The U.K. has secured 17% of the 2008 defense export market, worth £4.2 billion ($6.97 billion) to the U.K. economy, according to figures from the government’s Trade and Investment’s Defense and Security Organisation. The figure still places the U.K. second in terms of in-year sales to the U.S.
The global aerospace industry meets this week at Le Bourget for the 48th Paris air show. The first of the now-biennial events took place 100 years ago at the Grand Palais in downtown Paris. With our cover, we remember the historic significance of this year’s gathering, but also highlight what the industry looks like today. Inside this issue, we address the state of major aviation programs and have asked several industry leaders to reflect on where the industry needs to go in the future (see p. 80). Photo of activity at the 2007 show by Mark Wagner/aviation-images.com
UPS and the Independent Pilots Assn. say they have averted furlough of 300 pilots through measures that will save $131 million over three years. The union agreed to a series of steps that include short- and long-term leaves of absence, military leaves, job sharing, reductions in flight pay guarantees, early retirement and sick-bank contributions. In exchange, UPS says there will be no pilot furloughs through April 2010.
It all may come down to the big rocket. The Augustine panel on the future of U.S. human spaceflight begins work this week with a NASA-funded study finding that a human-rated Delta IV heavy rocket could be a cheaper route to the International Space Station than NASA’s Ares I crew launch vehicle.
Millie H. Becker has been appointed vice president-business development at First Aviation Services , Teterboro, N.J. She was vice president-marketing and sales for Landmark Aviation.
The first of the South African Air Force’s 17 single-seat Saab Gripen C aircraft was flown on its maiden flight June 11. Prior to delivery to South Africa in October, the aircraft will go through a short flight-test program in Sweden. SAAF has begun to take delivery of its two-seat Gripen Ds, of which nine are on order.
Carl E. Walz has become vice president-human spaceflight operations in the Advanced Programs Group of the Orbital Sciences Corp. , Dulles, Va. He was director of the Advanced Capabilities Div. in the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate of NASA in Washington.
Jason Noll has become head of Cessna Conquest sales and marketing for Avmats Spirit , Chesterfield, Mo. He was chief architect of the Cessna Aging Aircraft Support Program for Thunder Aviation Services Inc.
American Airlines is evaluating procedures aimed at reducing fuel consumption and emissions during a two-month, in-service period beginning this month. The trial, which began June 11, is part of the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to Reduce Emissions (Aire) being conducted jointly by the FAA, European Commission and several airlines. Air France was scheduled to make the first transatlantic flight under Aire on June 9, but has postponed participation because of the Flight 447 crash (AW&ST June 8, p. 24).
Terry Reidel has been named chairman of the board of directors of Com Dev. International Ltd. , Cambridge, Ontario. He was vice chairman and succeeds Keith Ainsworth, who will remain a director. Reidel will be followed by Peter Scovell.
Patricia J. Herchenroeder has been promoted to vice president from director of the Threat and Weapons Systems Engineering Div. of Telephonics subsidiary SEG Inc. , Columbia, Md.
There is growing anxiety within aviation circles that a failure to pinpoint the cause of the crash of Air France Flight 447 could leave a shadow hanging over the Airbus A330 and, possibly, the airline.
Katherine L. Adams has become senior vice president/general counsel of Honeywell International , Morris Township, N.J. She succeeds Peter Kreindler, who will be retiring. Adams was general counsel of the company’s Specialty Materials business.
The fifth-generation TB700N, marketed as the TBM850, boasts a 315-KTAS maximum cruise speed that enables it to fly 1,000+ naut. mi. with four passengers and land within about 10 min. of the Embraer Phenom 100, the fastest aircraft in the very light jet (VLJ) class.
George Nelson, Jr., has become vice president of the National Aviation Academy ’s Clearwater, Fla., and New England locations. He was director of education. Nelson has been succeeded by Douglas Ecks, who was director of education for the Clearwater site. Ecks has been followed by Darryl Grosso, who was assistant director of education for the Aviation Maintenance Technology Program. Tammy J. Dever has been named director of career services.
W. James McNerney, Jr. AGE: 59 EDUCATION: B.A. from Yale University and M.B.A. from Harvard University CAREER: Began in 1975 in brand management at Procter & Gamble Held a variety of senior management posts at General Electric, including president of aircraft engines unit Became chairman and CEO of 3M in 2001 Tapped for Boeing’s top job in June 2005. Oversees more than 160,000 employees.
I wish you had asked Air Line Pilots Assn. President John Prater what ALPA had learned post-deregulation (AW&ST Apr. 20, p. 48). Perhaps he would have answered that we learned: •If you bid your services too high, you create a market opening for a low-cost competitor whose ability to profitably offer lower prices drives your company into the loss column.
David Justin, who is senior vice president of GlobeCast, is one of three new members of the board of directors of the New York-based World Teleport Assn. The others are: Serge Van Herck, CEO of Newtec; and Norberto Vitale, CEO of Teleport Internacional Buenos Aires.
The first signs of a positive response to efforts by the general and business aviation community to recapture a favorable opinion among U.S. lawmakers are now being felt, say GA association leaders.
Bobby Lo has been appointed manager for design engineering for Circor Aerospace Inc. , Corona, Calif. He was engineering manager at ITT Aerospace Controls, Valencia, Calif. Brian Rosengrant has been named engineering manager for Circor Aerospace/Aerodyne Controls. He was senior program manager at the Telephonics Corp.
David King has been appointed executive vice president named of Dynetics , Huntsville, Ala. He had retired as director of the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, also in Huntsville. King succeeds Herbert M. Barnard, who will be retiring in July.
The U.S. Air Force’s first MC-12W lands at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, at 6:20 p.m. local time June 10 after its first combat sortie there. The service began developing the so-called Project Liberty aircraft last year after calls from U.S. Central Command for more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support. This is the first of 37 MC-12Ws expected. The first seven are built on the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350 platform, with the remainder based on the 350ER.
Barring last-minute hold-ups, Boeing’s long-delayed 787 flight-test program is poised to begin within weeks, possibly before the end of the Paris air show itself.
The hard work is now beginning for Airbus and its partners to turn the A350XWB twin-widebody conception into a reality. The design was formally frozen in December but another review is scheduled for midyear, after which engineers will exit this so-called central plateau stage and head to their respective companies to work on detailed design of the aircraft components. It effectively kick-starts a new phase in the A350 program and sets the stage for parts manufacturing to begin on a large scale.
