Pensacola getting Southwest

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Pensacola International Airport's Air Tran will be converting to Southwest Airlines. The change will occur over the next several months. Southwest bought AirTran in May, and there has been a lot of anticipation about what will happen in markets served by AirTran. Pensacola's airport is among 22 non-Southwest destinations that the company will keep. A half dozen other cities will see service end. Pensacola had been trying to get Southwest for years, including several years ago when the airliner chose Panama City over Pensacola. (Sources: Pensacola News Journal, WEAR-TV, 01/20/12) Southwest also serves New Orleans.

F-35B probation ends

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta today said the probation on the Marine Corps version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been lifted, according to the AP. The probation was put in place last year by then-Secretary Robert Gates because of technical issues of the most complex version of the F-35. The program has been plagued with cost overruns and development delays. (Source: AP, 01/20/12) Gulf Coast note: Lockheed Martin is building three versions of the plane, the F-35A for the Air Force, the F-35C for the Navy and the F-35B for the Marines. Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the JSF training center. It currently has three F-35B and six F-35A jets. Previous story on probation

SSC to show off J-2X

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- NASA's Stennis Space Center has invited the media to take a look next week at the facilities used to test the J-2X engines that will be used with the Space Launch System. On Wednesday they'll see the test control center, the A-1 Test Stand where the J-2X powerpack will be tested soon, as well as the facility where the final assembly is done on the J-2X. The SLS will launch the Orion crew capsule that will take astronauts into deep space. NASA officials will provide a briefing on the SLS and J-2X and what goes into testing the engine. (Source: NASA, 01/20/12)

Eglin gets another F-35

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- A ninth F-35, this one a Marine Corps version, has arrived at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., after a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. BF-7 was piloted by U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Joseph Bachmann. Eglin, home of the F-35 Integrated Training Center, now has the largest F-35 fleet in the Department of Defense. BF-7 is assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501 with the host 33rd Fighter Wing. The Marine Corps variant, F-35B, is a short takeoff/vertical landing version of the plane. (Source: Lockheed Martin, 01/19/12)

F-35 EIS to be released

The Air Force will file a draft Environmental Impact Statement Jan. 20 for the proposed establishment of a second F-35 pilot training center. The Air Force and Air National Guard bases under consideration are Boise Air Terminal Airport Air Guard Station, Idaho; Holloman Air Force Base, N.M.; Luke AFB, Ariz.; and Tucson International Airport Air Guard Station, Ariz. Luke is the Air Force's preferred alternative, but no final decision has been made. The draft statement opens a 45-day public comment period ending March 14. There will be 13 public hearings near the bases. (Source: AFNS, 01/19/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the initial training site.

New career field pilots graduate

BEALE AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- Two members of Beale Air Force Base were recognized as the first RQ-4 Global Hawk pilots in the new 18X career field during a winging Jan. 13. They began training in October 2011 after a decision to establish undergraduate training for remotely piloted aircraft pilots across the service. The new career field is designated for RPA pilots coming from non-rated career fields as well as newly commissioned officers. The pilots will begin flying operational and humanitarian missions immediately in support of combatant commanders worldwide. (Source: AFNS, 01/19/12) Gulf Coast note: Global Hawks are built in part in Moss Point, Miss.; military aviators are trained in Northwest Florida; the Coast Guard trains unmanned systems pilots at the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Ala.

Controller blamed for close call

GULFPORT, Miss. -- The National Transportation Safety Board found a near-midair collision at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport in June was likely caused by errors made by an air-traffic controller. He cleared a Cessna for takeoff and 16 seconds later cleared a Continental Express jet to take off on a different runway. While both aircraft were about 300 feet above the airfield the jet passed in front of the Cessna, coming as close as about 300 feet. (Source: Sun Herald, 01/18/12)

F-35 has tailhook issue

Lockheed Martin is working on a solution to a problem with the tailhook on the F-35C, officials said. According to published reports, the carrier variant of the F-35 can't land on a carrier because the tailhook is too short, too close to the landing gear and can't grab arresting cables. Leaked Pentagon documents claim the design flaw has caused eight simulated landings to fail. (Source: Daily Telegraph, 01/16/12) Lockheed Martin has traced the problem to the tailhook design and efforts to fix the problem under way. Tom Burbage, Lockheed program manager, said the problem is limited to the hook itself. The hook system is being modified and tests will be done in the second quarter of the year. (Source: Navy Times, 01/17/12) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the site of the F-35 training center.

Airbus thinking of U.S. plant?

Airbus may add a final assembly line in the United States to increase visibility in the largest market for single-aisle planes, according to one executive. Airbus parent, EADS, would have had an assembly line in the U.S. in Mobile, Ala., had it not lost the aerial refueling tanker competition to Boeing. Airbus currently has final assembly lines in France, Germany and China. The comment about a possible U.S. assembly line came from Hans Peter Ring, chief financial officer of EADS, in an interview with Bloomberg. (Source: Bloomberg, 01/17/12) Meanwhile, Airbus is adding fuselage work in Wichita, Kan. Airbus North American Engineering Inc. said it's looking to hire 30 new engineers to work at its Wichita headquarters. The Wichita site, which has primarily done wing engineering since it opened in 2002, will now have some fuselage design work on the A350-1000 program. (Source: Wichita Business Journal, 01/17/12) Previous posts of interest: Airbus, Boeing see demand increase; Shelby: Airbus still eyeing Mobile; Boeing leaving Wichita

Eglin accomplishments noted

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The commander of the Air Armament Center at Eglin Air Force Base issued a commentary Tuesday about the base's accomplishments in 2011. Maj. Gen. Kenneth Merchant listed the arrival of the first F-35 fighter and bed down of the Army's 7th Special Forces Group. He also cited the base's rating of excellent in an operational readiness inspection along with several other excellence awards. Merchant said the 46th Test Wing verified the performance of multiple Air Force and Joint weapon systems, aircraft avionics, aircraft survivability, and command, control, communication and computer systems. It oversaw about 15,000 ground, flight test, and training missions supporting 689 programs. (Source: Eglin Air Force Base, 01/17/12) Note: Previous post on changes at Eglin

Florida targets UAVs

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. -- Two speakers at the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council's symposium Friday said the field of unmanned aerial systems is a target area for the state and Northwest Florida. Gray Swoope, president and CEO of Enterprise Florida, said the development and operation of unmanned vehicles is one of the fastest growing fields in the country. Mark Bontrager, vice president of Space Florida, said the federal government soon will designate six areas of the country for unmanned air flights, and he hopes one or more will be in Florida. The EDC already has made unmanned vehicles a priority and created a group last year focused on bringing more development to the area. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/13/12)

Two agencies push STEM training

For NASA and the Navy, ensuring there's a pool of talent versed in science, technology, engineering and math is crucial, and both agencies have programs in place to pique the interest of the next generation of workers. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, with a center at Stennis Space Center, Miss., and the Navy, a tenant at SSC, are reaching Mississippi students through several programs. Between January and November 2011, nearly 1,000 educators and 10,000 students have been served through SSC programs. And this year the Navy will launch "Mission Ocean," a year-long submarine-related program. (Source: Alliance Insight, "NASA, Navy push STEM training," January 2012) Full newsletter

Interest in SSC rising

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. -- The announcement in early December that Blue Origin of Kent, Wash., would test its engines at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., was the latest in a series of stories over the past few months that point to an intriguing future for the rocket propulsion test center. Stennis Space Center Director Patrick Scheuermann said word is getting out about the test stands, the land available for development and the expertise at SSC, and commercial companies are showing interest. "We had been hearing on sort of an infrequent basis," Scheuermann said about companies interested in working with SSC, "but in the last couple of years the frequency has picked up quite a bit." SSC is home not only to NASA, but a host of other federal and state science and technology operations. (Source: Alliance Insight, Companies looking at SSC, January 2012) Full newsletter

Would-be astronauts sign up

Applications close at the end of the month for a new group of astronauts to fly NASA's Orion capsule to points still to be decided. So far more than 1,300 people have applied, comparable to the response NASA received from its calls for space shuttle crews, according to Aviation Week. The capsule, along with the heavy-lift Space Launch System, is envisioned as being able to support missions to a variety of destination. The first Orion flight on an SLS, tentatively set for 2017, probably will go around the Moon, and the first flight with a crew, in 2021, may follow suit. It's also possible that the capsule will dock with the International Space Station, as a backup crew-transport vehicle to the private spacecraft under development. (Source: Aviation Week, 01/13/12) Gulf Coast note: Orion and portions of the SLS are being built at Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans; the propulsion systems for SLS are being tested at Stennis Space Center, Miss.

Two rivals have record year

Boeing and Airbus had a record year for aircraft deliveries in 2011, with combined deliveries totaling more than 1,000 jets for the first time. The latest orders included confirmation of a 44-plane Airbus deal from Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris and an order for 10 Boeing 787 Dreamliners from an unidentified buyer. The two rivals increased deliveries to airlines by around 3 percent versus 2010, and have set out plans for record production of short-haul passenger jets to meet demand from emerging markets. (Source: Reuters, 01/12/12) Previous post on expected growth. Gulf Coast note: Boeing and Airbus both have operations in the region.

Engine moves under way

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The relocation of the RS-25D space shuttle main engine inventory from Kennedy Space Center's Engine Shop in Cape Canaveral, Fla., to Stennis Space Center, Miss., is under way. The RS-25D flight engines will be used in NASA's Space Launch System, the new heavy-lift launch vehicle that will expand human presence beyond low-Earth orbit and enable new missions of exploration across the solar system. SLS will carry the Orion spacecraft, its crew, cargo, equipment and scientific experiments to destinations in deep space. "The relocation of RS-25D engine assets represents a significant cost savings to the SLS Program by consolidating SLS engine assembly and test operations at a single facility," said William Gerstenmaier, NASA's Associate Administrator for Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate. The 15 RS-25D engines at Kennedy are being transported on the 700-mile journey using existing transportation and processing procedures that were used to move engines between Kennedy and Stennis during the Space Shuttle Program. (Source: NASA, 01/12/12) Previous post

SAIC gets NASA contract

Science Applications International Corp. was awarded a prime contract to build out the Facilities Management Office at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. The award is for construction phase services, value engineering and total building commissioning services. The follow-on contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a contract value of more than $11 million if all options are exercised. Work will be done at MSFC and NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La. SAIC is based in McLean, Va. (Source: PRNewswire, Washington Technology, 01/11/12)

39 Lakotas ordered

The Army has awarded EADS North America a $212.7 million contract for 39 UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopters. Thirty-two of them will be produced in the Army's Security and Support Battalion configuration and will be used by the National Guard nationwide. EADS North America has already delivered 198 UH-72A Lakotas to the Army along with five H-72A versions to the Navy for test pilot training. The Lakotas are built at EADS North America's American Eurocopter facility in Columbus, Miss. The S&S Battalion MEP was integrated and tested at American Eurocopter's Grand Prairie, Texas facility. The program of record calls for 345 UH-72A Lakotas to be delivered to the Army and Army National Guard through 2015, along with five already delivered to the Navy. (Source: EADS, 01/10/12) Gulf Coast note: EADS also has operations in Mobile, Ala.

Marine F-35s now at Eglin

Marine F-35B over Eglin. U.S. Air Force photo

The first two Lockheed Martin production model F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft were delivered to Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Wednesday. The two jets are assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing's Marine Fighter/Attack Training Squadron 501 residing with the host 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin. The aircraft, BF-6 and BF-8, made a 90-minute flight from Fort Worth, Texas. Both fighters will be used for pilot and maintainer training at the new F-35 Integrated Training Center. Eglin now has eight F-35s. (Source: PRNewswire, 01/11/12)

Keesler cutting more positions

BILOXI, Miss. -- Keesler Air Force Base is eliminating another 38 civilian positions, base officials said Wednesday. It's the second round of cuts in two months. In November the base said it was eliminating 68 positions from the 1,607 civilian authorizations in the 81st Training Wing and 403rd Wing. The Air Force is offering another round of voluntary separation incentive pay and voluntary early retirement authority programs. Keesler is a major technical training center for the Air Force, including cyber security. (Sources: Sun Herald, WLOX-TV, 01/11/12)