Reversing a trend of naming top executives from outside the airline industry, UAL Corp. board of directors has selected James E. Goodwin, a career ``insider'' at United Airlines and long-time operations hand, to run the world's largest air carrier.
Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa Cargo and Scandinavian Airlines System, marking a further step in the expansion of their passenger alliance, recently concluded a memorandum of understanding calling for closer collaboration in the area of cargo. This month, Lufthansa will introduce its ``td.flash'' express service to 16 stations in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, while SIA is to extend its Swiftrider service to 16 European destinations. At the same time, Lufthansa will begin offering ``td.flash'' in Scandinavia.
The FCI Catalog on CD is a guide to thermal mass flow instrumentation. It was developed to meet the requirements of instrumentation, process and plant engineers in the aerospace, chemical processing, oil/gas, nuclear power and wastewater industries. How-to information and graphics help in solving difficult flow measurement problems. Fluid Components International, 1755 La Costa Meadows Dr., San Marcos, Calif. 92069.
The Anglo-Swiss team of Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones set several records in their successful attempt to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon. The Federation Aeronautique Internationale is verifying the new records established by the crew of the Breitling Orbiter 3 for distance traveled, duration of flight and the fastest time around the world nonstop, without refueling, in a hot air ballon.
Recent changes in the organization of support services for engines and landing systems within the Snecma Group are expected to considerably enhance the contribution of these activities to corporate sales and earnings. Revenues from these services currently account for 13% of group sales.
Whether Airbus Industrie will achieve its goal of capturing a sustainable 50% market share, or fall short, remains in question as archrival Boeing keeps up its strong counterattack amid an emerging airline industry downturn.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has picked Boeing to build an unmanned combat aerial vehicle to prove it is possible to have an operational UCAV by 2010 capable of destroying enemy air defenses in a high-threat environment as well as carrying out other strike missions.
Responding to congressional demands for a coherent military ``space control'' policy, the Clinton Administration is pursuing a relatively benign approach to ``negation,'' focusing on nonlethal, reversible effects--such as jamming of data links--rather than destroying satellites in orbit. This ``tactical'' approach to space control is consistent with existing treaties and space law, but also avoids international confrontation that could be detrimental to U.S. interests, according to senior Pentagon officials.
Capture is a measuring, recording and analysis package that interfaces with personal computers. Measurements of 0.00001 in. can be made and adapted to many applications. It shows linear measurements with large block letters and a moving strip-chart display for real-time analysis. The measuring units can be scaled in inches, 1/1000 in., meters, millimeters, microns and custom units. Capture writes data to files that can be imported into spreadsheets such as Excel, Quattro-pro and Lotus. Pinpoint Laser Systems, 3 Graf Road, Newburyport, Mass. 01950.
AirTran recently ``graduated'' the first students of its apprentice maintenance technology program. The low-cost U.S. domestic carrier, based at Atlanta Hartsfield airport, instituted the program last year, in an effort to recruit and develop top-notch maintenance technicians. According to AirTran, the program is unique in that it expands on traditional classroom training by providing ``hands-on'' experience. Depending on skill, a student attends the program for 12-24 months, and training includes familiarization of aircraft and systems, and service checks.
Carl Griffiths has been named senior vice president of the World Fuel Services Corp., Miami Springs, Fla. He was an operations and marketing executive with Air BP Ltd.
Airlines operating from Honolulu International Airport have set up an informal group to share information on common problems related to flight operations in the area and discuss means of solving them. Senior pilots from each carrier plan to meet once a month over lunch to swap stories and solutions, with airport officials and state and federal government officials possibly joining the discussions. The meetings started this year, and follow a practice used regularly at mainland airports to air day-to-day problems that crop up at the airport.
Northrop Grumman has made a $30-million investment in Kistler Aerospace with an agreement to take Kistler preferred stock in exchange for payments owed to Northrop Grumman for subcontract work performed last year. Northrop Grumman also has agreed to invest an additional $30 million in K-1 vehicle development prior to flight test if Kistler obtains the balance of the funding required to reach the flight test stage.
As if Orbital Sciences Corp. (OSC) didn'thave enough to worry about, with Orbcomm's ramp-up and management trying to improve the corporation's earnings performance, the company now faces weighty legal issues. More than a dozen lawsuits have been filed, claiming that proprietary information was used to execute insider sales of stock. OSC Chairman and CEO David Thompson is adamant in refuting the allegations, saying they are without merit and vowing a ``vigorous defense.''
All Nippon Airways is introducing what many might consider a true business-class lounge when it begins daily service to Chicago on Apr. 13. Its 747-400 has a business center on the upper deck (for first-class and business-class passengers only) with two desks, high-back swivel chairs (with seatbelts), two satellite phones, a fax machine and electrical outlets. Passengers provide their own laptops. There will be a self-service bar with three seats in the main deck business-class section.
Spain's Construcciones Aeronauticas has selected the Sextant Avionique Topdeck avionics suite to equip the CN-235-300 regional twin turboprop and C-295 light military transport. Topdeck certification is planned for the fourth quarter of 2000.
These containers are designed to accomodate both fixed and portable oxygen bottles used on transport aircraft. The rotationally molded polyethylene containers protect valves and regulators of 3-in. and 9-in.-dia. oxygen cylinders. Hazardous material markings are molded into the cases, which meet UN1072, International Air Transport Assn. and DGR specifications. Bill Thomas Associates Inc., 7405 Woodley Ave., Van Nuys, Calif. 91406.
Royal Air Maroc is putting the final touches on a plan to modernize and expand its long-haul fleet over the next 12 years but has no desire to enter into any extensive strategic alliances.
The U.S. Air Force's decision to slip the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) missile warning program as a near-term money-saving measure aggravated by recent cost growth has drawn intense criticism from Congress, prompting a Pentagon reevaluation. SBIRS-High--which consists of geosynchronous-orbit (GEO) satellites and their associated sensors--was on-schedule and within budget when the Clinton Administration prepared its budget late last year. The first ground-segment increment is still on-schedule for an initial operational capability this fall.
This line of precision, high-reliability thermostats is designed to operate in applications with critical performance specifications, such as military and aerospace environments. They are available in hermetically sealed and unsealed packages in a variety of sizes. Contacts are thermally and electrically isolated. Nonhermetic devices are dust-proofed by using a phenolic or ceramic base protected by a metal enclosure. Elmwood Sensors Inc., 500 Narragansett Park Drive, Pawtucket, R.I. 02861-4325.
Spanish charter operator Spanair is scheduled to take delivery late next year of the first increased gross weight (IGW) Airbus A321 twinjet. Palma de Mallorca-based Spanair, a joint subsidiary of Viajes Marsans and Scandinavian Airlines System, last week concluded an agreement to acquire up to 45 A320-family aircraft, including nine IGW A321s. Spanair also signed firm orders for 17 A320s and seven A319s as well as a ``reconfirmable order'' for 12 more aircraft. It also optioned 12 more Airbus twinjets.
Lizanne Scott has become Brussels-based government relations consultant in Europe for the United Technologies Corp. She was manager of government affairs in Europe for Digital Equipment.
The Cockpit Display System has been approved for use in the Piper PA-46 Malibu under a Supplemental Type Certificate. The touch-operated, 10.4-in. color display provides pilots with situational awareness, including Stormscope data and flight planning. Data are directly overlaid on an electronic GPS-driven moving-map. The installation places the CDS in the center of the panel adjacent to the radio stack so the the screen is in direct view of the pilot. Archangel Avionics Inc., 1500 Pumphrey Ave., Auburn, Ala. 36832.
