Los Angeles Bureau Chief Guy Norris writes on the Ares defense blog that “with temperatures hovering around zero, few witnesses were around Mojave, Calif., to see a new two-seat production derivative of Northrop Grumman's secretly developed Firebird make its first flight. Enoiel notes:
Cost-effective readiness training for fifth-generation fighter aircraft is driving new simulation technologies that will change the way military pilots are trained within five years.
Pierre Chao, a longtime aerospace and defense (A&D) industry sage and managing partner at Renaissance Strategic Advisors, succinctly sums up what the outcome of the budget impasse in Washington between Republicans and Democrats should be. “Your taxes are going to go up, your benefits are going to go down, and spending is going to go down,” he said in a post-election address to Aviation Week's A&D Programs conference. “My six-year-old daughter knows this.”
American Airlines received its last Boeing 737-800 from International Lease Finance Corp. earlier this month as part of its 15-aircraft sale-leaseback program. The financial arrangement started in November 2011, when American filed for bankruptcy protection, and helped American diversify its funding sources.
Inflight connectivity provider Gogo says its bandwidth-boosting ATG-4 (air-to-ground-4) upgrade will be installed on approximately 500 airliners by the end of 2013, up from the 40 aircraft equipped today.
Dec. 3-5—Worldwide Business Research's Defense Logistics. Marriott Crystal Gateway, Arlington, Va. See www.wbresearch.com/defenselogisticsusa Dec. 3-5—University of Westminster Aviation Seminar. “Air Transport Business and Management.” London. Call +44 (203) 506-6559 or see www.westminster.ac.uk/airtransportshort Dec. 4-6—Aeromart Toulouse 2012. Center de Congres Pierre Baudis, Toulouse. See www.bciaerospace.com/toulouse
Tony Grindberg (see photo) has joined Appareo Systems, Fargo, N.D., as aviation business unit manager. He recently launched the North Dakota State University Research & Technology Park.
Jeffery L. Turner, the CEO who transitioned Wichita-based Spirit AeroSystems from a onetime Boeing subsidiary into the industry's largest independent airframe maker, says he will step down early in 2013. He is 60. The board of directors has convened a search committee that will identify internal and external candidates for his replacement.
While there is general acceptance of the trend toward more-electric aircraft, few can predict the near- or even mid-term debut of electrically propelled vehicles, let alone one that could be capable of Mach 4-plus.
German prosecutors believe EADS paid at least €50 million ($63.5 million) in bribes to Austrian officials to secure a $2 billion deal for Eurofighter jets, according to a document seen by Reuters. Authorities in Germany, Austria and Switzerland raided EADS locations earlier this month in connection with investigations into suspected bribery, money-laundering and fraud related to the 2003 deal for 15 jets. The deal depended on EADS guaranteeing offsets intended to generate twice the value of the agreement for the Austrian economy.
Space Systems/Loral is performing checkout procedures on EchoStar XVI after the satellite was placed in orbit Nov. 21 by an International Launch Services Proton Breeze M launch vehicle from the Baikonur Space Center in Kazakhstan. EchoStar has a 20-kw power rating for direct broadcast television services in the U.S. and is fully leased by Dish Network.
Denmark is set to become the second non-U.S. operator of the Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk maritime helicopter. The aircraft was selected over the AgustaWestland AW159 Lynx Wildcat and Eurocopter AS565 Panther, although the latter was eliminated from the competition in January. Denmark will acquire nine Seahawks, with deliveries due to take place between 2016 and 2018. The aircraft will replace the aging fleet of eight Westland Lynxes. Australia was the first foreign customer for the MH-60R, ordering 24 in June 2011.
Steve Hedges has been appointed director of media relations for the Frederick, Md.-based Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Hedges is an award-winning journalist with 20 years of experience covering national security, foreign, domestic and aviation issues.
Many anticipated that the Persian Gulf carriers would follow their initial investments in Europe's struggling airlines by picking up more shares. But a little more than a year after they entered the scene as stakeholders, the Middle East carriers are disappointed by the results to date.
While the number of accidents for global airlines increased slightly in 2011, the number of fatalities dropped by 41%, according to the annual safety report released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) on Nov. 19. “Overall fatalities resulting from air transport accidents also dropped by almost half from 2010 to 2011, down to 414 from 707 the previous year,” says ICAO.
I really enjoyed your “40 Under Forty” feature (AW&ST Oct. 15, pp. 32-45). From being in some form of management for as long as these young people have been alive, I have learned to “assign, encourage and get out of the way.”
During the 2006 conflict in southern Lebanon, about 25% of the Hezbollah-fired missiles struck populated areas in northern Israel. In the current conflict, while Israeli security is keeping a lid on where the Hamas and Jihadist missiles have landed, the very few deaths reported in Israel—in the single digits—indicate that the first five batteries of the short-range, Iron Dome missile defense system are surprisingly efficient.
Just 15.5 sec. after it was released from the Boeing B-52 mother ship over the Pacific, one of four control fins on the Boeing X-51A WaveRider hypersonic demonstrator unlocked. The unpowered fin swung fully trailing-edge down and stayed there as the booster accelerated the X-51A cruiser to its planned release at Mach 4.9.
As part of its long-term high-speed transport vision, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is studying the potential development of a hypersonic flight experiment (Hytex) aircraft to demonstrate Mach 5 cruise capability.
Chris Jaran has become managing director in China for Fort Worth-based Bell Helicopter. He has held roles ranging from senior engineer to chief of operations in the helicopter industry. Ryan Denton and Will Fulton have been appointed sales managers for North America. Denton has worked in the company's commercial business and supply chain segments, and Fulton has held positions in commercial business and engineering.
“Creative wackiness” (AW&ST Oct 15, p. 58) to enable a giant technological leap—in the multi-systems, joint-ops and corporate-centric world of modern aviation—takes a different approach than the reliance heretofore on a single invention, specific project or a competitively awarded grand contract.
