FLUG REVUE update: Week ending June 13, 2004

UPDATE
Week ending 13 June 2004

+++ Cassini flies by Phoebe +++ Typhoon production single-seater takes flight +++ China orders A330-300s +++ Star Alliance approves new members +++ NASA rovers continue Mars exploration +++ IATA outlines agenda +++ News in brief +++

Cassini flies by Phoebe
Sonde fliegt am Saturnmond vorbei

The most complex interplanetary mission ever launched met one of our Solar System's most enigmatic moons. The NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini-Huygens spacecraft flew by Saturn's largest outer moon, Phoebe, on Friday, 11 June 2004. The closest approach was at about 22:56 CET at a distance of 2000 km. The spacecraft captured images of Phoebe that have a resolution more than a thousand times better than existing technology has allowed in the past. It was also able to gather important data, allowing scientists to study Saturn's most distant major moon and possibly gather clues about the early formation of our Solar System.
Discovered more than 100 years ago by American astronomer William Pickering, Phoebe is a source of extensive interest for scientists. We do know that Phoebe's density is low, but its internal structure and composition are mostly unknown - as are its geology, history and surface morphology. Cassini-Huygens can help us with our many unanswered questions. Did Phoebe ever melt? Does it have evidence of past interior melting? Was it ever an icy body? Why is this moon in such an odd 'retrograde' orbit?

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Typhoon production single-seater takes flight
Serien-Einsitzer des Eurofighter fliegt in UK

PS002, the fifth Eurofighter Typhoon Instrumented Production Aircraft (IPA5), successfully carried out its first flight on 7 June 2004, at BAE SYSTEMS Warton, United Kingdom. IPA5 took off from Warton at 1602h, piloted by Typhoon Project Pilot, Mark Bowman, and landed at 1630h. This new Eurofighter Typhoon production test aircraft was assembled by BAE SYSTEMS on behalf of the Eurofighter partners and will now join the four nation flight test programme.
IPA5 is the first UK single seat production aircraft to roll off the final assembly line at the BAE SYSTEMS facility in Warton. IPA5 is primarily designed to qualify production standards and functionality in concert with single-seat production across the Eurofighter Partner Nations. IPA5 joins the test fleet of six Development Aircraft, three twin-seat Instrumented Production Aircraft and two single-seat Instrumented Production Aircraft. IPA4, the first single-seat Instrumented Production Aircraft flew on 26 February, 2004, at the EADS CASA flight test facility in Getafe, Spain. Through a series of flight qualification tests Eurofighter Typhoon IPA5 will make a major contribution to finalising integration of the Full Operating Capability (FOC) standard avionics system for the production single-seat weapon system.

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China orders A330-300s
Airbus-Order aus China

The China Aviation Supplies Imp. & Exp. Group Corporation (CASGC) and Airbus signed an agreement for the purchase of 20 A330-300 aircraft. The aircraft are scheduled for delivery from the first quarter of 2006. Selection of the engines for the aircraft has yet to be decided. The agreement was signed in a ceremony attended by Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan and French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. “CASGC has enjoyed a very good cooperative relationship with Airbus for many years. With joint efforts, we hope that Airbus could provide more modern and economic aviation products to Chinese airlines, while CASGC could offer high quality and value-added services to Chinese airlines, “ CASGC President Li Hai said.
Meanwhile, Airbus has reached an agreement with China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) on subcontracting projects worth $ U.S. 100 million to Chinese manufacturers. A signing ceremony was held today in Paris, attended by visiting Chinese Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan and French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin. The upper and lateral panels of the A380 Nose Landing Gear Bay will be subcontracted to AVIC I. The project will be carried out via Airbus first-tier supplier Latecoere, a French company. This has been the first time for Airbus to involve China in producing A380 components. Airbus will allocate A330/A340 forward cargo door projects, via Eurocopter, a first-tier supplier of Airbus, to Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, which is affiliated with AVIC I.
“We appreciate Airbus' efforts to carry out effective cooperation of mutual benefits with Chinese manufacturers,” AVIC I Senior Vice President Gu Huizhong said. “We hope that our cooperation could be further consolidated and expanded. We are particularly pleased to see that Chinese companies will produce A380 components.” "Airbus is not only selling aircraft in China, but also committed to the long-term development of China's aviation industry," said Airbus President and CEO Noel Forgeard.

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Star Alliance approves new members
Neue Mitglieder für die Star Alliance

At a meeting in Singapore the Chief Executive Board of Star Alliance, unanimously approved the Finnish airline Blue1, South African Airways and TAP Air Portugal's application to join the alliance. Blue1 will become the first regional member of the alliance. In terms of customer benefits, regional members will be offering the same advantages as members carriers e.g frequent flyer benefits, lounge access and through check-in. In order to become a regional member, aside from meeting certain requirements, the carrier in question must be sponsored by and have close ties to an existing member to achieve a quick and easy integration. The sponsoring airline will represent the regional member within the alliance. As Blue1 is owned by Star Alliance member carrier SAS, these prerequisites are fulfilled.
South African Airways, which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, has one of the youngest fleets in the world serving more than 20 destinations across Africa as well as flying to 34 cities in 26 countries on six continents. "With South African Airways in the fold, we significantly strengthen our position in Africa in terms of schedule, network reach and service quality," said Jaan Albrecht, CEO, Star Alliance. "We're thrilled to have SAA on board and look forward to the official inauguration in 2005."

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NASA rovers continue Mars exploration
Marsfahrzeuge weiter aktiv

NASA's Mars Opportunity rover began its latest adventure inside the martian crater informally called Endurance. Opportunity will roll in with all six wheels, then back out to the rim to check traction by looking at its own track marks. "We're going in, but we're doing it cautiously," said Jim Erickson, deputy project manager for the Mars Exploration Rovers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, Calif. Barring any surprises, Opportunity will enter the stadium-sized crater Wednesday for two to three weeks of scientific studies. "NASA has made a careful decision. The potential science benefits of sending Opportunity into the crater are well worth the calculated risk the rover might not be able to climb back out," said JPL's Dr. Firouz Naderi, manager of NASA's Mars Exploration Program. "Inside the Endurance crater waits the possibility for the most compelling science investigations Opportunity could add to what it has already accomplished. We have done the ground testing necessary to evaluate the likelihood of exiting the crater afterwards," he said.
Dr. Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., the rovers' principal investigator, said, "We expect the science return of going a short way into Endurance to be very high." The target for inspection within the crater is an exposure of rock layers beneath a layer that corresponds to rocks Opportunity previously examined in the shallower Eagle crater, where the rover landed in January. The strategy for driving on the crater's inner slope is to keep wheels on rock surfaces instead of sand, said JPL rover-mobility engineer Randy Lindemann. The team ran trials with a test rover on a surface specifically built to simulate Karatepe's surface conditions. "The tests indicate we have a substantial margin of safety for going up a rocky slope of 25 degrees," Lindemann said. Opportunity's observations from the rim at the top of the planned entry route show a slope of less than 20 degrees.

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IATA outlines agenda
Tagung der IATA in Singapur

Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) challenged all stakeholders in the air transport value chain to keep pace with an aggressive agenda for industry change. The challenge came in Bisignanis opening State of the Industry address to delegates attending IATAs 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit being held in Singapore. In 2003, the industry survived the four horsemen of the apocalypse: SARS, conflict in Iraq, terrorism and the economy. Now, a fifth horseman - the price of oil - could add up to US$1 billion per month to our costs and deny us profitability yet again. If the average price for the year is US$33 we break even, Bisignani said. After at least two years of lost growth, traffic is back to pre-September levels in most parts of the world. First quarter 2004 passenger traffic was 6.5% above the same period for 2001 while cargo volumes were 15.5% above 2001 levels.
To cope with the cycles and shocks that challenge the industry, We must move from fighting fires to designing new industry structures. We must drive rigidity and complexity from our business. Cost flexibility has never been more critical- and this includes labour. And lets remember that consumers pay for value not complexity, said Bisignani. Bisignani outlined an agenda for building new industry structures with simplifying the business as the key new design element. Bisignani said, the term low-cost carriers is dead-wrong. Our future structure is a low-cost industry with some airlines offering network services at a premium the consumer is willing to pay for. The agenda for change includes simplified commercial processes and more effective approaches to safety, security, relationships with industry partners and the role of governments.
Simplifying the Business: We must chase paper out of our business. We need to simplify our processes and we need to think big, said Bisignani. E-ticketing, radio frequency baggage tags, bar coding technology and common-use self service check-in terminals have been developed by individual airlines. It is now time for IATA to take on the enormous task of converting these into industry systems to cut costs and improve passenger service.
Safety: IATA set a global standard and simplified the process for safety auditing with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). As regulators recognize IOSA, IATA members set a target that all IATA member airlines would be IOSA registered by 2006.
Security: Bisignani challenged governments to harmonize security measures and take responsibility for the costs. Two years after September 11, we cannot accept that governments approach to security is still fragmented. We need to battle terrorism, not paperwork, said Bisignani. The industrys added cost for security since September 11 is estimated at US$5 billion per year. It is time for Governments to accept responsibility for the costs of national security. Why are citizens who travel by air singled out to pay for their own security? questioned Bisignani.
Relations with Industry Partners: Industry partners must change their mindset to realize that the days of cost-plus pricing are over, cost reduction delivers profitability, said Bisignani. IATAs new approach to monopoly service providers hinges on achieving efficiency targets with each partner. Beginning with EUROCONTROL, achieving a 20% improvement in efficiency identified by an external auditor could save the industry US$ 1 billion. IATA will challenge airports and air navigation service providers to change and meet efficiency targets. Our partners must change with us. We will not stop until the last barrier to change disappears, said Bisignani.
Role of Governments: Bisignani called on governments to stop mis-regulating the industry. We dont need rules on seat pitch. We need vision and we need policy, said Bisignani as he criticized the US and EU for focusing on politics rather than commercial imperatives in their current talks on an open aviation area. Bisignani challenged governments to simplify the regulatory framework of the 60 year old Chicago Convention. We need the freedom to run our businesses, like businesses. There is nothing sexy about itevery other business has access to global capital, freedom to operate where markets exist and the ability to consolidate.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

NASA's Space Shuttle program successfully fired a full-scale Reusable Solid Rocket Motor, testing modifications that will enhance the safety of the Space Shuttle. A slightly different propellant grain was tested. The new design improves flight safety by decreasing the risk of cracks in the propellant during storage and transportation, according to Jody Singer. Singer is manager of NASA's Reusable Solid Rocket Motor Project, Space Shuttle Propulsion Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala. "Even though the modification is only a slight change from what we have flown on the Shuttle, it still requires a rigorous certification and verification process that includes testing," said Mike Rudolphi, manager of the Space Shuttle Propulsion Office. "NASA has long adhered to the maxim, 'Test what we fly; fly what we test,'" added Rudolphi. "This test is one in a series of tests performed to ensure this modification will perform as we expect," he said. The propellant grain modification is one of 76 test objectives. Twenty-four of the objectives allow the Project Office to reevaluate materials, components and manufacturing processes in use, such as nozzle bondlines, liner-to-housing bondlines, internal insulation, pressure transducers, and solvents.
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An agreement between ESA and seven Member States to jointly build a major part of the MIRI instrument, which will considerably extend the capability of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), was signed, 8 June 2004. This agreement also marks a new kind of partnership between ESA and its Member States for the funding and implementation of payload for scientific space missions. MIRI, the Mid-Infrared Instrument, is one of the four instruments on board the JWST, the mission scheduled to follow on the heritage of Hubble in 2011. MIRI will be built in cooperation between Europe and the United States (NASA), both equally contributing to its funding. MIRI's optics, core of the instrument, will be provided by a consortium of European institutes. According to this formal agreement, ESA will manage and co-ordinate the whole development of the European part of MIRI and act as the sole interface with NASA, which is leading the JWST project. This marks a difference with respect to the previous ESA scientific missions. In the past the funding and the development of the scientific instruments was agreed by the participating ESA Member States on the basis of purely informal arrangements with ESA. In this case, the Member States involved in MIRI have agreed on formally guaranteeing the required level of funding on the basis of a multi-lateral international agreement, which still keeps scientists in key roles.
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Boeing, with China Aviation Industry Corporation I (AVIC I) and China Aviation Industry Corporation II (AVIC II), signed memoranda of understanding to provide parts and assemblies for Boeing airplanes, including the rudder for the Boeing 7E7 Dreamliner. The signing celebration at the Boeing China office marked the first announcement of Chinese suppliers selected for Boeing 7E7 opportunities. Boeing will work with Chengdu Aircraft Industrial (Group) Co. Ltd. (CAC), an AVIC I affiliated company, for supply of the rudder -- a key component of the vertical fin that provides stability for an airplane's directional control. Boeing is developing additional opportunities for Hafei Aviation Industry Co., Ltd (Hafei), an AVIC II affiliated company, to produce metallic and composite parts and assemblies for various Boeing jetliners, including the 7E7. The total value of China opportunities with Boeing, including the 7E7 rudder and work on other airplanes, could reach several hundred million dollars. "China has an important role on the 7E7 program," said Jim Morris, senior vice president of Supplier Management for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Chengdu Aircraft and Hafei represent the talents, technological capabilities and resources of Chinese aviation industry that Boeing needs to provide the best value to our airline customers."
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Sikorsky's S-92 has become the first helicopter in the world certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency/Joint Aviation Authorities (EASA/JAA) to the latest and most rigorous safety standards. EASA, which is made up of previous and new European Union JAA members, made the formal certificate presentation to Sikorsky yesterday in Philadelphia at the annual FAA/JAA/EASA meeting. "The S-92 provides unprecedented levels of safety and reliability. This has been recognized by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and now the same meticulous standards have been met internationally," said Sikorsky President Steve Finger. "This is something the best team in the helicopter industry can be proud of." Sikorsky is moving full speed ahead with its certification plan. Set to follow EASA/JAA certification is Transport Canada approval, slated for later this summer. Major advancements toward certification of the S-92 for flight into known icing conditions were achieved earlier this year, when the aircraft completed successful tests behind a CH-47 icing tanker. Favorable weather at test sites throughout North America produced a broad range of natural icing temperature and moisture conditions that spanned the entire certification envelope. The concluding aspects of full icing certification will occur later this year when regulatory agencies fly the S-92 for final approval in known icing. Production deliveries of the S-92 begin this summer, with a total of 12 aircraft planned for delivery this year. Customers include VIP transport as well as both domestic and international offshore oil operators.
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Mike Redenbaugh, Chief Executive Officer of Bell Helicopter, announced that Dennis Jarvi, currently the Vice President & General Manager for V-22 Programs at Bell Helicopter, has resigned from his position effective July 18th. He is leaving to take the position of President, Defense North America for Rolls Royce Corporation. Mr. Jarvi joined Bell Helicopter Textron in May of 2001. Mr. Redenbaugh indicated the V-22 program would continue moving toward the 18 aircraft goal. “We have a strong leadership team led by our V-22 Program Director, Bob Ellithorpe. We have an excellent program in place and will continue to refine our processes and reduce our costs in the production of the V-22.”
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DCN and Thales have decided to combine their strengths to propose to jointly lead the future French aircraft carrier programme (PA2), and have set up an integrated Prime Contract Office that will be placed under the responsibility of a jointly owned company. The new company will have a four-member board of directors, with equal representation of Thales and DCN, and will be chaired by a DCN nominee. The purpose of the Prime Contract Office is to lead the PA2 programme from conception to completion. It would also be able to assist the studies for potential cooperation with the United Kingdom's future aircraft carrier programme, should this be desired by both governments. The shareholding of the new joint company will be DCN 65% and Thales 35%.
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Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $30 million contract to increase the performance and memory of the mission computer in the U.S. Air Force's B-52H bomber. "This mission computer upgrade improves the B-52H's ability to deploy new precision weapons, integrate future capabilities and will support the reliability and sustainability of the B-52H until 2040," said Frank C. Meyer, president of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration - Owego. Lockheed Martin will produce the mission computer, called the Avionics Control Unit, to replace the current AP-101C computers aboard the aircraft, and functional equivalent units, a commercial grade hardware piece used for maintenance and pilot training. The mission computer improvements are achieved under the B-52H Avionics Midlife Improvement contract awarded by the U.S. Air Force Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base, OK.
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The expendable launch vehicle industry is emerging from a sluggish market and a near-term resurgence seems likely. According to a recently released Forecast International market analysis, “The World Market for Expendable Launch Vehicles: 2004-2013,” launch industry revenues have risen over 60 percent – from $3.7 billion in 2002 to over $5.5 billion in 2003. Also, in 2003 seventeen new commercial geosynchronous communications satellites were ordered, compared with only three in 2002. Satellite industry officials also believe that demand will exceed capacity and the need to replace older satellites will push satellite orders to about 20 by 2006. This rate of production is then expected to remain steady for several years. The analysis projects that the world's launch vehicle manufacturers will produce approximately 742 Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV) from 2004-2013. While some 397 of these will be built in the 2004 to 2008 timeframe and only 345 from 2009 to 2013, current market conditions indicate that the difference in value of production between the first and second halves of the forecast period will be within $2 billion. The total value of the ELV market between 2004 and 2013 is expected to be just over $62 billion. In 2003 there were 63 launches, of which 47 were strictly government-funded missions. “Governments will continue to be the dominant customer of the launch industry – a trend that has been fully established,” said John Edwards, Forecast International space systems analyst. “It's a good thing too,” he added, “since government contracts have been the saving grace of launch providers during the doldrums of the commercial satellite market and nowhere is this more prevalent than in the United States.” The European space industry has long recognized the value of the guaranteed, lucrative government contracts enjoyed by U.S. manufacturers that serve as insurance to the bottom-line. While Europe is not expected to match U.S. government launch activity, Edwards said, “the current wave of satellite program consolidation and launch program restructuring within Europe will bring the region much closer to the more balanced military/commercial U.S. model.” The European Space Agency, in its Ariane 5 managerial position, is intent on establishing a unified space policy, and will likely push for minimum guaranteed launch contracts from its member nations. This bodes well for the Ariane 5, the Soyuz, Proton, and the upcoming Vega.
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Lockheed Martin has delivered a 56,000-cubic-foot tethered aerostat surveillance system to the U.S. Army for deployment in Iraq. The aerostat, equipped with various sensors, will provide a persistent surveillance capability in the defense of ground forces and high-value assets in Baghdad. Lockheed Martin integrated the aerostat, sensors, ground station and mooring system at its facility in Akron. The U.S. Army will test the aerostat surveillance system at Yuma Proving Grounds in Arizona before transporting it to Iraq. Lockheed Martin integrated and tested the 56K Aerostat Surveillance System in its Akron Airdock, where space allows short ascents to check out the mechanical operation of the mooring system and many other system components. The Airdock is 1,175 feet long, 325 feet wide and 210 feet high.
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A NASA developed technology that can automatically alert pilots of potentially dangerous turbulence will make its first evaluation flights on a commercial airliner. The idea behind NASA's Turbulence Prediction and Warning System (TPAWS) airborne radar is to give flight crews enough advance warning, so they can avoid turbulence or advise flight attendants and passengers to sit down and buckle up to avoid injury. Researchers at NASA's Langley Research Center (LaRC), Hampton, Va., developed TPAWS to detect turbulence associated with thunderstorms as part of the NASA Aviation Safety and Security Program. NASA teamed with Delta Air Lines, Atlanta; AeroTech Research, Hampton, Va.; and Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for the in-service evaluation of a production-prototype airborne radar unit with turbulence hazard prediction capabilities. Delta will install the TPAWS/Rockwell Collins radar unit on a Boeing 737-800 this summer. Delta flight crews will use and evaluate the technology during regularly scheduled flights in the U.S. and South America. The prototype is expected to fly for six to nine months.
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Jean-Cyrill Spinetta, Chairman and CEO of Air France was elected as Chairman of the International Air Transport Associations Board of Governors for 2004-2005. Spinetta takes over from Isao Kaneko, Chairman of Japan Airlines who ended his extra-ordinary two year term with the closing of IATAs 60th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Singapore.
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Lockheed Martin began field installation of Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) kits into the U.S. Air Force's fleet of C-5 Galaxy strategic airlifters on June 4. The first aircraft is a C-5B flown by crews from both the 436th Airlift Wing and the Reserve Associate 512th Airlift Wing here. The Air Force plans to modify all 112 aircraft in the C-5 fleet over the next several years. "The induction of this first aircraft marks a major program milestone, shifting from development to production," said June Shrewsbury, Lockheed Martin's vice president of Strategic Airlift. "We have successfully followed a structured development and testing plan over the past five years to reach this point. The combination of hardware and software in AMP provides an eight-fold improvement in avionics reliability while allowing Air Force crews to fly their C-5s unrestricted anywhere in the world."
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Leaders of the world's airlines committed to 100% implementation of e-ticketing by the end of 2007 as part of a bold initiative to re-engineer many of the air transport industry's processes to "simplify" the airline business process. "We will drive paper tickets out of the system, reduce airline costs and at the same time improve customer service," said Giovanni Bisignani, Director General and CEO of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). The decision came as a resolution of the Association's 60th Annual General Meeting taking place in Singapore. E-ticketing is one of four projects that IATA will lead. The others include Common-Use Self-Service Check-in Kiosks (CUSS), Bar Codes and Radio Frequency Baggage Tag Identification (RFID).
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NATO and Ukraine on 7 June signed a “Memorandum of Understanding on Strategic Airlift,” under which the alliance will be able to use Ukraine's Russian planes for transporting NATO troops, equipment, and supplies to distant operation areas, Ukrainian and international news agencies reported. The signing took place at NATO-Ukrainian consultations in Warsaw, which were attended by Ukrainian Defense Minister Yevhen Marchuk and NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer. Scheffer called for more democratic reforms in Ukraine on its declared path toward NATO membership. “Strengthening of democratic institutions, development of civil society, and guarantee of the rule of law are all crucial preconditions for bringing Ukraine closer to the fulfillment of its legitimate Euro-Atlantic integration [goal],” Scheffer said in Warsaw.
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The implementation of European Space Policy is moving forward as experts from Member States and international organisations meet to flesh out the main lines of a European Space Programme. Experts are meeting today to assess the EU's space and security capabilities and future needs. Discussions on the security dimension of Space Policy address satellite border control, conflict prevention, humanitarian missions, and fighting organised crime and terrorism. On 4 June, Member State experts gathered with European Commission and ESA officials to discuss the various elements of a European Space Programme. These elements include space science and technology, Earth observation, space navigation, satellite communication, space exploration, micro-gravity, launchers and spectrum policy related to space. Last Friday's meeting launched the implementation of the new Framework Agreement between the European Community and the European Space Agency. The Commission and ESA are due to propose, in early 2005, a comprehensive European Space Programme, which is meant to act as a coherent reference agenda for Europe's efforts in the space sector. “Space assets and capabilities increasingly become indispensable for realising the EU's objectives,” said European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin. “But the investments are too costly if we do not get more coherence and more cooperation at the European level and for different uses, be it for civil or security purposes. With the different groups representing national and European interests, we are undertaking a truly collective effort to define the EU's priority objectives for space investment and future use.”
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Space Imaging announced that it was awarded an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the acquisition of commercial satellite imagery. The industry contracts are for one year with two additional one-year options and have a threshold of $5 million dollars per year with a potential value of $15 million. Managed by the USGS Land Remote Sensing program, the contracts consolidate pricing and licensing under a lead civilian agency and are intended to be the baseline purchasing vehicle for federal, state and local government customers - much like the Pentagon's National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) ClearView contract. The federal, state and local geospatial community can use this contract for building a consistent, seamless geographic land base of the United States. The data will be used to support natural hazards and disasters response, homeland security, land and resource management, infrastructure planning and management, policy decision-making, and scientific study.
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SkyMax Travel is offering a new weekly charter flight from Frankfurt Hahn to Hurghada in Egypt. It will use an Airbus A320 for the service.
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JetBlue Airways announced it has signed a contract with Airbus to exercise future options on 30 new A320 aircraft. In addition to the 60 aircraft already delivered, the carrier now has 123 A320s on firm order backlog with options for a further 50 new aircraft. JetBlue expects to take delivery of these A320s at a rate of up to 17 aircraft per year until 2012. "As the sixth largest A320 operator in the world as measured by weekly departures, we're very excited to add an additional 30 Airbus aircraft to our fleet," said David Neeleman, CEO of JetBlue Airways. "We continue to see a strong demand for more flights from our loyal customer base. Today's announcement of 30 more IAE-powered A320s will help us meet that demand by providing the JetBlue experience to more customers around the country."
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Boeing and AirTran Airways celebrated delivery of the airline's first Next-Generation 737 with an airplane "pull for charity" at Seattle's Museum of Flight. The event featured 20 youths from the Atlanta-based CHRIS Kids, Inc., pulling the new 737-700 with airline crew members and executives, including AirTran Airways Chairman and CEO Joe Leonard, President and COO Bob Fornaro and Boeing President and CEO Harry C. Stonecipher. The group pulled the airplane 65 feet without mechanical assistance. In total, $65,000 for the charity was raised from Boeing, AirTran Airways, engine manufacturer CFM International and airplane leasing company GECAS. Hertz and Coca Cola also contributed to the award.
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The International Space Station (ISS) crew is spending its seventh week onboard the orbiting laboratory continuing to prepare for a spacewalk. ISS managers decided to reschedule the planning date for the spacewalk from June 15 to June 24. Formal management approval is expected next week. The rescheduling will move the activity into a better period for communications coverage and for the crew's workday. It also allows additional time for ground teams to continue to develop spacewalk procedures. Managers plan to review all preparations for the spacewalk at a normal Stage Operations Readiness Review scheduled on June 21. Expedition 9 Commander Gennady Padalka and NASA ISS Science Officer Mike Fincke gathered tools and began work with their spacesuits this week to prepare for the spacewalk. The spacewalk plan is to restore power to one of the complex's Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs), devices that help maintain the Station's orientation as it orbits Earth.
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Data Link Solutions (DLS), a BAE SYSTEMS/Rockwell Collins company, has completed deliveries of Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Fighter Data Link (FDL) terminals under a fixed price production contract awarded by the U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) in San Diego, Calif. in September 1996. A total of 832 FDL terminals, providing secure, high capacity, jam-resistant data communications capabilities, were delivered under this effort. The terminals were procured for deployment on a number of U.S. Air Force platforms including F-15A, B, C, D, and E, X-45 UCAV and KC-135 Tanker aircraft as part of the Roll On Beyond Line-of-Sight Equipment (ROBE) program.
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Edouard Gaillat, President, Eurocopter Canada Limited, handed over the keys to a new EC 130 helicopter to Mr. Barry O'Brien, General Manager, Aviation Services for the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR). “Our decision to evaluate the 130 was easy”, said Mr. O'Brien. “We needed a helicopter for forest fire initial attack, and the EC 130 meets our specialized criteria. The large cabin also provides remarkable visibility and is especially quiet with the shrouded tail rotor. These are very important features in our line of work”. The EC 130 will be engaged in utility type operations. Along with the initial attack operations OMNR is planning to use the EC 130 in Ministry of Natural Resource activities including: wildlife surveys, fish planting, reconnaissance, compliance monitoring, remote sensing and forest fire management.
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RAFAEL Armament Development Authority Ltd has announced the release of a new member of the SPIKE Family of 4th generation multi-purpose guided missiles – the Penetration, Blast and Fragmentation (PBF) version of its well-known SPIKE-ER. RAFAEL developed the PBF version of the SPIKE-ER to fulfill the needs of its customers for an effective / minimal collateral damage weapon system for urban and anti-terror warfare, low intensity conflicts, and high value targets.
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The proliferation of man portable air defense systems (MANPADS) among terrorist organizations has increased the security threat to both civil and combat aircrafts. These easy-to-use, shoulder-fired missile systems with their ability to counter active infrared (IR) jammers have proven to be desirable weapons for terrorists and insurgent combatants. Lessons learned from conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Chechnya are compelling air forces across the world to procure sophisticated IR counter measure (IRCM) systems or upgrade their existing ones -- especially for aircrafts operating in a low-level flying environment. The procurement of IRCM systems is likely to gain momentum in the coming years, leading to overall market growth. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, World Electronic Warfare Self-Protection Systems and Decoys Markets, reveals that this market generated revenues worth $3.89 billion in 2003 and is likely to reach $4.22 billion in 2009.
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The European Commission has granted clearance under the Merger Regulation to the acquisition by Thales (France), a company active in the field of professional electronics and defence systems, and Diehl Stiftung & Co (Germany), a diversified industrial group, of joint control of Diehl Luftfahrtelektronic (DLE). DLE is currently solely controlled by Diehl Stiftung & Co and is active in the manufacturing of civil aviation equipment as well as defence technology products, particularly in the field of aircraft lighting and cabin systems as well as electronic equipment for pyrotechnical simulation.
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Boeing started assembling its Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) X-45C aircraft today, loading the aft “carry-through” frame into a holding fixture inside the company's St. Louis manufacturing facility. The 86-pound aluminum part, which spans the back end of the vehicle, will soon be mated with the two X-45 engine keels. Boeing previously built two X-45A vehicles, which are currently being flight-tested at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The much larger X-45C will be 39 feet long with a 49-foot wingspan and is scheduled for first flight in mid-2006.
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FMV has completed the sale of the Swedish Air Force former training aircraft SK 61. FMV has signed a contract with the Hungarian company AVIA-Rent Ltd from Budapest. The contract relates to the sale of 26 former training aircraft Scottish Bulldog, in the Swedish Air Force named SK 61, and a small quantity of spare parts. Due to the specific kind of materiel a great effort has been put into getting a competent contractor to ensure the further use of the materiel. The contract was awarded on the basis of competitive bidding.
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Two Boeing X-45A unmanned aircraft taxied together recently when they moved under their own power in a coordinated ground operation at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. A single pilot-operator controlled both of the Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems (J-UCAS) X-45A technology air vehicles as they demonstrated a series of maneuvers, including 90-degree turns and turnarounds, at speeds of up to 20 knots. The two X-45 aircraft autonomously maintained their positions relative to each other through an inter-vehicle communication link. “This taxi exercise was crucial in our path towards flying the X-45 aircraft in coordinated flight this summer,” said Darryl Davis, Boeing Joint Unmanned Combat Air Systems X-45 program manager. “Our test team even introduced several failure modes and the air vehicles responded autonomously by ensuring proper separation was maintained.”
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Alcoa announced that its Alcoa Mill Products business has opened the Alcoa Aerospace Center (AAC) Shanghai, which will supply aerospace material with value-added services to aerospace customers in China and the Asia Pacific region. AAC Shanghai expands on the series of service centers Alcoa has established in Europe and North America to support Alcoa's aerospace customers. It will be capable of providing just-in-time deliveries, exact quantities and value-added services such as cut-to-size, kitting, and other processing services requested by customers. AAC Shanghai will be housed in the 40,000 sq. ft. (3,716 sq. meters) Alcoa Warehouse Services Shanghai Limited facility located in the Wai Gao Qiao Free Trade Zone area near Shanghai, China. +++
International Launch Services (ILS) has received authorization from the U.S. Air Force to begin integration of the Space Test Program-1 (STP-1) mission on the Atlas V rocket, scheduled to launch in September 2006. This multi-payload mission will launch seven separate satellites and perform a series of on-orbit maneuvers to deliver these satellites to their respective orbital locations. By giving the go-ahead, the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center is making a firm commitment to launch one of 18 missions assigned to ILS and the Lockheed Martin-built Atlas V rocket under the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) Program. Thus far the Air Force has converted five of those assignments into confirmed missions.
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Swiss International Air Lines will serve London City Airport from Basel from August 30. The flights to and from City Airport, which is conveniently close to London's central business district, will be operated thrice daily on weekdays and daily at the weekend using Saab 2000 equipment. The current Basel – London (Heathrow) services will be withdrawn from the start of the 2004/05 winter schedules.
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