George N. Tompkins, Jr., a partner in the aviation group of Washington law firm of Schnader Harrison Segal and Lewis, has been named to the board of the International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden, Netherlands. c For additional information on companies and individuals listed in this column, please refer to the WORLD AVIATION DIRECTORY published by the McGraw-Hill Aviation Week Group. For information on ordering, telephone U.S. ONLY (800) 257-9402, outside U.S. (609) 426-7070 or Fax (609) 426-7087.
Intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) will be the centerpiece of military reforms triggered by operations in Afghanistan, say senior Pentagon and aerospace industry officials. Even President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, who have become notorious for military pronouncements which lack detail, are beginning to nod in the direction of new investments.
Boeing announced plans to cut another 1,000-1,500 employees at its Ridley Township, Pa., rotorcraft production facility near Philadelphia. The latest action will cause employment at the facility to fall to 3,500-4,000 by mid-2004, Boeing said. Lower production rates for the V-22 tiltrotor Boeing builds with Bell Helicopter Textron and fewer international sales for the CH-47 Chinook are prompting the layoffs.
Navies from India and the U.S. were scheduled to complete combined search-and-rescue operations in the Arabian Sea on Dec. 17, the prelude to an unprecedented level of military contact between the two countries, according to defense officials in New Delhi. The initial priority will be to keep sea lanes of communication open in the Indian Ocean region to assure safe passage for oil tankers sailing out of the Persian Gulf.
Incoming Administrator Sean O'Keefe has made clear he's ready to clean up the fiscal mess that developed at NASA under the leadership of Daniel S. Goldin. He and his White House masters should be careful not to confuse that mess with the priceless national asset they have been entrusted to safeguard.
Of all the small-cap defense contractors that stand to benefit from the U.S.' renewed commitment to military preparedness, Alliant Techsystems would seem to be as well positioned as any.
Restructuring in the U.S. satellite industry is generating new opportunities for fast-growing SES Global to mesh together its far-flung network of operating companies and to mold it into an efficient worldwide system.
SAS Scandinavian appears set to take control of its Norwegian rival Braathens. SAS is offering NOK27 ($3.00) per share to Braathens shareholders and has agreed to buy KLM's 30% stake in the airline for around 34 million euros ($30.1 million). The deal has been under discussion for months and was renegotiated following the recent industry downturn. SAS has lowered its offer from NOK35 per share, while Braathens renegotiated lease terms with its lessors and plans to return six Boeing 737s. The carrier had a net loss of NOK757 million ($84 million) in the third quarter 2001.
An aggressive test program for the 115,000-lb.-thrust derivative GE90-115B engine, for which General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE) is claiming a gas turbine power record, will aggregate a total of 15,000 endurance cycles, nearly the equal of test cycles for the baseline engine.
Asian airlines are facing the prospect of increasing commercial pressures, with the economic effects of Sept. 11 pushing them into their worst crisis since the Asian economic downturn, and industries in Europe and North America on the verge of even more consolidation.
Although it restarted operations smoothly, Delta Air Transport, bankrupt Sabena Belgian World Airlines' regional affiliate, is still far from winning the confidence of travelers. Average load factor in late November remained a weak 30% on DAT's 150 daily flights. To boost demand, the carrier has begun offering a flat 150-euro ($133) fare for roundtrips between Brussels and 28 European destinations. DAT is encountering fierce competition from major carriers such as Air France and independent short-haul carriers such as Antwerp-based VLM Airlines.
BarcoView has signed a work order to provide Skyguide (formerly Swisscontrol) with 70 ISIS flat panel liquid crystal displays for air traffic control system upgrades at Zurich and Geneva.
Companies often have powerful software, such as computational fluid dynamics or structural analysis codes, that are so complex that only a few specialists have the time to learn how to use them. To make these tools available to a broader audience, AEA Technology has devised the Enterprise Accessible Software Applications (EASA) program (www.easa.aeat.com). It creates graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that are accessible via network browsers.
Bob Spagnuolo's 1956 blue and white Piper aircraft, lightweight and slow, would probably fail miserably as a weapon of mass destruction. The fabric-covered steel-framed tail dragger, topped off with 36 gal. of 100-octane low-lead fuel, two guys up front and as much baggage as will fit in the back, weighs in at less than 1,800 lb., takes off at 60 mph. and cruises at only twice that. The tiny craft works well as a gift delivery device, however.
Switzerland's civil aviation authorities are trying to determine why a Crossair Avro RJ went down near Zurich-Kloten during a nighttime VOR-DME approach. Twenty-four of 33 passengers and crewmembers were killed. Late last week, investigators were focusing on the conjunction of bad weather conditions, poor horizontal visibility and unavailability of an instrument landing system (ILS) at Kloten's 8,200-ft. Runway 28. All these factors may have contributed to the probable controlled-flight into terrain (CFIT) accident.
Airbus is scheduled to hire engineers and technicians in the U.S. to staff new engineering facilities set to be established soon in Wichita, Kan. The initiative results from the company's growing engineering workload tied to the A380 mega-transport's development, Airbus officials noted.
The U.S. House of Representatives belatedly cleared a $317.5-billion defense spending bill for the fiscal year that began Oct. 1, including $11.7 billion for counterterrorism and homeland security programs, which are consolidated under a new appropriations title. The House bill, subject to negotiations with the Senate, would provide $7.9 billion for development and procurement of ballistic missile defenses (BMD).
The White House is fighting several budget actions in the House version of the Defense appropriations bill. For instance, the Administration is going to bat for Global Hawk in opposing a $50-million cut. Moreover, the White House wants Congress to restore the $441 million the House wants to take from missile defense. The reduction would delay several programs and effectively kill the Space-Based Laser and Space-Based Infrared System-Low constellation.
There is no disagreement that Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge has a daunting job. But is it made tougher by the Adminis- tration's insistence that he needs no legislative authority from Congress? Two veteran AW&ST editors discuss the pros and cons. Tom Ridge should have legislative authority to shift money--and lots of it--among the nearly 50 agencies he leads. That is the only way he can knock heads together and make people do what he says.
The committee looking for a chief operating officer (COO) for the FAA's new performance-based Air Traffic Organization may be closing in on its quarry. The panel interviewed six candidates a couple of weeks ago and found all candidates qualified. However, the recruiters have concerns about how well some applicants understand what they would be getting themselves into--a high-visibility job that is complex and still ill-defined. Money may not be a problem, as there are candidates willing to take pay cuts to serve their country.
US Airways President/CEO Rakesh Gangwal resigned Nov. 27 and will be replaced by the man he succeeded, Chairman Stephen Wolf. After 20 years in the airline industry and six years at US Airways, Gangwal will join an investment firm.
