For Sikorsky, demonstrating the S-97 Raider high-speed helicopter is even more important now that the U.S. Army has decided to retire its armed scout helicopters and not replace them, at least in the near term. The company, which is building two Raider prototypes on industry funds, believes there is still room, and time, within the Army's long-term budget to acquire a small fleet of new armed scouts before it begins the heavy expenditure of replacing its large fleets of medium-utility and attack helicopters.
USAFR Maj. Gen. (ret.) Ralph S. Clem Jacksonville, Fla. (Nantes, France )
The recently released report by the National Commission on the Structure of the Air Force (AW&ST Feb. 3, p. 12) captures many of the key issues raised and discussed by that body, especially as they relate to the need for optimizing the mix of forces among the three components of the service (Active Duty, Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard) in light of shrinking budgets, declining manpower and new mission areas.
USAF Maj. Gen. Bart O. Iddins has been named commander of the 59th Medical Wing of Air Education and Training Command, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. He has been command surgeon at Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott AFB, Ill. Iddins has been succeeded by Brig. Gen. Kory G. Cornum, who has been commander of the 81st Medical Group of Air Education and Training Command, Keesler AFB, Miss. Col. Keith M.
An irony is playing out here over the U.S. government's fiscal 2015 budget: Not since the last recession ended has there been such widespread acknowledgement in Washington of where federal spending is headed, thanks to the so-called Ryan-Murray budget deal in December and 2014 appropriations, which became law Jan. 17. But Congress increasingly will be unable to do anything about it as 2014 continues.
Canada's Conservative government will continue to focus on the space technology niches where it excels and to look for new ones, but with a shift toward more commercial partnerships in step with the U.S. tilt in that direction.
To paraphrase an old joke, everybody likes to monitor weather from space, but nobody does anything about it. Now comes a Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher with training in aeronautical engineering and atmospheric science, pushing a $3 million experiment to determine if jet engines on the ground can generate enough updraft to start rainfall in drought-stricken areas.
Iran claims to have successfully flight-tested two ballistic missiles as the U.S. continues to struggle with technical problems with its Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) missile shield (see p. 34). Tehran test-fired a long-range ballistic missile with penetration aids, according to Turkish Defense Minister Brig. Gen. Hossein Dehqan. Such aids are designed to fool missile defense radars and guide interceptors to false targets. Iran also flew a laser-guided, air-launched “Bina” missile capable of destroying targets such as bridges.
I have been a subscriber for more than 45 years. I read your magazine from cover to cover—starting with the table of contents—and therein lies my complaint. The TOC is on two pages, with almost always an impediment between them. The photographs on the first page are for articles listed on the second page, and vice versa. If you must have photos and article listings on separate pages, at least have them on facing pages.
I would like to see more coverage and follow-up of incidents (and note I mean more than crashes). One can always search out such information on the websites of national safety regulatory agencies, but this would not provide the commentary and insight of your skilled reporters. Also, I would like to see more focus on civil aviation and aerospace, including an in-depth look at all aspects of satellites. Less emphasis on military aviation would be appreciated.
Jonathan Baliff has been appointed to succeed Bill Chiles when he retires July 31 as president/CEO of the U.K.-based Bristow Group and from its board of directors. Baliff is senior vice president and CFO.
Developing the C-130J as a private venture, Lockheed Martin had to use FAA certification to prove its airworthiness to prospective customers. The earlier C-130E had been certified and produced as the L-100 civil freighter, but when Lockheed began delivering C-130Js for military customers in 1999, it did not see a commercial market for the aircraft.
USAF Maj. Gen. Martin Whelan, director of requirements at Headquarters Air Force Space Command, Peterson AFB, Colo., and Assistant Defense Secretary Madelyn Creedon have been named to receive the Stellar Award for Government Service from the New York-based Society of Satellite Professionals International at its annual Gala Dinner on March 11. The Stellar Award honors service to the U.S. government using satellites and satellite technology.
The rover of China's Chang'e 3 lunar mission is showing signs of life after being almost declared dead. Jade Rabbit, as the rover is known, is again receiving signals from Earth, Chinese media report. But engineers are still sorting through possible origins of a mechanical fault that appeared to cause the rover to cease functioning when it was supposed to go into hibernation mode for the punishing lunar night that began on Jan. 25. The mechanical fault, blamed on the “complex environment of the lunar surface,” is described only as a structure-control anomaly.
U.K. trials to develop a common architecture for aircraft defensive-aids systems could help to push down the cost of aircraft protection. Drawing lessons from operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, commanders have realized they might not be able to rely on or have time to buy such equipment through the urgent operational requirement procurements system in the future. As a result, engineers from the U.K.'s Defense Science Technology Laboratory (DSTL) have been working on a new model for delivering defensive aids to large fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft.
Count me among those who would like to see your content return to a higher proportion of technical engineering, and testing-and-operations-related information. I could happily forego much of the business, government and budget material. Recent indications are that Aviation Week is returning part-way toward its “technical” roots and for that I am grateful. I enjoy the print edition because even though have access to the online material, I rarely use it because of the amount of screen time I must spend related to my work.
I have been active in the aviation maintenance sector since 1958 when I worked for Pan Am, cleaning aircraft as a summer job at the heavy maintenance base at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. My career spans hands-on in-the-trenches experience as well as high-level executive positions, and I've learned from and loved all of it.
You should rename the magazine “MRO Bean-Counters and Advertisers Weekly” so you would not have to deal with all that pesky aviation and space stuff. Alternatively, spin off a separate MRO publication and return to the roots that made Aviation Week & Space Technology the publication of record for news related to aviation and space. Surrey, British Columbia
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Bob Marion has been appointed head of the Program Executive Office for Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. He succeeds Maj. Gen. William “Tim” Crosby, who has retired.
