In spite of posturing by both sides, Delta Air Lines and its pilot group likely will solve their differences over pay rates for Boeing 777 flying. But not before negotiators address critical changes in attitudes that have taken place at the U.S.' number three airline. Both sides suspended talks last week after negotiations on June 15 brought no new proposals to the table.
Hughes plans to deliver an HS 601HP satellite to the Sea Launch home port next month in preparation for the first revenue mission of the ocean-going launch system. The DirecTV 1-R spacecraft (see rendering) will be transported by truck from Hughes Space&Communications Co. facilities in El Segundo, Calif., to the Sea Launch home port in Long Beach about 16 mi. away. The satellite, with 16 Ku-band transponders, will initially be placed in a payload processing facility near the berthed Sea Launch command ship and Odyssey launch platform.
JOHN D. MORROCCO, PIERRE SPARACO and MICHAEL A. TAVERNA
The proposed merger of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) and CASA of Spain, two of the four members of the Airbus Industrie consortium, has yet again rearranged the chess board of industrial consolidation within Europe.
TWA has ordered eight of 31 Raisbeck Commercial Air Group Stage 3 Systems it has on option for its 727-200 aircraft. The remaining 23 are being held, pend-ing outcome of final disposition of the balance of TWA's 727 fleet.
ALPA also praised provisions of the FAA bill that would mandate collision avoidance equipment on cargo aircraft and installation of equipment to expedite aircrew passage through multiple airport security areas. The House rebuffed a Republican-sponsored attempt to strike provisions eliminating slot restrictions at O'Hare, LaGuardia and Kennedy airports and permitting slot increases at Reagan National, which is a congressional favorite because it's just a few minutes' drive from Capitol Hill.
Cathay Pacific Airways and its pilots struck a deal to end a two-week sick-out that forced the carrier to cancel as many as a third of its flights and wet-lease 747s from neighboring Asian carriers. It was estimated to be forgoing $2-4 million a day in revenues. The pilots sought a 24% pay increase over seven years and improvements in their contract and scheduling. But Cathay, which lost money for the first time in 35 years in 1998, wanted pay cuts. It offered stock options as compensation (AW&ST June 7, p. 41).
Belgium's Techspace Aero, a Snecma/Pratt&Whitney joint subsidiary, will become a risk-sharing partner in the AlliedSignal AS900 engine family. Techspace Aero will develop and produce engine components and provide maintenance/overhaul services to operators.
Although the threat of a full-scale military confrontation between North and South Korea appeared to be abating late last week after a live-fire naval clash, Uncle Sam's military presence in the region is being strengthened. For several weeks, the U.S. had no EA-6B Prowlers deployed to Japan, where there is usually a permanent presence, and instead kept some of the electronic warfare aircraft on 96-hr. alert at NAS Whidbey Island, Wash. The Pentagon is moving Prowlers back to Iwakuni, Japan.
Horizon Air has become the North American launch customer for Bombardier Aerospace's new Q400 ,with an order for 15 of the 350-kt., 70-passenger aircraft.
Pilots applauded House adoption of a five-year, $57-billion FAA reauthorization bill, but the threat of a presidential veto hangs over the legislation because it would move the aviation trust fund off-budget, a perennial political football. The Air Line Pilots Assn. praised that very provision, on grounds it would ensure aviation taxes are used for aviation purposes. The reauthorization also would permit airports to double the passenger facility charge to $6.00 from $3.00 under certain conditions.
Boeing's latest commercial market forecast, released almost simultaneously in the U.S. and at last week's Paris air show, projects that small- and medium-size transports will account for almost 80% of spending on new airplanes through 2018.
Engineers at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston have redesigned the air intakes of the T-38 jet trainer, reducing takeoff distances while increasing safety margins at ``hot-and-high'' airports. The new shape, which significantly increases intake area and reshapes the inlet, was chosen to minimize flow separation inside the lower third of the inlet and produce greater thrust as the Northrop-built aircraft accelerates to takeoff speed, according to Tim Ames, T-38 inlet project manager.
Neal J. Keating has become vice president/general manager of Rockwell Collins Passenger Systems. He was vice president/general manager of Rockwell Collins Air Transport Systems and succeeds Kenneth J. McNamara, who has resigned. Steven J. Piller, who was vice president-Boeing programs, has succeeded Keating.
Burt Liebowitz has been appointed president/chief operating officer of NetSat Express Inc., Hauppauge, N.Y. He succeeds Kenneth A. Miller, who has been promoted to CEO of NetSat and remains president of parent company Globe-comm Systems Inc. Liebowitz was chief technical officer of Loral Orion.
The former Lucas Aerospace has purchased a French flight systems producer, allowing parent company TRW Inc. to become the dominant supplier in the highly fragmented market for flight control actuation systems.
A recent survey of nearly 6,000 European airline customers found that 77% preferred the Boeing 777 to the Airbus A330/340 across all three classes of service. The forms included only the specific airline's logo, and passengers were chosen at random. Potential conflicts of interest were discarded. Results of the poll, conducted on behalf of Boeing, five European airlines and one Middle East carrier offering transatlantic service, were similar to a previous survey of passengers flying the North Atlantic routes, according to Boeing.
With cutting launch costs a critical target of the space sector, U.S. and Russian companies presented separate plans here for new and improved means to reach orbit--a family of modular launch vehicles for the Russians and a high-performance upper-stage engine for the Americans. Khrunichev State Research and Production Center said it will develop a series of four next-generation boosters called Angara similar in concept to the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) families being developed in the U.S.
Marconi Avionics' Striker helmet-mounted display successfully completed a live ejection test from a U.S. Navy YF-4J Phantom. The helmet was fitted to an instrumented mannequin to provide data on dynamic performance when subjected to the forces of a 600-kt. ejection. The test was conducted last month at the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center's China Lake, Calif., range as part of an assessment of an upgraded parachute canopy for the F/A-18.
Orders and proposal requests are increasing for systems to screen checked baggage as airports are seeking ways to comply with the European Civil Aviation Conference's resolution calling for 100% screening by 2002. In recent weeks, Bristol International and Prestwick International in the U.K. and Billund Airport in Denmark have ordered explosive detection systems from Vivid of Woburn, Mass. The order is valued at $1 million. Also this month, Melbourne Airport in Australia ordered two Vivid Model APS systems to screen carry-on baggage.
John Gasking has been appointed Marlborough, England-based European operations director for North Atlantic Instruments. He held the same position at the ILC Data Device Corp.
For a planned drop test in August, X-38 program officials at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center will use a flight control system developed by Honeywell designed to automatically adjust control surface gains during flight, based on aerodynamic conditions. The new capability will optimize vehicle performance while maintaining flight control system robustness. The X-38 is scheduled to be released from an altitude of about 35,000 ft. for the August test, and fly for about 42 sec.
Stephen M. Sunseri has been appointed Richmond, Va.-based aviation piston engine oil product line manager for the Exxon Co. He succeeds Nancy Luthy, who has been named national distributor business market planner.
Embraer launched its high-capacity regional jet program with a multi-billion-dollar order from Crossair, capping a hectic week of sales, certification and teaming activity that opened the next round in the fight among manufacturers for regional aircraft orders.
