NASA and the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Center have tested the massive descent parachute for the U.S. civil space agency’s planned Mars Science Laboratory, which is set for launch next year. However, problems with development of the heat shield that will protect the advanced rover as it enters the Martian atmosphere—before chute deployment—could threaten that launch schedule.
Adm. Thad Allen, the U.S. Coast Guard commandant, says he and the chief of naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, are in “informal discussions” about testing the Navy’s MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle on a Coast Guard vessel. The Navy has been looking for an alternative ship platform to host a Fire Scout sea trial due to continued delays in the Littoral Combat Ship, which is set to house the unmanned rotorcraft.
Jeffrey Q. Palombo (see photo) has been appointed vice president/general manager of the Land Forces Div. of the Northrop Grumman Corp. , Rolling Meadows, Ill. He has been vice president-infrared countermeasures for the Defensive Systems Div.
Pratt & Whitney has begun configuring its Geared Turbofan (GTF) demonstrator for preflight ground tests following successful completion of Phase I sea-level performance and acoustic testing (see related story, p. 22). The flight nacelle system is being fitted for Phase II ground testing beginning in April, in preparation for flight testing on Pratt & Whitney’s 747SP flying testbed in mid-2008. “Performance has been outstanding,” says Bob Saia, vice president of the Pratt & Whitney Next-Generation Product Family. The GTF has amassed 130 hr.
Operators flying under FAR Part 135 have until Mar. 31 to be issued a new Letter of Deviation Authority (LODA) exempting business aircraft from complying with regulations under Part 125 and permitting operations under Part 91, Subpart F. Although the agency’s new rule prohibits issuance of “blanket” LODAs, it does allow partial deviation authority from Part 125, but operators would have to comply with all applicable safety and maintenance requirements specified in that regulation. Aircraft having a payload of 6,000 lb.
Since 1904, transportation stocks have outperformed the S&P 500 index an average 2.1% during election years, but the pickup usually occurs in the fourth quarter. So says William Green of Morgan Stanley Research, who did a study of the Dow Jones Transportation Index since 1904 because transportation stocks tend to be sensitive to political uncertainty. The historic trend isn’t favorable for transportation stocks if the Democrats win, he says. Stock performance is best when Republicans hold power (as they do now).
The U.S. Navy plans to fly some of its remaining 35 C-2A carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft until 2026, but, with phasing out scheduled to begin in 2017, the search is on for a suitable replacement. Although the contract for the future COD platform isn’t expected until at least 2011, the Navy is taking the opportunity to reach out to industry to gain a sense of what might be possible.
The French defense ministry is poised to unveil a major streamlining plan intended to reduce overhead and support costs and free up more money for hardware procurement and operations.
USAF Gen. (ret.) Thomas S. Moorman, Jr., vice president of Booz Allen Hamilton, has been elected to a two-year term as chairman of the board of the Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation . He succeeds Robert S. Walker, chairman of Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates, who is now a director emeritus. William F. Ballhaus, Jr., recently retired president of The Aerospace Corp., was elected vice chairman of the board and chairman of the nominating committee. Barbara M. Barrett, president of Triple Creek Ranch, was elected secretary.
AStar Air Cargo pilots are expected to strongly favor a tentative contract that offers a 20% pay increase over four years, furlough protections and a management pledge to acquire new aircraft. They will be voting in the coming weeks following road-show visits to domiciles. Negotiations started in January 2005, and have been conducted with National Mediation Board assistance since April 2006. Discussions between management and the Air Line Pilots Assn. unit became more focused in late January. On Jan.
Planetary scientists are using data from this stellar occultation of Antares to gain new knowledge about the structure of Saturn’s rings. NASA’s Cassini probe has used multiple instruments to make such observations several times, comparing the known brightness of the unobscured star with the light coming through the rings. The results provide new details about opacity, density and bending waves introduced in the A ring by different moons. The spacecraft’s narrow-angle camera collected this image on Jan. 3 at a range of 336,000 mi., 34 deg.
Suzanne Boda has been appointed senior vice president-East Coast, international and cargo operations and Robert Ciminelli vice president-Philadelphia operation for US Airways . Boda was vice president-inflight services for Northwest Airlines, while Ciminelli was managing director at New York LaGuardia Airport for American Airlines. Alan Ferayorni has been named vice president-information technology infrastructure and Kevin Riccoboni vice president-technology delivery for airline operations.
Pierre Sparaco’s A European Perspective column “Reality Check” (AW&ST Jan. 21, p. 41) pointed out the need to end self-imposed fare caps, as fares no longer reflect “financial realities.” I applaud Sparaco’s common sense and suggest this situation is to a large degree the result of necessary deregulation unconstrained and “run amok,” an old problem but one that has never been solved.
James David Bryan has become president of the Fairfax, Va.-based ManTech International Corp.’s Defense Systems Group . He was sector vice president-executive customer relations for Global Defense C4I and Space for the Northrop Grumman Corp. Bryan succeeds Eugene C. Renzi, who now has other responsibilities at ManTech.
Runway incursions—and their inherent risk of catastrophe—are on the rise, and legislators are taking a hard look at what is, isn’t, and should be done to minimize this growing safety threat.
James J. Hvizd (see photo) has been appointed vice president-tanker transport programs EADS North America , Arlington, Va. He was director of enterprise pursuits for Raytheon’s Space and Airborne Systems and vice president of the joint Raytheon/EADS Joint Cargo Aircraft program.
Synergy Aerospace has signed an agreement to buy 10 Airbus A350-800s, with an option for 10 more. The order, not yet firm, comes on top of commitments for a second A350 Prestige VIP aircraft and an A319 Airbus Corporate Jet from unnamed Chinese customers. Additionally, Airbus says it secured 238 aircraft orders in January. However, Airbus’s chief operating officer for customers, John Leahy, predicts that the high pace of sales will abate.
An inadequate airport infrastructure, unable to cope with passenger demand that’s forecast to double in five years, has prompted India’s civil aviation ministry to consider creating a government-owned corporation to run the country’s air navigation system.
Fractious relationships with neighbors, ideological and cultural divides, a dependence on maritime trade and growing economies are all factors that are driving defense spending in the Asia-Pacific region. Another characteristic of the market is that it is largely supplier-agnostic: Almost every arms industry in the world has been represented at earlier Singapore shows, while many regional countries have local arms industries with a strong technology base.
Gale Rossides has become permanent deputy administrator of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration . She was acting deputy administrator and had been associate administrator for business transformation and culture.
Ten Hawk Mk 132 advanced jet trainers are due in India on Feb. 23 to be inducted into a squadron at the Bidar airfield in south India, the main operating base for the Hawk. This begins the fulfillment of an Indian air force requirement to bridge the gap between the slow jet trainer, Kiran, and the advanced fighter aircraft currently in its inventory. The Hawk AJT contract was signed with BAE Systems in 2004. The deal calls for 66 aircraft, 24 to be built in the U.K. and 42 to be license-produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. at Bangalore.
The French armaments agency, DGA, has given the go-ahead to a €50-million ($72.9-million) effort to upgrade the country’s fleet of four E-3F airborne early warning and control aircraft. The military will work with Air France Industries to properly define the upgrade plan and implement the modifications that will enhance communications links and assure the fleet complies with civil air navigation demands. The HF, VHF and UHF radios are to be modernized, and satellite communications is being introduced, along with several other modifications.
David A. Fulghum (Washington), Amy Butler (Washington), Robert Wall (Paris)
Major decisions on the future of airlifters—including Boeing’s C-17 and Lockheed Martin’s veteran C-5, advanced C-130J and the new twin-engine C‑27J—are hung up in the Pentagon, awaiting the release of studies on the need for airlift.
