Week in review (10/6 to 10/19)

Is the Airbus jetliner plant in Mobile, Ala., safe now from the threat of tariffs being placed on major components that are shipped there?

Yes, for now at least.

The cover story of the October issue of the Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor Newsletter focuses on the Airbus operation in Mobile, and details what led up to the decision earlier this month by the World Trade Organization that allowed the United States to impose tariffs on $7.5 billion worth of goods from Europe.

As the story points out, major parts from Europe that are used to build the jetliners in Mobile are not on the list of goods subjected to tariffs. But that doesn’t mean it’s free and clear. The list can change.

The newsletter also has a story about the Navy's plans to replace the TH-57 training helicopter at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Fla. Three companies – Leonardo, Airbus and Bell – are competing for the right to build the trainers. All are modified versions of commercially available helicopters.

Depending on which company wins, the trainers will be assembled in Philadelphia, Ozark, Ala., or Columbus, Miss. And one of the companies, Leonardo, has already said that if it wins, it will set up a support operation at Milton’s new Whiting Aviation Park, just outside Naval Air Station Whiting Field.

There’s also a story about the Unmanned Systems Center in Moss Point, Miss., an operation that was launched in 2006 and has slowly grown satisfying the needs of the nation’s military for unmanned systems.

Subscribers found the October issue in their inboxes, but non-subscribers can visit our website and download a copy of the eight-page newsletter. It’s free of charge, thanks to the support of our underwriters. (Post)

Speaking of NAS Whiting Field, Training Air Wing Five at the base will host portions of the Naval Helicopter Association Gulf Coast 2019 Fleet Fly In next week. It's designed to provide a week of training and knowledge sharing with student aviators so they can make informed decisions as they move forward in their aviation careers.

A number of aircraft including helicopters and fixed wing airframes such as the MH-60R and S, MH-53, AH-1Z, H-65, MV-22, and several civil aircraft are expected to participate. (Post)

We’re nearing the end of 2019 and we have just one more issue before we start the new year of 2020. Our final issue of the year will take a look at some of the key aerospace events that occurred in the Gulf Coast region.

But we’ll also take a look at what we can expect in 2020. We are pretty sure about some of the things that will occur – the test of the core stage of the Space Launch System at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the first A220 built in Mobile, Ala., will be finished.

But those are the obvious things. We’ll tell you a lot more to expect. We’ll be right with some, wrong with others. And there’s also the stuff that will come down the pike that we won’t see coming.

If you have any thoughts on what might happen in 2020, drop me a line and we’ll work it into our story.