Michael Mecham (DallasFort Worth International Airport)
At 16-17 cents each, radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for passenger luggage do not seem like much of a deal compared to the 2 cents that airlines typically spend for the standard bar-code paper strip that identifies a bag’s owner and its destination.
Citing the global recession, higher jet fuel prices and the impact of the swine flu on demand in Mexico and Asia, Delta Air Lines says it will increase its capacity cuts for international routes this September to 15%, which is five percentage points higher than it announced three months ago. The reductions include a 20% cut in capacity on transatlantic routes, which Delta says have shown the most weakness. Specific routes in the service “suspension,” include Atlanta-Seoul, Atlanta-Shanghai, Cincinnati-Frankfurt, Cincinnati-London Gatwick and New York Kennedy-Edinburgh.
Alenia Aeronautica will play a major role in helping the United Arab Emirates grow its unmanned aircraft ambitions after concluding two years of secretive talks to establish a joint venture with Abu Dhabi Autonomous Systems Investments (Adasi).
The Japanese Defense Ministry probably will delay its order for fighters under the F-X program until at least the fiscal year beginning Apr. 1, 2011, because of a lack of information on the Lockheed Martin F-22 and F-35. The delay minimizes one of the chief advantages of competitors to the F-35—its earlier availability—and gives the U.S. more time to change its mind on its ban of exports of the F-22, the aircraft that Japan really wants. Under the F-X requirement, the ministry wants to buy 50 fighters to take over the air-to-air role from McDonnell Douglas F-4EJ Phantoms.
EADS Astrium is starting work on two high-resolution wide-swath optical imaging satellites to replace its workhorse Spot 5, even though it has not yet nailed down any government support to help finance the project. Together with two very-high-resolution (VHR) Pleiades spacecraft, the first of which recently ended integration testing, and a second radar imager, Tandem-X, completed last week, the new Spot satellites will give Astrium a fleet of imagers and portfolio of geoinformation services unparalleled in the industry.
Sens. John Ensign (R-Nev.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) have introduced legislation to loosen federally imposed restrictions on Reagan Washington National limiting most nonstop service to markets within 1,250 mi. of the airport. The lawmakers, who hope to attach the measure to the FAA reauthorization bill, note it is supported by US Airways, which has a big presence at both National and Las Vegas’s McCarran Airport. Under their proposal, airlines that use a National slot to serve large hub airports would be able to fly to any airport.
Jay A. Shiba (see photos) has been named vice president-supply chain management for the Northrop Grumman Corp. ’s Baltimore-based Electronic Systems Sector (ESS). He was business manager of the surface combatant business area for Northrop Grumman’s Shipbuilding Sector. Michael E. Hinkey has been promoted to vice president-engineering and manufacturing for ESS’s Eastern Region campuses from director of multirole electronically scanned array radar programs. Patricia A. Newby has been appointed vice president-weapons and sensors for ESS’s Land Forces Div.
U.S. Air Force (ret.) Gen. Bruce Carlson’s combat training as an OV-10 forward air controller and F-4 fighter pilot might come in handy if he is chosen to head the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). He’ll need to get used to heavy flak leading the NRO, which has come under scrutiny for cost overruns and delays in delivering critical intelligence satellites. Industry and government sources say Carlson is the top candidate for the job.
The European Space Agency has agreed to extend operation of the Envisat Earth Observation (EO) mission until 2013 to provide vital radar, optical and ocean altimetry data before new sensors currently in development reach orbit (see page 145). Launched in 2002 and equipped with 10 EO sensors, Envisat supplies near-real-time atmospheric, land, sea and ice data to support routine monitoring of sea ice, oil slicks, fishing and other parameters as well as long-term climate research.
Hawker Beechcraft Co. (HBC) plans to ramp up production deliveries of its super-midsize Hawker 4000 later this year, now that the airplane has weathered a particularly thorny, prolonged development and certification program.
In keeping with the general British government upheaval in early June, the senior appointees at the Defense Ministry also have seen a makeover. Bob Ainsworth has been promoted to top defense minister from minister for the armed forces, following the resignation of John Hutton. Paul Drayson, a former procurement minister, is now minister of state for strategic defense acquisition reform. Quentin Davies will continue as minister for defense equipment and support. Bill Rammell succeeds Ainsworth.
Roni Potasman has been appointed executive vice president-research and development of Israel-based Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd. He succeeds Avi Ginzburg, who is leaving the company. Potasman has been head of Rafael’s Intelligence and Network-Centric Warfare Systems Sector.
Danny Martinez has become vice president/general manager of AAR Aircraft Services at Indianapolis International Airport. He was vice president-line maintenance for American Airlines. He succeds Stan Mayer, who is now general manager of the AAR facility at Oklahoma City.
The U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering and Development Center (AEDC) is testing a full-scale, four-blade rotor system for the Sikorsky UH-60. The evaluations, conducted in the National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex (Nafec) operated by AEDC at Moffett Field, Calif., centered on an individual blade control (IBC) system designed to reduce noise and vibration of the main rotor. In addition, the tests demonstrated the IBC technology’s ability to provide inflight tuning and reconfiguration, says Tom Norman, project engineer at NASA Ames Research Center.
Strange as it might seem, a fifth-generation light-fighter program could just be one long-term outcome of a Brazilian or Indian combat aircraft decision, should the Gripen NG emerge as the victor. If either nation opts for the Saab platform, Gripen International is dangling the potential to codevelop a low-observable combat aircraft as part of a strategic alliance. Industry executives cast the project in terms of breaking the “cartel” of U.S. and European nations that continue to dominate the fighter export market.
The issue of exporting sophisticated technology—like satellites—came up during the confirmation hearing of President Barack Obama’s choice to be the administration’s chief arms control negotiator. Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that export control lists need to be constantly updated, removing less crucial technologies to make room for newer ones that would pose a security risk if sold overseas.
“Air power is like poker. A second-best hand is like none at all—it will cost you dough and win you nothing.” — Gen. George Kenney, Commander of Allied Air Forces in the Southwest Pacific, 1942-45
Historians may debate what marked the birth of the aerospace industry—but chances are that many would point to the Exposition Internationale de Locomotion Aerienne, which opened its doors on Sept. 25, 1909—less than six years after the Wright brothers made history at Kitty Hawk, N.C.
Ad hoc task forces inside the Defense Dept.’s leadership realm have proven to be effective tools for forcing the military bureaucracy to address pressing near-term acquisition needs, top civilian and military defense officials say. But such task forces should not go on indefinitely themselves. Gates said the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) task force would disappear, and Mullen said such groups should have sunset deadlines.
Eric J. Zahler has been named chairman of the U.S.-based Universal Space Network , which is a division of the Swedish Space Corp. He is managing director/cofounder of the Sagamore Capital Group and former president/chief operating officer of Loral Space & Communications Inc. Other new directors are: USAF Lt. Gen. (ret.) Michael A. Hamel, who is senior vice president-strategy and development of the Orbital Sciences Corp. and former commander of the U.S. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center; and James W. Cuminale, chief legal officer of the Nielsen Co.
USAF Col. (ret.) Michael R. Gallagher (Hillsboro, Ore.)
Once again, U.S. Air Force requirements for a new aircraft appear excessive and premature. After upgrading the T-38s with glass cockpits as well as improved ejection seats and engines, USAF has decided it needs a new trainer to prepare pilots for the F-22 and F-35.
Steve Kelley (see photo) has been named corporate communications manager for StandardAero , Tempe, Ariz. He held a similar position with Raytheon Missile Systems.
GE Aviation and NASA will begin wind-tunnel evaluations of counterrotating fan-blade systems for an open-rotor engine at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland this summer. GE is investigating open rotors as part of its LEAP advanced engine development program for a Boeing 737/Airbus A320 replacement. The tests will use a component rig to evaluate subscale fan systems. Both the number of fan blades and gear systems to change the pitch angle of the blades are under study.
Japan’s Kaguya lunar orbiter smashed into the Moon’s surface as planned June 11, concluding a 21-month mission that began with launch on an H-IIA rocket from the Tanegashima Space Center on Sept. 14, 2007.
China Eastern’s takeover of its hometown rival will lift the ailing carrier to the top rank of the Chinese industry, making the company a match for rivals China Southern and Air China in size, if not efficiency. After absorbing Shanghai Airlines, China Eastern will be about equal to Air China as the country’s second-largest airline in terms of passenger traffic and about equal to China Southern as the largest in terms of fleet size.
