The governments of Russia and Kazakhstan reached at least a provisional agreement on reopening the Baikonur Cosmodrome to launches late last week, as engineers narrowed the cause of a Proton launch accident that started the dispute.
On Aug. 30 the FAA will implement its ``streamlined administrative action process'' aimed at helping inspectors in the field resolve minor regulatory violations within a few days, not months. Hailed by Administrator Jane F. Garvey as a ``common-sense approach'' to promoting aviation safety, the process is designed to be more palatable than the agency's earlier proposal that would have had inspectors citing offenders on-the-spot. That idea drew howls of protest from aviation groups.
C.K. Chow, chief executive of GKN plc, has been elected president of the Society of British Aerospace Companies. Others elected are: vice president, Ken McIver, executive vice president/general manager of Lucas Aerospace; and treasurer, Gordon Page, chief executive of Cobham plc.
Robert J. Ewy has been appointed president/chief operating officer of Innovative Solutions and Support Inc., Malvern, Pa. He succeeds Geoffrey S.M. Hed- rick, who is now chairman/CEO. Ewy was general manager of business aviation.
Frank W. Moore has been named corporate director of executive and employee communications at the Northrop Grumman Corp. of Los Angeles. He was vice president of the Los Angeles corporate group of Fleishman-Hillard Inc.
Thomson-CSF's Avionics Group is planning an accelerated schedule of acquisitions and partnership ventures designed to enable the group to offer a complete package of on-board avionics and systems. The plan is driven by growing consolidation among second- and third-tier suppliers, reflected in AlliedSignal's acquisition of Honeywell last month (AW&ST June 21, p. 42). The AlliedSignal deal is significant because it will allow the American supplier to offer virtually every system and hardware item installed on commercial and military aircraft.
After a series of financial and operational stumbles in the first half of 1999, the last thing Lockheed Martin Corp. needs is the specter that one of its most cherished programs--the F-22 fighter--could be in jeopardy. On the surface, that would appear to be the case. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee moved to deny the Pentagon funds in Fiscal 2000 for F-22 production (p. 24).
Philip C. Slapke has become executive vice president of the AAR Corp., Wood Dale, Ill. J. Steven McConnell has been appointed president of AAR Aviation Asset Management and Trading, James Vincent president of the AAR Aircraft Turbine Center and James J. Clark president of AAR Component Repair and Service.
Jamie Barrett and Thierry Burgherr have been named vice presidents/general managers of Jet Aviation International Charter Divs. in the U.S. and Europe, respectively. Barrett was vice president-sales and marketing, while Burgherr was station manager of the Airline Handling Div. in Switzerland.
Romano Prodi, incoming president of the European Commission, has picked Loyola de Palacio of Spain to take over the transport portfolio from Neil Kinnock. The former leader of Britain's Labour Party, Kinnock is to become senior vice president of the new 19-member commission--the executive arm of the European Union--while de Palacio would also hold the post of second vice president. Prodi tapped Mario Monti of Italy, previously commissioner for internal market affairs, to replace Karel van Miert of Belgium in charge of competition policy.
Hapag-Lloyd has concluded a 12-year agreement with SR Technics, the SairGroup's maintenance and overhaul arm to support the CFM56-7 engines on the German carrier's 16 Boeing 737s. Greece's defense ministry has ordered 11 Crotale NG short-range defense systems equipped with VT1 missiles from Thomson-CSF. Munich-based Rohde&Schwarz will supply 317 transceivers for the first 147 Eurofighter Typhoons, under a contract worth DM100 million ($52.6 million).
Fresh off a successful inaugural bombing campaign over Yugoslavia, Boeing's GPS-guided Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) is attracting international attention. Israel has been interested in the bomb guidance kits since before Operation Allied Force and is expected to become the first export customer in August. Tel Aviv initially will buy about 20 for integration on 2,000-lb. bombs carried by its F-15 and F-16 fighters. Larger buys will follow.
Andrew Nash has been promoted to executive vice president-services from senior vice president of Baan Consulting and has been nominated to the board of managing directors of the Baan Co. N.V., Barneveld, Netherlands.
Jay R. Hamby has become general manager of flight support for the Wilmington, Del.-based Atlantic Aviation Corp.'s Chicago Midway fixed-base operation. He was general manager for Aero Services at Chicago Midway. Karen Montalvo has been named corporate sales and marketing manager. She was manager of marketing servics for SimuFlite Training International of Dallas.
Four Loral Globalstar spacecraft are set for launch at Cape Canaveral on July 24, on a Boeing Delta II following the successful launch of four similar spacecraft on board a Delta July 10. Each mission has a combined spacecraft/booster value of about $100 million. The launch this week is to bring the total number of spacecraft in orbit to 32, the minimum constellation to make the $2.5-billion Globalstar system operational. The launches are part of four Delta Globalstar missions planned for launch within a 90-day span.
While U.S. congressmen were suggesting a few more B-2 bombers be built following the ``Spirit's'' excellent performance during the Balkans air campaign, tooling used in the aircraft's manufacturing was being stored or destroyed. All tools required to construct the bomber's outer mold line were retained, but major assembly fixtures for sections built by Boeing and the former Vought were scrapped to save storage costs. Infrequently used tools are being stored at the Defense Dept.
Jean-Paul Bechat has been elected president of the GIFAS French aerospace industries association for a second two-year term. He is chairman/CEO of Snecma. Philippe Lhotellier, chairman/CEO of Lhotellier Montrichard, has been elected president of GIFAS' equipment group.
Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $87.8-million contract to begin low-rate production of the BAT antiarmor submunition. The weapon will be delivered to the U.S. Army in 2001 installed in Army Tactical Missile Systems. Each Atacm Block 2 missile contains 13 BAT submunitions.
An FAA advisory committee has ordered up a series of destructive tests to assess the condition of electrical wiring in older transports. Initial results of the safety tests are scheduled to be released in October. Plans call for an ``intrusive inspection subcommittee'' to examine a wide range of wire types, including those insulated with Kapton. Retired aircraft that had been flown more than 20 years will be examined, along with in-service aircraft, if deemed necessary. Suspicious wiring or other parts would be removed and sent to the FAA's Pomona, N.
Roy Robinson has been promoted to chief operating officer from vice president/general manager of the Aerospace and Defense Group of Eldec, Lynnwood, Wash
Jon Heyl has been appointed vice president/general manager of North American operations, Don Searcy sales manager for the Southeastern U.S. and Steve Przepalkowski senior mechanical engineer, all of Reis Robotics, Elgin, Ill.
The first Bombardier Global Express business jet to be delivered to a customer was accepted by AirFlite earlier this month at the Bombardier Aerospace completion center in Montreal. AirFlite, which is based in Long Beach, Calif., plans to operate the twin-engine, long-range jet on worldwide business trips for parent company Toyota Motor Sales USA of Torrance, Calif. The Global Express also has been selected as the platform for the U.K.'s Airborne Stand-Off Radar program (AW&ST June 21, p. 30).
According to the European Commission, Europe's airline industry remains excessively fragmented. The underlying contradiction lies in the ``unity'' of a 15-country market and the national loyalty of flag carriers, which is ``genuine European irrationality,'' Air France Chairman/CEO Jean-Cyril Spinetta recently told an audience of analysts and bankers. Referring to European airlines' long-overdue restructuring, Spinetta said the rules of the game are not ready for amendment.
