Airline's first month better than expected

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. - Nearly a month after Vision Airlines started offering service at Northwest Florida Regional Airport, sales have exceeded expectations. The marketing and business development director for the airline said occupancy rates for the flights are good. Vision Airlines offers service to Niagara Falls, N.Y., and Miami, and plans to announce new destinations later this month. (Source: Northwest Florida Daily News, 01/10/11) Previous story

Week in review column

When it comes to defense spending, the Gulf Coast region is all ears. That's not surprising, given that the region between South Louisiana and Northwest Florida has a wealth of military bases and activities, large and small contractors and businesses that rely on the military. It's a safe bet a lot of folks were paying attention when Defense Secretary Robert Gates during the week announced some additional spending cuts. (Source: Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor, 01/08/11)

PW engine powers biofuels test

A Pratt and Whitney F100-PW-220 engine recently powered its first biofuel test flight of an Air Force F-15 Eagle at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. This flight test, powered by alternative jet fuel, comes on the heels of engine ground testing earlier this year at Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee. The Air Force's goal is to acquire half of its domestic jet fuel requirements from alternate sources by 2016. This is Pratt and Whitney's second military engine to successfully complete ground and flight tests using biofuels. A C-17 Globemaster III powered by four Pratt and Whitney F117 engines completed testing in August. Similar tests are planned for the F119. Pratt and Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company. (Source: Pratt and Whitney via PRNewswire, 01/06/11)

Date set for Orbital's COTS mission

NASA has set Dec. 14 as the target launch date for Orbital Sciences Corp.'s Commercial Orbital Transportation System cargo demonstration mission. The company says it continues to make progress toward attaining safety clearance for the mission, in which its Cygnus spacecraft will dock with the International Space Station. Tests of the Aerojet AJ26 engine that will power the first stage also continue at NASA's Stennis Space Center, Miss., where engineers are preparing for a third hot-fire test of the engine following earlier runs in November and December. "Every month we'll be bringing another AJ26 through Stennis," said Carl Walz, Orbital's vice president of human spaceflight operations. (Source: Aviation Week, 01/06/11)

DoD "efficiencies" announced

Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates today announced a series of moves designed to save the Department of Defense more than $150 billion over the next five years by reducing overhead and cutting excess and troubled programs. The bulk of the savings will be used in areas such as shipbuilding, long-range strike, missile defense, intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance and more. Among other things, the Air Force will buy more simulators for F-35 Joint Strike Fighter air crew training. But the Marine Corps short take-off and vertical landing variant of the F-35 is being placed on a two-year probation because of testing problems, putting the Marine variant to the back of the overall JSF production sequence. In addition, the Navy will develop a new generation of sea-borne unmanned strike and surveillance aircraft. (Source: DoD, 01/06/11) Gulf Coast note: The Gulf Coast is a major military shipbuilding center; Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the JSF training center; Moss Point, Miss., builds portions of unmanned aircraft.

Marine F-35 put on probation

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is putting the Marine Corps version of the F-35 on a two-year probation to give Lockheed Martin more time to demonstrate its reliability, according to two defense officials and a lawmaker. It's part of Gates' plan to save $102 billion in military spending through 2016. There are three variants of the F-35, but the short take-off and vertical landing version is the most complex and has had more problems. (Source: Bloomberg, eCanadaNow, 01/06/11) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the site of the F-35 training center.

Blue Angels in El Centro for winter

The Navy's Blue Angels flight demonstration team arrived early this week at Naval Air Facility El Centro, Calif., the team's winter training facility. The team is based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., but does its winter training in California. That training wraps up in mid-March. The team will perform in more than 37 shows this year, with the season ending in Pensacola Nov. 12. (Source: KXO radio, 01/04/11)

Pensacola marks aviation centennial

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Pensacola is celebrating a century of naval aviation, with a kickoff and party slated for Jan. 20 at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Other activities during the year include Aviation Week in May with the arrival of the USS Iwo Jima and a special performance by the Blue Angels flight demonstration team. The Blue Angels will also perform at Pensacola Beach in July. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 01/05/11)

Flight academy gets grant

PENSACOLA, Fla. - The National Flight Academy received a $1.7 million grant to buy 42 flight simulators. The grant is from the Emil Buehler Perpetual Trust. The $26.5 million flight academy is being built next to the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola. The academy is designed to interest young people in science, technology, engineering and math careers, including aerospace. (Source: Pensacola News Journal, 01/05/11) Previous story

Contract: EADS, $52.9M

EADS North American Defense, Arlington, Va., was awarded a $52,509,992 firm-fixed-price contract to provide for 12 UH-72A Light Utility Helicopters, 12 Airborne Radio Communication systems and two Engine Inlet Barrier Filters. Work will be performed in Columbus, Miss., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2012. The U.S. Army Aviation & Missile Command, Contracting Center, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 01/04/11)

F-35 STOVL engine hits milestone

Pratt and Whitney's F135 engine used in the vertical take-off and landing version of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter passed a testing milestone known as initial service release. That means the engine is now certified as the production configuration. The company received initial service release for the conventional take off and landing/carrier variant (CTOL/CV) in February 2010. The Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) version of the F-35 will be used by the Marine Corps. Pratt and Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company. (Source: Pratt and Whitney, 01/03/11) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the JSF training center.

Moret sees new tenants at Michoud

Louisiana's chief economic development official told the Press Club in Baton Rouge that several entities are interested in locating at Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. But Stephen Moret declined to name names. Michoud is NASA's huge manufacturing facility that built the external tanks for the Space Shuttle. At its height it had 5,000 workers, but now has 1,000 as Lockheed Martin ends its shuttle work. "We will attract thousands of private-sector jobs," said Moret, secretary of the Department of Economic Development. Turbine-maker Blade Dynamics announced last year it would set up shop at Michoud. (Source: New Orleans Times-Picayune, 01/04/11)

Week in review column

Aerospace is the focus on this column, but it's hard not to pay attention to the major Navy contract that was awarded during the week to Austal USA of Mobile, Ala. The contract to build littoral combat ships underscores the importance of shipbuilding to the Gulf Coast region. But beyond that, it shows contracts can be split between competitors and highlights the crucial role companies with foreign roots play in the U.S. defense industry. (Source: Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor, 01/01/11)

January sci-tech newsletter available

The latest issue of Alliance Insight, a quarterly newsletter highlighting science and technology in South Mississippi, is now available. The January issue takes a look at what's in store for South Mississippi in 2011. Also included: feature stories about NASA's Stennis Space Center, the Infinity Science Center, South Mississippi's airports and the Tradition planned community. The newsletter is produced by the Mississippi Gulf Coast Alliance for Economic Development. (Source: Alliance Insight, January 2011)

Navy trainer crashes, nobody hurt

PENSACOLA, Fla. - A training jet out of Naval Air Station Pensacola crashed during a training flight Wednesday morning, but both people aboard safely ejected. The T-45 Goshawk jet from Training Squadron 86 went down in a swamp about 20 miles east of Tallahassee, Fla. The Navy is investigating the cause of the crash. (Sources: WEAR-TV, Pensacola News Journal, 12/29/10)

NASA awards agency contract

NASA awarded a 10-year contract to HP Enterprise Services of Herndon, Va., for agency consolidated end-user services, or ACES, with a maximum value of $2.5 billion and four-year base period with two three-year option periods. The contract will be managed at the NASA Shared Services Center at Stennis Space Center, Miss. The ACES contract will develop a long-term outsourcing arrangement with the commercial sector to provide and manage most of NASA's personal computing hardware, software, mobile information technology services, peripherals and accessories, associated end-user services, and supporting infrastructure. HP Enterprise Services will provide, manage, secure and maintain these essential IT services for the agency. The NSSC is a partnership among NASA, Computer Sciences Corp. and the states of Mississippi and Louisiana. The NSSC performs selected business activities for all 10 NASA centers. (Source: NASA, 12/27/10)

Week in review column

More political maneuvering surrounding the Air Force aerial tanker issue, a milestone for a rocket engine that will be tested at Stennis Space Center, a lost service at one airport, and a decision of an aircraft manufacturer to stay put rather than move to Louisiana highlighted the aerospace activity for the Gulf Coast during the week. (Source: Gulf Coast Aerospace Corridor, 12/25/10)

Hearings on tanker slated

The Senate Armed Services Committee will hold hearings next month on the release of proprietary data in the $40 billion aerial tanker contest. The Air Force mistakenly sent material intended for Boeing to EADS North America and material for EADS to Boeing. Sen. Carl Levin also plans to hold hearings Feb. 1 to review the procurement process. (Source: Reuters, Wall Street Journal, 12/23/10)

Tanker bill causes clash

An 11th hour insertion of a provision that would force the Air Force to consider subsidies probably won't remain when the bill goes to the Senate. But it caused a clash between Boeing and EADS backers. Boeing backers want it to improve the chances for the company in the competition to build tankers for the Air Force. EADS backers say it's an underhanded attempt to tilt the contest. EADS plans to assemble the tankers in Mobile, Ala., if the company wins. (Source: Mobile Press-Register, 12/22/10)

PW completes subassembly

CANOGA PARK, Calif. - Pratt and Whitney Rocketdyne completed another major subassembly for NASA's first J-2X rocket engine. The turbopump assembly follows the successful assembly of the oxidizer turbopump, which delivers high-pressure liquid oxygen to the main injector. The engine’s first hot-fire tests are planned for early 2011 at Stennis Space Center, Miss. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne is headquartered in Canoga Park and has facilities in Huntsville, Ala.; Kennedy Space Center, Fla.; West Palm Beach, Fla.; and Stennis Space Center. (Source: PRNewswire, 12/21/10, NASA, 12/22/10) Previous story