A Russian-built Ilyushin Il-78 tanker with U.S. registry N78GF remained stranded late last week at Sawyer International Airport near Marquette, Mich., after five Ukrainian nationals among the crewmembers were arrested during a refueling stop for allegedly violating immigration laws and in connection with a civil dispute that involved unpaid bills in Texas. The U.S. has evaluated Il-76s and Il-78s as heavy airtankers to carry aerial retardant and water for wildfire suppression. Russia uses the aircraft for that mission.
Richard Santulli’s announcement last week that he was resigning as chairman and CEO of NetJets Inc., the world’s largest operator of business jets, raised questions about Berkshire Hathaway’s commitment to the money-losing subsidiary and even the viability of the fractional aircraft ownership concept. Although Santulli cited his desire “to spend some more time with my young family and pursue other interests,” as the motivation for stepping down, others suggest NetJets’ recent fiscal performance might have been a factor.
With all the hoopla reserved for unveiling a major defense program, General Services Administration and Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) officials announce they are creating a “common marketplace” for commercial satellite communication services for the entire federal government. The new deal, the Future Comsatcom Services Acquisition, would start awarding contracts in September 2010 worth more than $5 billion over a decade.
The National Research Council says a replacement Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) satellite could play an important—if limited—role in monitoring and verifying sources of carbon dioxide emissions to support greenhouse gas reduction treaties. In December, the NRC expects to release an ongoing study focusing on estimates of human-derived greenhouse gas emissions. The report will coincide with a meeting in Copenhagen of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is considering treaties to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
Officials of Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways think its business may have ceased declining, even if it is too early to say it is beginning to strengthen. The company is still losing money operationally but earned a profit of HK$812 million ($105 million) in the six months ended June 30 because of gains on fuel-hedging contracts. Chairman Christopher Pratt says that while the worst of the recession might be over for Cathay, “we still cannot see any clear signs of any sustained pickup in our core business.”
The bottom-line strategy, from the U.S. military perspective, is that “we’re not withdrawing from the Korean Peninsula,” says Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Remington, commander of the 7th Air Force at Osan AB. But the question then arises: How realistic is this assessment, given that the U.S. is cutting Army force structure along with a few Air Force A-10s and tactical air control parties, moving those remaining farther from the demilitarized zone and returning operational control of forces in the peninsula to the South Korean military?
Rick Estus has been named vice president-operations for EaglePicher Technologies , Joplin, Mo. He was vice president-manufacturing operations for Mercury Marine.
Gulfstream International Airlines and other carriers that serve Cuba with charter flights are waiting revised U.S. regulations governing travel to the Caribbean island. Passenger traffic on Gulfstream’s daily flights from Miami International Airport has increased 25% since some travel restrictions were eased by the Obama administration, says Thomas L. Cooper, Gulfstream founder. He intends to replace a Boeing 737-200 with a 737-400 for the airline’s five-day-a-week schedule. Gulfstream operates Embraer aircraft on the other two days. The U.S.
The space shuttle Discovery has reached Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center for its flight on a logistics mission to the International Space Station as early as Aug. 25. The rollout follows Endeavour’s landing on July 31 after its successful assembly and maintenance flight to the ISS. Discovery’s seven-member crew is scheduled to deliver station racks containing scientific experiments and life support equipment—including a new sleeping compartment—in the pressurized Leonardo multipurpose logistics module.
The FAA is being accused of pursuing quantity over quality in a crucial NextGen initiative, with critics saying the agency is overlooking the areas of greatest need in favor of quick deployment.
General aviation aircraft deliveries and billings declined in the first half of the year, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. Compared to the same period in 2008, shipments decreased 46% to 1,037 units compared to 1,918 last year. Piston deliveries were down 58%, to 434 aircraft; turboprop deliveries totaled 191, a 13.6% decrease; and business jet shipments were down 37.9%, to 412. Total GA aircraft billings of $9.26 billion reflect a 22.7% decline from $11.99 billion reported in the first six months of 2008.
Thomas Evert (see photo), who is chief engineer for the Northrop Grumman Corp./NASA Clouds and Earth Radiant Energy System (Ceres) program, has received NASA ’s Distinguished Public Service Award for “exceptional sustained public service developing world-class space-based climate sensors.” The award is NASA’s highest honor for an individual who is not a government employee.
A 10-ft.-wingspan version of the Bat UAV built by Northrop Grumman has demonstrated a communications relay payload for a government customer (a generality that usually means an intelligence agency) during a series of five flights over four days at Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif. The announcement last week concerned flights that were made in late June. The unmanned aircraft is designed for irregular warfare and also offers real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and strike capabilities.
David L. Calhoun has been appointed to the board of directors of the Chicago-based Boeing Co. He is chairman of the management board/CEO of The Nielsen Co.
Boeing last week won a $334.7-million contract for a P-8A stage II test aircraft and to upgrade three test aircraft to production representative condition. The company received a $64.4-million contract to provide sustainment support for two Qatar Emiri Air Force C-17 aircraft for Fiscal 2009-11. The company also snagged a $106-million contract to build five new CH-47F heavy-lift helicopters for the U.S. Army with delivery to be completed by 2013.
ASTM International, the group that sets standards for aviation fuel, has approved a new specification allowing use of synthetic fuels in blends with petroleum-based jet fuel for commercial aviation.
The U.S. is planning a number of sales of air-launched missiles to Middle Eastern militaries. One foreign military sales (FMS) offer is to Jordan to buy 85 AIM-120-C7 Amraam missiles for $131 million. The country has just started fielding former Dutch F-16s. The Pentagon announced a proposed FMS deal with Bahrain for 25 of Raytheon’s C-7 Amraams. The biggest sale, though, is proposed to the United Arab Emirates for 362 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles.
Row 44 has received the first certification from the Federal Communications Commission for satellite-based broadband services for commercial aircraft in the U.S. The Westlake Village, Calif.-based company previously won approval from Canada and Mexico. Its Ku-band satellite technology is the first competitor to the direct air-to-ground system from AirCell that has been in commercial operation by some U.S. carriers since early this year. Row 44’s satellite linkage allows it to operate over open water, which air-to-ground transmissions cannot.
Tyler Chase has been promoted to vice president from director of operations and Gary Lidstone to vice president from director of engineering for Seattle-based Raisbeck Engineering .
John Porter, who is senior vice president of the Houston-based Astrotech Corp. , also will be interim chief financial officer. He succeeds Brian K. Harrington, who resigned as senior vice president/CFO.
Brian DeCamp (see photos) has been appointed general manager for DeCrane Aerospace ’s Precision Pattern Interiors Div., Wichita, Kan., and Patty Raisor general manager of DeCrane’s Carl F. Booth Veneers Div., New Albany, Ind. DeCamp was the division’s vice president-manufacturing, while Raisor was her division’s assistant general manager.
The Afghan National Army would have to grow by an order of magnitude to secure the entire country, the director of national intelligence (DNI) estimates. Applying the Army Counterinsurgency Handbook’s coarse formula of 25 personnel per 1,000 population, the DNI told the Senate Intelligence Committee 818,000 soldiers would be needed. Narrowing the objective to controlling the Pashtun areas, where most of the insurgents are, would bring the number down to 325,000. But the Afghan army has only about 83,000 personnel, the DNI reported to the intel panel in April.
Boeing has completed its checkout of GOES-O and has handed the weather satellite to NASA for operation on behalf of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Renamed GOES-14, it is scheduled to begin operation later this year.
