Saturday, May 28, 2016

Week in review (5/22 to 5/28)

While you're enjoying your long holiday weekend, please don't forget the reason. Monday is Memorial Day, a day to honor those who have given their all in service to the nation. Take time to give thanks for their sacrifices. They deserve nothing less than our respect and appreciation.

On a far less solemn note, as this month draws to a close, now is a good time as any to remind you that the June edition of the bimonthly Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter is coming up. The eight-page newsletter, designed to keep you posted on significant aerospace and aviation activities in this region, will be published June 7.

Meanwhile, work continues on our July 5 issue of the Gulf Coast Reporters’ League Business Quarterly magazine. It's a special tourism issue that will take you on some fascinating road trips in the Gulf Coast region. We'll take you on a history tour, a science tour and much much more. We feel pretty confident this issue will be a keeper.

Both the newsletter and the magazine are free for readers, thanks to our newsletter underwriters and our magazine advertisers. Both are available electronically and can be delivered directly to your inbox. To sign up for either, send me an email and tell me which one you want, one or both, and I’ll add you to the distribution list.

Now here's the week in review:

Airbus
The first A321 jetliner built in the United States is now earning money for JetBlue. The first revenue flight was No. 611 from JFK airport in New York to Las Vegas on May 14. Since then, it has been to Orlando, Tampa, Barbados, Fort Lauderdale, Puerto Rico and San Diego. The plane, nicknamed “BluesMobile,” was delivered to JetBlue April 25 in a ceremony at the Airbus campus at the Mobile Aeroplex. (Post)


Bases
A nine-year-old got behind the controls of an Air Force F-35 simulator earlier this month as part of a 26-year-old program to reach out to the community and for children to experience a day in the life of an Air Force pilot. Christian Loafman was diagnosed with progressive infantile scoliosis and autism, and he’s had multiple surgeries.

Two weeks ago he was chosen as the 33rd Fighter Wing’s first F-35A Pilot for a Day at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. His day was May 18, and the affair included getting a flight suit with his name and 58th Squadron patch. He also saw a static display of an F-35 with his name on it before getting at the controls of a simulator. (Post)


Contracts
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $20 million modification to a previously awarded contract for the low-rate initial production Lot 8 non-recurring special tooling/special test equipment. This equipment will be utilized in the manufacture of general material bulkheads in support of the F-35 aircraft. Work will be performed in Ohio, Texas, Montana, Canada and California, and is expected to be completed in December 2017. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Miss., was awarded a $302.2 million contract for logistics services in support of the C-12 utility lift aircraft, including post-production, full commercial-type aircraft maintenance, logistics support, and materials for Marine Corps Reserve C-12 (UC-12B/F/M/W) and Navy TC-12B trainer aircraft. New Orleans is one of the work sites. Others are in Texas, Maryland, Bahrain, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Japan, South Carolina, Arizona, North Carolina, Virginia and California and is expected to be completed in July 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, is the contracting activity.

Saturday, May 14, 2016

Week in review (5/8 to 5/14)

If you're a regular reader of this column, no doubt you've noticed that I've had weeks where I didn’t post anything. An explanation is in order.

Early this year we launched a new business quarterly magazine, a startup that always takes a lot of time and attention. Then we started developing internship programs with area colleges for that magazine.

This weekly column ended up suffering. And it will continue to do so for a while.

But since this column was always intended to be a recap of the week's aerospace activities, you can always get that information by signing up for the daily Gulf Coast aerospace feed. It's not like getting the column, but you'll still be kept informed.

That said, here's your week in review:


Airbus
Airbus will deliver a new A321 jetliner to American Airlines Tuesday at the Airbus campus in the Mobile Aeroplex. It's the second A321 off the assembly line at the Airbus U.S. Manufacturing Facility. The event, scheduled for 9:30 a.m. CDT, is not open to the public. American Airlines operates the world's largest fleet of Airbus aircraft and the world's largest A321 fleet. The Airbus plant delivered its first jetliner to JetBlue in March. (Post)


Acquisition
Tyonek Services Group Inc. has acquired Selex Galileo's Avionics System Integration facility in Stennis International Airport in Kiln, Miss. The company will be named Tyonek Services Overhaul Facility – Stennis LLC (TSOF-S) and is expected to create at least 26 new jobs over the next two years. The general aviation airport is 1,691 acres with an 8,500-foot grooved runway and more than 340,000 square feet of surfaced aprons and taxiways. (Post)


New positions
The former commanding officer at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., Capt. Keith Hoskins, will join the Gulf Power team June 1. Hoskins, a former Blue Angels pilot, will serve as the major accounts and military affairs manager leading a team that serves the company’s largest customers. Hoskins is replacing Ellis Oswald who is retiring. Hoskins commanded NAS Pensacola for three years and served in the Navy for 27 years. During his Navy career, Hoskins also was commanding officer of Strike Force Squadron 15 and as national director of NROTC at Navy Service Training Command. (Post)

-- Speaking of new jobs, the Air Force chief of staff announced that Col. Sean M. Farrell, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, is being assigned from commander, 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field, Fla., to director, strategic plans, programs and requirements, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field. Also, Col. William G. Holt II, who has been selected to the grade of brigadier general, is being assigned from commander, 352d Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, RAF Mildenhall, England, to director of operations, Headquarters Air Force Special Operations Command, Hurlburt Field. (Post)


Contracts
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.
, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $10.6 million
modification to exercise an option on a delivery order that was previously issued against a basic ordering agreement. This option procures 61 retrofit kits to correct deficiencies that preclude aircraft mission readiness in support of the Marine F-35 Strike Fighter aircraft initial operating capabilities. One of the bases where the work will be performed is Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. also was awarded a $31.1 million incentive modification to a previously awarded advance contract. This modification provides for long lead time materials, parts, components and effort required to maintain the planned production schedule for eight F-35A low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35A air vehicles for The Netherlands. Work will be performed in Fort Worth; El Segundo, Calif.; Warton, United Kingdom; Orlando, Fla.; Nashua, N.H.; Baltimore, Md.; and Cameri, Italy, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., was awarded a $104.6 million contract for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) program. Work will be performed at Tucson and is expected to be complete by Feb. 28, 2017. This contract involves foreign military sales to Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia and Romania. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.