July 16-17—RotorTech Asia-Pacific Conference & Exhibition 2013. Singapore. See www.rotortechasia.com July 16-18—Second International Space Station Research and Development Conference. Denver Marriott City Center. See www.astronautical.org/node/96 Aug. 12-14—International Powered Life Con-ference. Los Angeles. See www.vtol.org/iplc Aug. 28-29—Fourth International Technical Specialists' Meeting on Vertical Lift Research, Development, Test and Evaluation. NAS Patuxent River, Md. See www.vtol.org/erf
Steven D. Webster (see photo) has become vice president-engineering and flight operations of American Eurocopter, Grand Prairie, Texas. He was technology director for AVX Aircraft Co. of Fort Worth and had been vice president-advanced technology research and development for AgustaWestland North America.
With tightening defense budgets and no concrete plan to develop a pan-European unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), France hopes to purchase U.S. General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers to meet urgent surveillance needs while forging ahead with a Franco-U.K. unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) development.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have kicked off a four-year study of vision problems that surfaced among crewmembers several years ago and now rank among the top health concerns facing those selected for future deep-space missions. Nineteen ISS astronauts have developed symptoms of impaired vision since the ailment was first recognized in 2005, according to Dr. Christian Otto, principal investigator for the NASA-sponsored Prospective Observational Study of Ocular Health.
U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (Afsoc) is forming the first CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor squadron in Europe. Two aircraft will be delivered to RAF Mildenhall this week as part of a modernization and expansion of Afsoc operations in Europe. The CV-22s will be delivered to the 352nd Special Operations Group, which will eventually operate 10 Ospreys. These will be joined by 12 Lockheed Martin special-mission MC-130J Commando IIs. The remaining eight Ospreys are scheduled to arrive by the end of 2014, while the MC-130Js will be delivered over the next five years.
USAF Gen. (ret.) Ronald R. Fogleman has been appointed lead director of the AAR Corp., Wood Dale, Ill. He is a former Air Force chief of staff. Fogleman is also non-executive chairman of Alliant Techsystems Inc.
Boeing's 737 MAX development team expects to achieve a firm configuration of the more fuel-efficient single-aisle transport in July. The company is so confident about production that it is hinting the airplane's service entry may inch forward from the current plans of fourth-quarter 2017.
The Airbus A380, which began revenue services more than five years ago, has had its fair share of praise and problems. But a perceptible drop in sales over the past three years has the manufacturer hoping that the program is simply ahead of its time, and that the shift away from the very large long-haul aircraft is not structural.
David P. Storch, chairman/CEO of the AAR Corp., has been appointed to the board of directors of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.
BAE Systems is carrying out the first trial installations of electronically scanned (E-Scan) radar onto the Eurofighter Typhoon. The company is modifying its test-and-trials aircraft, IPA5, based at Warton, to support the E-scan radar development program. The company says these trials will be held in conjunction with Euroradar, which is developing the Captor-E radar for the Eurofighter consortium nations. A separate U.K. development program, called Bright Adder, is also underway. First flight of the modified aircraft is expected at year-end.
The commercial aircraft industry is on a run as the Paris air show is underway this week. Demand for fuel-efficient transports has pushed the combined backlogs of Boeing and Airbus to more than 9,000 aircraft, a record. Last year alone, those companies increased collective sales by more than $20 billion. And deliveries are likely to hit a new high this year as Boeing and Airbus strive to meet surging demand from high-growth markets, particularly the Asia-Pacific area.
Aerospace companies in Europe are touting the operational experience of the Eurofighter, Gripen and Rafale since the 49th International Paris Air Show in 2011, seeking to secure exports in emerging markets that could sustain production despite declining government spending, and a potential end to manufacturing lines this decade.
Hooray for private jets (AW&ST June 3, p. 20). Although I will probably never be able to own one, I fully support an industry that creates Gulfstream 5s and Falcon 900Xs. Many things come to mind when describing wretched excess, but aircraft is not one of them. Toronto, Ontario
The business aviation industry is approaching the fifth year of its recession—the failure of Lehman Brothers on Sept. 15, 2008, is cited by many as its unhappy birthday. That half-decade of woe has been marked by massive layoffs, collapsed aircraft values, slowed or halted production lines, political caterwauling and corporate bankruptcies. And yet the stalwarts of its community not only hold out hope for the segment's revival and growth, but are betting heavily on it.
Nick Leontidis (see photo) has become group president for civil simulation products, training and services of Montreal-based CAE. He succeeds Jeff Roberts, who is leaving the company. Leontidis was executive vice president-strategy and business development.
China Eastern Airlines and Qantas Airways are selling a one-third stake in Jetstar Hong Kong to a local company to reinforce their application for an air operator's certificate for the proposed budget carrier. Conglomerate Shun Tak Holdings says it will pay $66 million for the share in Jetstar Hong Kong. The investment means that the airline will have partial Hong Kong ownership, although it will still fall short of the usual global industry requirement that local investors hold 51%.
Although it creates a monopoly for certain advanced propulsion systems, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said June 10 it will not challenge GenCorp's acquisition of Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne for about $550 million. Approval was given “primarily because the Department of Defense wishes to see the transaction go forward for national security reasons,” the FTC said.
Pete Buresh has become Cape Town-based vice president-international aircraft sales for Africa for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. He was sales director for Africa.
Canada's acquisitions of search-and-rescue (SAR) aircraft and naval helicopters have been dogged by delays, but the country's defense minister appears confident that progress is impending.
