George Edward Haddaway, a noted aviation journalist and strong proponent of regional, business and general aviation, died on Sept. 26 in Durango, Colo. He was 89 and was a victim of leukemia. Haddaway founded Flight magazine in 1934 and for more than a half-century he was editor and publisher. Haddaway strongly advocated the beginning of what is now the regional airline network. He helped found the forerunner of the Civil Air Patrol and began Wings of Hope, a medical missionary organization.
Intelligence officials have told Congress in classified briefings that nations aspiring to be ballistic and cruise missile powers are sharing technology right and left. It was a factor in the recent, somewhat surprising tests of Pakistan's Ghauri, Iran's Shahab 3 and North Korea's Taepo Dong 1 rockets. Meanwhile, missile tests are getting harder to track because nations are learning from each other how to conceal preparations and how U.S. intelligence-gathering works. The intel types say to expect North Korea to test the 4,000-6,000-km.-range Taepo Dong 2 this year.
Boeing will pay fines totaling $10 million for violations of U.S. arms control laws in connection with its Sea Launch program. The State Dept. charged that Boeing committed more than 200 violations as it worked with Russia's RSC-Energia and Ukraine's KB Yuzhnoye and PO Yuzhmash on the program, which plans to use a converted oil drilling platform to launch rockets from the mid-Pacific. Norway's Kvaerner Maritime also is a partner (AW&ST June 16, 1997, p. 216).
Virgin Express Holdings, struggling with the high costs of operating from its Brussels hub, has formed a new Irish subsidiary to be based at the Shannon airport. Virgin Express (Ireland) is set to start a twice-daily service between Shannon and London Stansted airport in mid-December. Charter services from Shannon to other European destinations are also planned as part of the low-fare carrier's future growth strategy.
NASA knows that crew time, power and data transmission on the International Space Station will be severely limited during its construction. And the agency acknowledges that its own red tape ``might require reevaluation'' if the private sector is to feel at home on the station. Still, NASA has promised a strategic commercialization plan by the end of the year incorporating the views of potential private users. Meanwhile, it's kicking around some ideas.
Richard Heideker has become executive vice president/general manager of product management and Marcus Herren vice president/corporate controller for Crossair. Heideker succeeds Josef Felder, who has resigned. Herren was assistant vice president and succeeds Jurgen Termin, who is now chief financial officer of the Atraxis division of the SAirGroup.
Thai International is set to review planned aircraft deliveries of Boeing 777-300s and Airbus A330 and A300-600R aircraft, according to Transport and Communications Minister Suthep Thaugsuban. Like other carriers in Asia, the Thai flagship's short-haul services have been badly affected by the Asian economic crisis. Thai has no long-haul aircraft on order and may try to swap some of its regional aircraft orders for longer-range variants for later deliveries.
ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES' ELTA DIV., with Daimler-Benz Aerospace, is supplying the German air force with new Tornado Self-Protection Jammers. Deliveries of the podded electronic warfare (EW) systems for Tornado aircraft began earlier this year. The contract covers development of four prototypes, 60 production systems and integrated logistics support, and is worth more than $150 million to IAI's Elta. The Israeli company has been providing EW systems to the German air force since the 1970s.
Kenton Toomey (see photos) has been promoted to executive vice president from vice president-operations of Osmonics, Minnetonka, Minn. Other recent promotions were: Phil Rolchigo to vice president-research and development; Bjarne Nicolaisen to vice president-international; Lee Comb to vice president-engineered products and systems; and Roger Miller to vice president-marketing and strategy.
Meanwhile, concerns that the U.S. may be withholding or slow on delivering vital intelligence is fueling Japan's new interest in having its own reconnaissance satellite. One idea is to tweak the Advanced Land Observation Satellite being developed by the civil space agency NASDA. It will carry a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) with 2.5-meter resolution and is expected to be launched in 2003, last five years and cost $336 million. Mitsubishi and NEC are working on other ideas, including putting SAR, camera and data relay payloads on higher-resolution spacecraft.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) recently signed a New Hire Bridge Program agreement, under which the university's aeronautical science degree candidates, effective immediately, are to be afforded preferred hiring status by ASA after graduation. Embry-Riddle and ASA, a Delta Connection carrier, will jointly set selection critera, screen candidates and determine course and flight experience requirements.
The new 717 narrow-body transport remains a wildcard in Boeing's production plans but otherwise the company's commercial aircraft output next year will remain at near-record rates. Updated Boeing manufacturing schedules show the Seattle-based aerospace manufacturer dropping slightly from an overall 51-a-month rate in December 1998, to 50.5 units a month by mid-1999. At the end of next year, total output will have dropped to 48.5 aircraft a month.
British Airways' selection of Rolls-Royce's Trent 895 to power the 16 new Boeing 777-200ER aircraft it has ordered, plus options for another 16, is a blow for General Electric, which has supplied engines for the carrier's 29 previously ordered 777s.
Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Air System may have decided to ban smoking on international flights, but Japan Tobacco Inc. is not giving up. Its president, Masaru Mizuno, has lobbied the presidents of the airlines, saying 34 million of Japan's 120 million residents smoke. The JTI contends that Japanese smokers will put up with a domestic ban because most flights are less than 2 hr., but will not accept a ban on longer international routes.
Joe Golio has been promoted to vice president/managing director of the United Airlines account from regional vice president of Dobbs International Services Inc., Memphis, Tenn. Others recently promoted are: Keith Drachler to Las Vegas-based regional vice president from inflight kitchen manager in Memphis; Scott Bergner to Northwest U.S. vice president from general manager of the kitchen in Denver; Bill Webb to Northeast U.S. vice president from director of special projects; and John Gill to assistant vice president/general manager in Chicago from manager in St. Louis.
CFD Research Corp. is in final assembly of an advanced, air-breathing powerplant that combines rocket and turbojet engine technologies. Ground tests of the non-flight weight demonstrator are planned by year-end with flight trials possible in 1999.
Edward W. Stimpson, vice chairman of the Washington-based General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. (GAMA), has been named to receive the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy from the National Aeronautic Assn. on Dec 11. The trophy recognizes ``public service of enduring value to aviation in the U.S.'' Stimpson is a former president/CEO of GAMA and assistant FAA administrator.
James E. Goodwin has been appointed president/chief operating officer of United Airlines' parent, UAL Corp., succeeding John Edwardson, who has resigned. Goodwin was senior vice president-North America. He will be succeeded by Christopher D. Bowers, who was head of the International Div.
Twenty years later, it is fair to say that if it isn't perfection, transportation deregulation has been a powerful, almost revolutionary force in our economy and fulfilled its promise to help America compete.
In what promises to be a costly shift of philosophy, the FAA and air transport industry plan to stiffen maintenance requirements for electrical, hydraulic, fuel, pneumatic and flight control systems on older airline aircraft.
Go, British Airways' low-fare subsidiary, is to lease a further eight 737-300s to be phased into service over the next 15 months. Six of the eight are to be brand new aircraft leased from GE Capital Aviation Services. The no-frills carrier is also planning to double its staff to 400.
Thomas D. Hyde, senior vice president/general counsel of the Raytheon Co., Lexington, Mass., will also be corporate secretary. He succeeds Christoph L. Hoffmann, who has resigned as corporate secretary/executive vice president-law and administration.
The U.K. Ministry of Defense has awarded Cubic Defense Systems Inc. a contract worth $130 million to design, manufacture and deliver two ground combat training systems for the British Army.
