers, it should consider ``made-in-America'' one of its criteria, says House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.). That won't work, counters Air Force Secretary James G. Roche, who has spent most of this year defending the service's efforts to consider leasing the needed aircraft. ``All of these airplanes are `world airplanes,''' he points out: Boeing has parts built in Europe and Asia, and Airbus gets parts from the U.S. Roche also provides insight into what price the Air Force would pay for a lease.
Fourteen U.S. airports that expect to accommodate the A380 by 2010 estimate that they will need a total of $2.1 billion in infrastructure improvements, the General Accounting Office reported. Airbus put the total at $520 million, arguing that most of the airports' projects involve accommodating air traffic growth in general, not the A380 in particular. Also, Airbus said that in many cases the airports will need no more than FAA exemptions to the standards that will apply to the A380.
American-Italian efforts to push the C-27J Spartan, a revamped G-222, in the export market have garnered their first success with Greece's decision to opt for the tactical airlifter.
Boeing says more than half of the world's VIP aircraft are at least 20 years old and will need to be replaced in the next 10 years. A company survey shows that of the more than 200 government transport and head-of-state aircraft in use, the majority are 737-size or larger. Boeing has built 80% of them, according to Vice President Thomas Lindberg, who heads government and military sales for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. He spoke during Asian Aerospace 2002, an appropriate venue because at least half of ``this unique group of customers'' is in Asia.
The Standard for the Exchange of Product data (Step) is being developed by the International Standards Organization so different computer systems can trade broad types of product life cycle information (http://pdesinc.aticorp.org). The first element of Step being developed is Application Protocol 203 (AP 203) specifying product model data for configuration-controlled design of 3D mechanical parts and assemblies, which is the output of most aerospace computer-aided design programs (AW&ST Apr. 19, 1999, p. 21).
A Bell Helicopter Textron official last week said the company is storing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor transports at its facilities in Amarillo, Tex., on orders from the Defense Dept. Aircraft numbers 21-33 are being stored in a large flight hangar. Another eight are being prepared for storage with wings folded and proprotors stowed. Two additional aircraft are in final assembly.
An Alenia Spazio/Astrium/Telespazio team has begun the final phase of operations to boost the Artemis technology satellite to geostationary orbit, using the satellite's ion thrusters. Artemis has been flying in a circular parking orbit 31,000 km. (19,375 mi.) above the Earth since late July as engineers developed new flight control laws and operational procedures and reconfigured flight hardware. The changes, validated in January, were required primarily so the satellite could switch from nominal Earth pointing orientation to inflight pointing.
Northrop Grumman Corp., undeterred by TRW Inc.'s recent rebuff, vows to press ahead with a hostile bid to acquire the company. Northrop is taking its initial offer of $47 a share directly to shareholders in hopes of forcing TRW's hand. In addition, Northrop has filed a lawsuit challenging the legitimacy of some of the antitakeover laws in TRW's home state. They're meant to deter unwanted suitors of Ohio-based companies.
Airport concourses continue to be emptied as part of Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta's ``zero tolerance'' security policy, testing the patience of thousands of passengers who must make a second pass through security checkpoints after federal agents discover that something's amiss. Last week, passengers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) were evacuated when a fake grenade was found in baggage (see photo), but too often, the culprit continues to be unplugged metal detectors.
VECTOR TRAINING SYSTEMS DELIVERED A FLIGHT TRAINING DEVICE (FTD) for the Cessna 172S to Waterloo-Wellington Flight Center in Breslau, Ontario. The FTD is the first Level 3 unit delivered to a North American customer to be approved by FAA and Transport Canada, said William J. McGrath, president. The Grand Forks, N.D.-based company designs and builds cockpit-specific, integrated flight training systems.
The recovery of a pilot downed behind enemy lines begins with the launch of a Combat Search and Rescue Mission (CSAR), ideally within minutes of notification. Typically flown at night and protected by fixed-wing fighters, USAF HH-60G helicopters fly toward the recovery zone, hugging mountainous terrain to avoid detection by antiaircraft batteries (1).
With Europe's Galileo satellite navigation system now seemingly assured of a green light, the U.S. is concentrating on ensuring that the system is fully interoperable with GPS, and does not have harmful economic and security implications. Ralph Braibanti, director of the State Dept.'s space and advanced technology staff, said the U.S. had proposed an agreement on GPS-Galileo cooperation, and had discussed details in a video conference with Europeans on Feb.
Turn on the ``fasten your black belt'' sign for Virgin Blue crewmembers. James DeMile, a leading U.S. martial arts expert and one of Bruce Lee's original students, is helping Sir Richard Branson's low-cost Australian airline develop a special defensive tactics program as part of its post-Sept. 11 safety initiatives. It aims to teach flight, cabin and ground crew how to quickly disarm and immobilize potential threats in a limited space environment by employing Bruce Lee tactics. U.S.-based DeMile has more than 15 years' experience and has trained U.S.
Observations with the Hubble Space Telescope are set to resume in about three weeks after astronauts on board the space shuttle Columbia repaired and upgraded the orbiting instrument with an ambitious set of extravehicular activities (EVAs) that should keep it producing breakthrough discoveries into the next decade.
The number of Joint Strike Fighter aircraft Britain will eventually purchase has been thrown into doubt by the government's decision to abandon its Sea Harrier fleet nearly a decade earlier than planned. The decision leaves the Royal Navy without an organic fixed-wing air defense asset until 2012 at the earliest.
George F. Page, Kennedy Space Center launch director for the first three space shuttle missions in 1981 and 1982 and former deputy center director, died Feb. 26 at home in Cocoa Beach, Fla., after a long illness. He was 77. Page's career as a spacecraft test conductor, operations manager and launch director spanned all U.S. manned spaceflight programs from Project Mercury through the shuttle.
John Giraudy has been appointed president of Toronto-based Bombardier Regional Aircraft. He was senior vice president-marketing and sales and succeeds Steven A. Ridolfi, who is now executive vice president-programs and strategic planning for Bombardier Aerospace.
Thomas M. Cook has become chairman/CEO of the Caleb Technologies Corp., Austin, Tex. He was a senior counselor at McKinsey and Co. and president of Sabre Technology Solutions. Cook succeeds Gang Yu, who has retired.
Cirrus Design Corp. is recommending owners of its SR20-series light airplanes not fly their aircraft until a condition is resolved that could prevent the parachute from deploying in an emergency.
The Committee for Aviation&Space Industry Development (Casid) of Taiwan's Industrial Development Bureau has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ryder System Inc., to develop an aerospace logistics center in Taipei. The goal is to use Ryder Systems expertise in logistics support for such activities as customs clearing, warehousing, shipping and export documentation with Taiwan's industrial base to make the island-state a center for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul.
