Ever since airframe corrosion emerged as a major safety issue in the 1990s, the industry has been searching for better ways to ensure that what lies beneath an aircraft's skin is healthy and remains so. Stanford University is leading studies of how manufacturers might embed sensors to constantly monitor an airframe's structural health that are more cost effective than the current approach of periodic inspections using non-destructive testing.
The launch of Germany's pioneering TerraSAR-X--the first commercial one-meter resolution radar imaging satellite--has been put off once again, because of manifesting problems with the Dnepr-1 booster. The mission, initially set for October 2006 and most recently for late March/ early April, will now slip until late May/early June, says German aerospace center DLR.
The FAA is now reviewing the House Transportation Committee report that urges the agency develop a process to identify pilots who falsify medical data for fear of being denied an Airman Medical Certificate.
Your recent article on the Age 60 issue, "Aging in Flying Colors" (AW&ST Feb. 5, p. 39) misses a couple points: This issue has confused types of flying; not all flying is the same. Routinely we read nonsense by some politician who says: "I can fly my Cessna around the pattern until I'm in my 90s." Airline pilots operate in a variety of flight situations. If one were tasked to fly mid-morning from LAX to SEA and then return in the afternoon, I'd guess we could all do that until Age 90. But that is not what we all do.
Dudley Sheffler has been named to the board of directors of the TransDigm Group of Cleveland. He is retired president/CEO of the Reltec Corp., a former division of Rockwell International.
The French government will back a Socate initiative to develop composite fuselage technologies using vacuum infusion processes in the Aerospace Valley research cluster program. The government will fund 66% of the €9.3-million ($12.5-million) cost.
China will assemble its proposed "jumbo" aircraft--probably a small widebody that could emerge next decade--in Shanghai and Xian, both traditional aerospace centers. The domestic market will be targeted first, then international buyers.
The size of Boeing's Satellite Development Center was understated (AW&ST Apr. 9, p. 55). It is 1 million sq. ft. Launch of DirecTV10 is set for June, not the fourth quarter. Two Wideband Global Satcom spacecraft are to be launched this year.
Ronald C. Henson has been appointed vice president-labor relations for Indianapolis-based Republic Airways Holdings Inc. He was managing director of the Washington office of the law firm of Ford and Harrison.
Work is progressing on two troublesome sensors that contributed to cost and schedule problems for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (Npoess), according to senior government and industry officials. The Raytheon-made Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (Viirs) played a large role in the Npoess schedule delay. But the company may have redeemed itself, at least somewhat, by recently passing all but one of 3,032 points in a design review.
According to a recent brief statement from the Chinese state council, the Airbus-Boeing duopoly could come to an end in the next few years. Beijing claims that it will have a "large aircraft" flying soon, possibly in the next three years.
As a lay person, I find it ever harder to "Keep the Faith," and I am not just referring to SpaceX (AW&ST Apr. 2, p. 82). Why are we, the taxpayers, in manned space? GPS, weather, intelligence, defense, these I understand. The confusion about what to do with all that space is there isn't much reason left for humans to be there except to have a great view. Isn't that what those who can afford the ride really want?
How well Boeing successfully implements its vision of a just-in-time, global manufacturing enterprise for the 787 will depend to a large extent on how well it aligns the processes of its supplier network.
Northrop Grumman is ready to fulfill a three-year-old airborne early warning requirement of the Indian navy with an export version of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye that operates from land rather than aircraft carriers.
You can't say the Transportation Dept. doesn't know how to take advantage of a shifting situation. Deputy Assistant Secretary Michael Reynolds, testifying about passenger bill of rights legislation, seized the opportunity to tout the FAA's controversial plan for funding air traffic modernization. The Senate Commerce Committee is exploring the problems of passengers stranded on aircraft for up to 11 hr. because of departure delays.
How can some airlines be expected to compete efficiently in a difficult market when managements are so afraid of confrontation with their staffs that they dare not intervene in the most blatant cases of poor service to passengers?
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Apr. 23-24--Technology Training Corp.'s Military Radios Conference, Holiday Inn Rosslyn, Arlington, Va. Also, May 7-8-Military RFID Conference. Holiday Inn Rosslyn. Also, May 16-18-Robotics & Unmanned Systems Conference. Doubletree Hotel Crystal City. Arlington, Va. Call +1 (310) 563-1223, fax +1 (310) 563-1220 or see www.ttcus.com
The pilot of a Garuda Boeing 737-400 that crashed Mar. 7 tried to land at 220 kt., according to a preliminary investigation report leaked to Australian newspapers. Investigators also found that the weather was calm, contradicting the captain's statement that a strong downdraft had caused the crash. They are looking into why the captain, seemingly incapacitated, ignored cockpit warning signals.
The history of communications is one of disruptive technological changes. In 1448, Johannes Gutenberg laid the groundwork for mass communications with his invention of movable type, relieving monks of the tedious job of transcribing texts or carving pages into woodblocks for printing. Centuries later, two new technologies--radio followed by television--dramatically altered how all sorts of information was delivered.
Jean Chamberlin (see photo) has been named director of Kent, Wash.-based Airborne Warning Systems within Boeing Integrated Defense Systems. She succeeds Steve Behnen. Chamberlin was systems engineering, integration and test director for Boeing Proprietary Programs, El Segundo, Calif.
The Lockheed Martin external tank for STS-117, which was damaged in a hailstorm on the launch pad, will be used for the mission. But liftoff will slip to no earlier than a launch window extending from June 8 to July 18. The mission delay to June was expected, but the issue was whether repairs made to the tank at the launch site would enable its use over a pristine external tank that has just arrived at Kennedy (AW&ST Apr. 9. p. 15). Recent tests and analysis indicate that the launch site repairs are safe, shuttle managers say.
Northrop Grumman officials hope a recently signed teaming arrangement that would allow it to coproduce a modified Israel Aerospace Industries Tecsar radar imaging satellite will lead to financing from the U.S. government in the Fiscal 2009 budget. Tecsar is a 260-kg. satellite carrying electronically steerable synthetic aperture radar (SAR). Jeff Grant, vice president for business development at Northrop Grumman Space Technology, says Tecsar could provide an early, though basic, capability to the Pentagon long before its massive Space Radar system reaches orbit.
Entrepreneurs struggling to flight test their vehicles for space tourism have new guidelines to obtain one-year FAA experimental launch permits for reusable spacecraft. Each permit will cover multiple vehicles of a particular design and will allow unlimited launches. The vehicles must operate in an area large enough to contain its trajectory far from any densely populated areas. Applicants must provide a program description, flight-test plan, operational safety documentation (with hazard analysis) and plan for responding to any mishap.
Global Aero Logistics Inc., formerly ATA Holdings Inc., will significantly increase its charter capability if shareholders of World Air Holdings Inc. accept Global's offer to acquire World for $315 million in cash. Acquisition is an alternative considered since the World board's strategic review last fall. The Global buyout would privatize the company. Global would operate World Airways, North American Airlines and ATA Airlines.
