A halt in U.K. Royal Air Force Nimrod MRA4 flight operations owing to safety concerns is expected to last at least several more weeks. The project team and type airworthiness authority of the Defense Ministry identified a “potential safety issue” with the aircraft that is expected to take at least four weeks to rectify. The issue, which the ministry will not further identify, was recognized during its assessment of the MRA4 before being released into service.
Gulfstream Aerospace’s intent from the outset of the G650 project was to produce the ultimate—the largest, fastest, longest range, most luxurious and technically advanced business jet ever. And with FAA certification targeted for next year, those goals seem well within reach. But a chief competitor is also targeting the market. Bombardier Aerospace, whose original business jet was created to challenge Gulfstream’s supremacy—and named “Challenger” accordingly—is unveiling its own ultra-jet to go head-to-head with the G650.
Boeing reports adding 30 737 orders but has not identified the customers. The unidentified column now has 101 orders The additions raise the company’s total net orders to 422 as of Oct. 12, including 382 737s.
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) plans to tighten regulations governing non-revenue flights in the wake of the investigation into the 2008 fatal Airbus A320 crash during a post-maintenance test flight near Perpignan, France. The move stems from several recommendations issued by France’s BEA accident investigation office in its final report. EASA also wants stall training and warning systems improved, since the A320 pilots lost control of the aircraft when they did not realize that vital air data sensors were inoperative.
Mobile satellite service operator LightSquared is moving ahead with plans to roll out the U.S.’s first coast-to-coast hybrid wireless network, following finalization of its relationship with global MSS player Inmarsat.
In the 1990s, many Asian nations began pursuing parallel paths for establishing themselves as major contributors in aerospace manufacturing. Most efforts came with strong government backing, no matter if the programs were military or civil. Typically, they sought close ties with Western manufacturers. The initial phase, and one that endures, was as a supplier. The work usually began by building commodity items, such as access doors or panels, and moved on in complexity from there.
Cheryl Galloway (see photo) was hired by BBA Aviation Engine Repair and Overhaul subsidiary Dallas Airmotive as regional engine manager representing the Pratt & Whitney Canada product services in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic states. Mary Miller has joined BBA as vice president-industry and government affairs for the company’s U.S. operations, and Elias Hashem has become BBA’s regional engine manager for North Africa.
Sierra Nevada Corp. is moving into fabrication of the aeroshell structures for its planned Dream Chaser lifting-body crew vehicle, after winning NASA approval for the tooling needed to build the hardware. Under the company’s $20-million Commercial Crew Development (CCDev) agreement, the space agency also certified it had cleared a milestone with a three-ignition hot-fire test of the hybrid rocket engine that will power the Dream Chaser. “It was a pretty hard test,” said Mark N. Sirangelo, corporate vice president for space systems.
Astrium Services’ Paradigm unit has contracted to use all of the capacity on an X-band hosted payload to be carried on Anik G1, a new spacecraft Telesat plans to launch in the second half of 2012, for the anticipated 15-year life of the spacecraft.
A recent entrant in the Google Lunar X Prize competition hopes to pay for a robotic Moon lander by selling rides on its launch vehicle at bargain-basement prices, including a $24.5-million trip to lunar orbit.
Lost in the debate about U.S. defense spending—should it be reformed, cut, expanded or some combination thereof—is the glaring fact that no one knows precisely where the money is being spent or even how much is being spent. Yes, there is the headline-grabbing figure that, with war costs included, the White House has asked for more than $708 billion for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1.
Heidi McNary (see photo) has been named vice president/chief technical officer of Hawker Beechcraft Corp. She joins HBC from DeCrane Aerospace in Phoenix, where she was chief operating officer/executive vice president-sales and marketing.
Southwest Airlines and its pilots’ union reached a tentative agreement on wages and work rules that moves the carrier closer to adding the Boeing 737-800 to its fleet. The agreement was approved unanimously by the Southwest Airlines Pilots’ Association board and will be voted on by the rank and file during November. The airline has set a Dec. 1 deadline for deciding whether to add the 737-800.
Bill Spilman has become director-airline information technology solutions-Americas, and Charles Clough vice president-airline IT commercial-Americas, both at Amadeus global distribution system.
The International Space Station has a crew of six again after the Oct. 9 docking of Soyuz TMA-01M, the first Russian crew vehicle with digital avionics. On board were cosmonauts Alexander Kaleri and Oleg Skripochka and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly. They joined the station’s Expedition 25 crew—Doug Wheelock and Shannon Walker of NASA and cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin—after docking at the new Russian Poisk spacecraft.
I wish Raytheon luck now that it has been tapped by the U.S. Air Force to develop and build the Small Diameter Bomb II (AW&ST Sept. 6, p. 32). While stationed at Naval Air Test Center-Strike Ordnance at NAS Patuxent River, Md., I saw a lot of fit tests. Fit tests indicate it will fit, but the first few seconds after release will be the real proof. Weapons that arm too soon or bounce off the aircraft—or each other—upon release can make for an interesting flight.
USAF Maj. Gens. Michael R. Moeller and Douglas H. Owens have been nominated for promotion to lieutenant general. Moeller has been named U.S. security coordinator for Israel-Palestinian Authority. He was director of strategy, plans and policy at Headquarters U.S. Central Command, MacDill AFB, Fla. Owens has been appointed vice commander of Air Education and Training Command, Randolph AFB, Texas. He was vice commander of Pacific Air Forces, Hickam AFB, Hawaii. Brig. Gen. Timothy M.
The world’s airports are allying with airlines in taking a new and plucky approach toward governments over aviation security in the wake of private sessions between top aviation officials and government leaders from the U.S., Canada and the European Union.
NASA has accepted the mission review for the $485-million Mars Atmospheric and Volatile Evolution (Maven) project, heading it toward a 2013 launch. Built by Lockheed Martin, the spacecraft will orbit the planet, probing its upper atmosphere to study the influence of the solar wind in driving surface water from the red planet.
Israeli defense director Udi Shani formally signed a letter of offer and acceptance for the country’s first purchase of F-35s late last week. Israel is the first foreign military sales customer for the single-engine stealthy aircraft made by Lockheed Martin. The $2.75-billion sale includes 19 aircraft for an average cost of $144 million. There is an option for 25 more aircraft.
