Auto Veteran to Head Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier has brought in an automotive industry veteran to head its aerospace division, replacing Pierre Beaudoin who is taking over from his father Laurent as chief executive of the parent company. Guy Hachey, who has spent 30 years with General Motors and its parts offshoot Delphi, will take over fully as president and chief operating officer of Bombardier Aerospace on 4 June.
At the same time, Bombardier has reshuffled its senior aerospace team, following the resignation of business aircraft president Pierre Cote. After almost a decade heading regional aircraft, Steve Ridolfi will replace Cote at business aircraft. Gary Scott, until now running the CSeries programme, becomes president of a new entity, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, combining the CSeries unit and and regional aircraft. James Hoblyn is appointed president Bombardier Aircraft Services.
DARPA Awards Vulture Design Contracts
Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing and Lockheed Martin will each develop designs for a new aircraft capable of flying unrefuelled for five years. The three teams were selected for the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Vulture programme to carry out a year-long Phase I design study. At least one team could be picked to build a one-fifth-scale prototype next year in Phase II.
NASA Tests Crew Exploration Vehicle Motor
Sacramento based-Aerojet and space technology company Orbital Sciences have completed the first full-scale rocket static test firing for NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle's launch abort system's (LAS) jettison motor. Aerojet supplies this motor that separates the LAS from Orion during ascent. The static test will provide motor performance data for design refinements. NASA Langley Research Center is managing development of the LAS, which will be tested at the US Army's White Sands missile range later this year.
Jet Aviation Gains Foothold in China
Jet Aviation has become the first global business aviation services provider to establish a base in China following the signing of a joint venture agreement with Chinese air transportation company Deer Air to establish a fixed-base operation and line maintenance facility at Beijing's Capital International Airport. The 3,300m2 (35,500ft2) FBO building should be operational before the Olympic Games starts in August.
Thales Alenia Space's Sourisse Moves On
After steering the "space alliance" of French electronics company Alcatel and Finmeccanica's Alenia Spazio and then Thales and Alenia through their joint venture processes, Pascale Sourisse is moving to Thales' largest division, land and joint systems. That division includes the company's ground segment element of its space work. In the Thales-Finmeccanica space alliance Telespazio carries out this function. While Sourisse is being replaced by Reynald Seznec, Thales told Flight International that there would be no change in the company's priorities.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
