Tanker contest gearing up

The Department of Defense’s JROC (a joint requirement group) met to consider what to do about the next round of the KC-X tanker competition, and US Sen. John McCain threw cold water on the idea promoted by US… Read More

Boeing reorganizes Wichita ahead of strike vote

Boeing internally announced a reorganization of its Wichita Integrated Defense System ahead of a strike vote by the engineers union, SPEEA, that has an April 2 strike date. Renewed contract negotiations collapsed earlier this week without an agreement…. Read More

China’s Western aviation recuitment alarming

The news that China’s AVIC is recruiting Western executive talent for its aerospace subsidiaries is alarming. Long-time readers of this column and our main website know that we’re concerned about Western technology transfer by Airbus, Boeing, Bombardier and… Read More

Boeing supplier plans 32% decline in 737 rate by year end

Update, February 27: Just kidding— Curtis-Wright tells us their officials [m]ucked up and there is nothing to support the statements reported below, as extracted from their year-end 2008 earnings call. CW has no information regarding a rate reduction… Read More

Gov. Boeing to Commerce (Redux)

Substitute Gary Locke’s name for Christine Gregoire and it’s the same analysis.

Trident subs pass milestone

I’m going to deviate from the usual editorial “we” and the usual Airbus and Boeing focus to share with readers my trip last week on a Trident nuclear submarine, referenced in this previous post. Through my association as… Read More

Turmoil in aerospace

A Seattle public radio station, KPLU, has a five minute audio report wondering about Boeing’s future in the Puget Sound area. CNN reports Embraer will lay off 20% of its 21,000 workforce. Here is the Reuters report.

Airbus adjusts production

Update, Feb. 20: Flight Global has this report with a dire prediction from the IATA General Director that Airbus and Boeing won’t be able to deliver half of the aircraft scheduled this year because of the credit crunch…. Read More

Go ‘Bama

We’ll be off line for five days while we go for a ride: USS Alabama, SSBN 731: Source Wikipedia We write for Armed Forces Journal magazine and for the next few days we will be on a Trident… Read More

Assessing production cuts

The big question being asked by just about everyone with an interest in aviation these days is what are Airbus and Boeing planning for production rates this year and next. Jobs are at stake in an economic environment… Read More