 |
|
|---|
|
» Read 2008 Newsletters        
|
 |
 AIA UPDATE: August 2007, Volume 12, No. 1
Workforce Campaign Launches Web, Video, Policy Components AIA has begun an ambitious, multi-year campaign to draw attention to and address the looming workforce shortages in aerospace engineering and technical workers. The aerospace and defense industry is struggling to balance an aging workforce — the age of engineers and production workers averages in the mid-50s — with the prospect of increasingly fewer students choosing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields of study and a growing scarcity of qualified math and science teachers. The campaign, to be launched this fall, will include:
The roundtable will allow members of the task force — representing NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the Departments of Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Homeland Security, and Transportation — to meet with students and stakeholders to discuss strategies for expanding the potential aerospace workforce pool and developing policies to improve STEM education. Also, production is underway on a short video aimed at attracting students to the aerospace industry. The video will feature interviews with young engineers currently working on interesting aerospace projects who will describe their careers and outside activities. The video will premiere this fall and will be added to a new Labor Department Web site, www.careervoyages.gov. It will accompany the roll-out of a new AIA Web site that will feature information about diverse aerospace career possibilities, internships, and education resources. The association has also joined the STEM Education Coalition, which works to support STEM programs for teachers and students at the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and other agencies that offer STEM-related programs. The coalition is composed of groups representing all sectors of the technological workforce. In conjunction with this educational focus, AIA earlier this year endorsed three pending bills that would boost efforts to attract students to science, math, and engineering studies and support teachers in those subjects. More work will come in 2008 on additional STEM-related legislative initiatives. The AIA Industrial Base and Workforce Committee will soon be distributing a survey to determine actual workforce needs among the member companies. The committee is also creating a forum to share information on retention and company practices such as "transition to teaching" programs. Member companies are also surveying their recent hires with an AIA-developed questionnaire to determine their motivation for pursuing an aerospace career. Results from that survey will be available in early fall. AIA Source: jj.gertler@aia-aerospace.org AIA Space Division Takes Lead on U.S. Earth Observation Policy AIA's Space Systems Division will lead aerospace industry input to a U.S. Earth observation policy being drafted by the White House Office of Science and Technology (OSTP). The policy will complement U.S. national space transportation and commercial remote sensing policies, aiding in the collection and utilization of data from space, air, land, and sea systems. The data will be used by the nation's Integrated Earth Observation System (IEOS) to study the environment from a global perspective. IEOS, in turn, will tie into similar international efforts with the Global Earth Observation System of Systems to monitor and study climate and weather, energy and water resources, agriculture, and natural disasters. Over the long term, the new policy will affect how the aerospace industry will fulfill a variety of needs for the government, including manufacturing of sensors, air and space platforms, data management systems, and environmental modeling. AIA's Space Council Science Steering Committee, chaired by Don Blick of Raytheon Company, met in July to prepare and contribute industry views to the OSTP policy. Along with defining a policy purpose and principles, the committee's working group identified a number of topics that should be addressed, including:
AIA Source: andrew.barber@aia-aerospace.org AEROSPACE FOCUS  WASHINGTON PIPELINE: Association Maps Election Issues Initiative to Influence 2008 Presidential Campaign By John W. Douglass, AIA President and Chief Executive Officer It's obvious to us in the aerospace and defense industry that bolstering the industrial infrastructure that provides security, technological advancements, and economic strength should be a national priority. But while virtually every politician will say they share that view, it doesn't always translate into action. For that reason AIA has once again taken on an important initiative to make sure aerospace and defense issues are front-and-center during a U.S. presidential election campaign. As the 2008 presidential race picked up steam this year earlier than in recent memory, AIA was already putting the finishing touches on a succinct and substantive package of election issues. We will meet with as many of the candidates as possible from both parties to stress how important these initiatives are to our country and why the candidates should make them a priority. The goal is to have some of these issues included in candidate platforms as the election process moves forward. The priorities will also be circulated among candidates for seats in Congress. Our issues for the race fall under one overriding theme — Keeping America Strong: Advance U.S. Global Leader-ship in Aerospace and Defense. This sends a message to candidates that their priorities should be in harmony with the fact that a highly competitive international aerospace marketplace demands U.S. policies that bolster the industry, not hamper it. The issues address the three main sectors:
The civil aviation issue supports actions to foster fair global trade, address global environmental issues, and increase aviation safety, security, and efficiency. The space issue offers suggestions to boost national security space programs and increase science and exploration. Our defense issue discussion calls for developing an improved defense acquisition system. Three recommendations underlie each issue: 1) modernizing the export control system, 2) investing in R&D, and 3) inspiring the future aerospace workforce. AIA carried out similar efforts in the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns with good results. One dramatic example was our suggestion in 2000 that the new president should activate a Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. President Bush formed the commission, and myself and my fellow members had a finished report by November 2002. The report led directly to initiatives such as the Next Generation Air Transportation System currently under development and implementation. We encourage industry to take the election goals and use them as a blueprint when talking to campaigns and the candidates themselves. They will be widely available after being finalized this fall and will be posted on our Web site at www.aia-aerospace.org. By showing how important aerospace and defense is to our country, we can be a winner on election day. WASHINGTON WATCH: AIA Joins Coalition for Trade Promotion Authority Extension AIA has joined Trade for America, a coalition of more than 420 companies and trade associations that support renewal of President Bush's trade promotion authority (TPA), which expired on June 30. Under TPA, the president can negotiate free trade agreements and present them for congressional approval. First enacted in 1974, TPA gives U.S. trade negotiators credibility at the negotiating table by requiring Congress to vote "up or down" within a given period of time on a trade agreement without adding amendments. The president's trade authority is critical to successful completion of the Doha Round of World Trade Organization talks, which began in November 2001 and provides the single greatest opportunity to reduce global trade barriers. TPA will also allow the United States to move forward on new bilateral, sub-regional, and regional trade agreements that will enable American companies to compete effectively and efficiently in the global marketplace. U.S. aerospace companies support the national economy by maintaining a positive balance of trade. The industry exports 40 percent of its total production and, during some economic quarters, nearly 70 percent of civil aircraft and components. Global markets play a central role in supporting the aerospace industry's 635,000 U.S. workers. Learn more about the coalition at www.TradeforAmerica.org. AIA Source: joseph.lai@aia.aerospace.org WASHINGTON WATCH: AIA Advocates U.S.-Egyptian Partnership AIA's Legislative Affairs team took an active role this summer in promoting the U.S.-Egyptian military relationship with members of Congress and key staff professionals on the House and Senate Appropriations Foreign Operations subcommittees. In late June, the House passed a fiscal 2008 foreign operations appropriations bill that withheld $200 million of the Pentagon's $1.4 billion Foreign Military Financing (FMF) package until President Bush issued a written certification that Cairo had made documented progress in judicial reforms and the control of weapons smuggling into the Gaza Strip. The Senate Appropriations Committee, however, passed a foreign operations measure that approved the Egyptian FMF proposal without any conditions. Earlier in June, AIA and a group of member companies with significant Egypt-related defense trade programs launched a campaign, known as "Operation Pyramid," to advocate congressional support, free of any limitations, for Egypt's FMF plan. Briefings for congressional offices underscored the fact that over the last three decades, the U.S.-Egyptian strategic partnership has yielded a variety of political and national security benefits for both nations in one of the world's most dangerous regions. Egypt, for example, regularly shares terrorist-related intelligence with U.S. authorities and hosts the biannual "Bright Star" military exercises that integrate the armed forces of both nations. Egypt also provides the United States with airspace and sea lane privileges that enabled the Pentagon to deploy the Fourth Army Division during the first phases of Operation Iraqi Freedom and to complete more than 800 combat vessel passages through the Suez Canal since the attacks of September 11, 2001. The legislative outlook for a final congressional agreement on the foreign operations bill remains uncertain, but AIA plans to continue Operation Pyramid briefings on Capitol Hill to champion the Senate's position. AIA Source: patrick.mccartan@aia-aerospace.org WASHINGTON WATCH: U.S. Circuit Court Upholds EPA NOx Stringency Rule There would be no merit in reviewing a 2005 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency rule that adopted the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) nitrogen oxides (NOx) stringency standard, the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia has determined. In denying a petition for review from the National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA), the court set a firm precedent for future rulemaking and upheld the importance of ICAO standards and recommended practices in creating a harmonized international aviation system. AIA and the Air Transport Association filed briefs in support of the EPA.NACAA, a national trade association that represents state and local agencies responsible for achieving and sustaining clean air goals, had challenged EPA's rule, arguing that it isn't tough enough on aircraft. It wanted the agency to require technology-forcing standards and establish a firm timeline for tightening the standards. The association also claimed that EPA departed from its practice of setting production cut-off dates for non-compliant aircraft engines. In denying the petition, the court said EPA's final rule has a reasonable explanation for its decision and sets a course for future rulemaking. The court also found that safety and compliance costs should be considered in addressing environmental concerns when setting aircraft engine emissions standards. Moving beyond stringency standards, ICAO is establishing a framework to ensure that community noise and emissions concerns will be met. In keeping with the purpose of certification standards to benchmark the capabilities of existing technology, ICAO's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection continues to monitor how non-compliant, in-production engines and aircraft are brought into compliance with existing standards. The committee is also setting aggressive goals for new environmental technologies. Improvement of in-production airframes and engines, stringency, and technology goals will ensure that current and future products incorporate the most advanced environmental technologies. AIA Source: howard.aylesworth@aia-aerospace.org Bergman Named Executive Director of AIA Affiliate NGATS Institute Charles Bergman, a former U.S. Air Force pilot with more than 16 years experience in aviation operations, safety, and training and association management, has been named the new executive director of the Next Generation Air Transportation System Institute. Bergman previously served as special assistant for industry affairs to the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO), which is guiding development, planning, and implementation of NGATS, also known as NextGen. Michael Romanowski, president of the National Center for Advanced Technologies and AIA's vice president of civil aviation, said Bergman will be a great asset to both industry and the JPDO. "Charlie has solid experience in government-industry partnerships and has demonstrated an ability to bring people with varied viewpoints together to reach consensus solutions," Romanowski said. In his new role, Bergman will be responsible for all operations of the NGATS Institute, a non-profit entity affiliated with AIA that was created under an agreement between FAA and NCAT in 2005. The institute provides a framework for stakeholder input into NextGen. AIA Source: michael.romanowski@aia-aerospace.org Chadwick Named Director of Association Research Center William Chadwick, Jr., most recently a trade analyst at the U.S. International Trade Commission, has joined AIA as director of research. In addition to 11 years at the ITC, he previously worked at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative and the Trade Resources Company. Chadwick is responsible for researching and analyzing issues relating to the worldwide aerospace industry, compiling and maintaining reliable and accurate statistics, and publishing an annual statistical handbook that is an authoritative compendium of U.S. aerospace industry data. He also leads the AIA Research Center in measuring and projecting the impact of legislative initiatives, regulations, policies, and other government actions on the aerospace industry and the economy as well as conducting similar analyses of the global economy. Chadwick studied at Oxford University in England and holds a master's degree in international commerce and policy from George Mason University and a bachelor's degree in economics from Virginia Tech. AIA Source: alexis.allen@aia-aerospace.org Interim "Pass-Through" Rule Raises Industry Concerns AIA recently expressed concern that an interim rule prohibiting charges to Defense Department contracts that a contracting officer considers "excessive" and "pass-through" is impractical to implement, arbitrary, and replete with subjective and indefinite terms. In its comments to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Council, the association argued that the rule inappropriately subjects contractors to continuing post-award assessments by the government — with audit rights — of charges and potential disallowances and recoveries throughout the life of the contract. DoD published the interim rule in the Federal Register on April 26. It requires DoD to prescribe regulations that ensure that so-called "pass-through charges" on contracts, subcontracts, task orders or delivery orders aren't excessive in relation to the cost of work performed. Firm fixed-price contracts awarded on the basis of adequate price competition or for commercial items are exempt. In its comments, AIA clarified that the legislation underlying the rule resulted from congressional concern that the government might have awarded contracts with unnecessary layers of contractors and subcontractors. This being the case, AIA believes the rule should be rewritten to either 1) prohibit awarding contracts the contracting officer believes would add little or no value to the proposed acquisition or 2) the offending amount should be negotiated out of the contract price in advance of an award. At the very least, contractors should be given the opportunity to reject a government contract if they disagree with the contracting officer's determination to disallow a proposed charge as an excessive pass-through charge. AIA Source: terry.marlow@aia-aerospace.org Boeing's Denny Raitz Recognized with AIA's Leonard Ross Award Denny Raitz of The Boeing Company has been honored with AIA's Leonard Ross Award for his work on behalf of the aerospace and defense industry through the years. Raitz, associate technical fellow for Lifecycle Support, received the award in recognition of his efforts in the field of technical publications that resulted in improved manuals and specifications for program managers. "Denny has been an excellent resource for the aerospace industry as we have strived to enhance our standards and specifications," AIA President and CEO John Douglass said. "I congratulate him on a well-deserved award." Raitz was instrumental in creating and developing a guidebook used by program managers to identify specific functionalities needed in an electronic technical manual. That tool is now an integral part of the S1000D specification, which establishes standards for civil and military vehicles and equipment. He also is the main U.S. liaison to a committee adapting S1000D for use in Europe. Raitz has been an active member of the AIA Product Support Committee, Joint Aviation Logistics Board Working Group, NATO Interoperability Council, and Technical Publications Standards Management Group. The Leonard Ross Memorial Award honors those who have provided extraordinary service to the Product Support Committee and the aerospace industry over a sustained period of time. Its namesake was a former committee vice chair from Hughes Aircraft who established the award in 1989. It was renamed for him when he received it posthumously in 1992. The award is given periodically according to individual merit, not on a set schedule. Past winners include Judd Gambrill of Honeywell and Drex Rutledge of Lockheed Martin in 2006, William "Bob" Dickie of Parker Aerospace in 2004, Eddie McClendon of Raytheon in 1999, and Warren Balish of AIA in 1998. Bill Language Would Strengthen JPDO, Air Transportation System Provisions in the pending House FAA Reauthorization Bill would jump start air traffic control modernization efforts as well as boost vital facility upgrades, AIA President and CEO John Douglass said. The bill, HR 2881, which passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in July with bipartisan support, also would support ongoing aviation industry efforts to lessen the environmental impacts of air travel. Douglass said these provisions should be seen as priorities as the bill makes its way to a floor vote and possible future conference discussions with the Senate. "Improvements to the system are key to ensuring air travel remains efficient and safe as we respond to ever-increasing passenger loads," Douglass said. "This investment is also important as aviation continues to be one of the largest drivers of our national economy." The bill includes ample funding for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, known as NextGen. This technologically advanced initiative will modernize air traffic control, safety, and virtually every other aspect of air travel. In an equally important provision, the bill assigns accountability to the seven federal agencies in the NextGen program to ensure it is progressing as it should. AIA Civil Aviation Vice President Michael Romanowski told the House Aviation Subcommittee in May that failure to implement NextGen could cost the economy $50 billion per year by 2025. The bill also includes investment in improvements in facilities and equipment associated with the aviation system, which is needed to keep up with increased capacity and to respond to changes associated with NextGen. Association Welcomes Its Newest Member Agilent Technologies brings AIA's regular membership to 102 and associate membership to 175. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., the company, which is a leading electronic and bio-analytical measurement manufacturer, produces systems for radar and electronic warfare, military communications, satellites, avionics, guidance, navigation and GPS, automated test equipment applications, and operational test surveillance and intelligence. Learn more at www.agilent.com. International Paris Air Show June 2007: U.S., EU Aerospace Leaders Agree on Key Initiatives European aerospace and defense industry leaders have backed the efforts of AIA and its partners in the Coalition for Security and Competitiveness to modernize the U.S. export control system, saying improvements are needed to increase security and trade on both sides of the Atlantic. U.S. and European aerospace company chief executives discussed the export control modernization issue during the International Paris Air Show in June. They also conferred on the importance of improvement in the ecological impact of aviation. One way to lessen aviation's effect on the environment, they agreed, will be to modernize air transportation systems in the United States and Europe, alleviating flight delays and reducing fuel burn. In addition, the executives encouraged the continued development of fuel-efficient and environmentally friendly aircraft. William H. Swanson of Raytheon Company and Charles Edelstenne of Dassault Aviation led this annual meeting among the leadership of AIA and the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe. Future meetings to coordinate plans and policy efforts are planned. Other executives who took part included Thomas Enders of EADS and Åke Svensson of Saab Aerospace, representing Europe, and Northrop Grumman's Ronald D. Sugar, Rockwell Collins' Clay Jones, and BAE Systems Inc.'s Walt Havenstein on the U.S. side. The dialogue reflected the increasingly global, interdependent nature of the aerospace and defense industries. The discussion yielded an agreement to share best practices in business ethics and extend their adoption worldwide. Aerospace leaders also discussed the need to develop a more equitable application of fees and charges by the European Aviation Safety Agency. AIA Source: remy.nathan@aia-aerospace.org International Paris Air Show June 2007: SMC Members Busy at Paris Air Show The Supplier Management Council (SMC) was out in force at this year's Paris Air Show, coordinating a record number of events for suppliers in the chalets of the larger prime and first-tier companies.
The larger companies have begun using their presence at international air show as an opportunity to meet with suppliers. If this trend continues, international air shows could become more important for suppliers as a cost-effective way to meet with larger companies and their decisionmakers. In the past, few supply chain executives attended the shows, which were seen as places to sell wares, not for supplier-related activities. The first U.S.-India reception took place at the Paris Air Show this year, recognizing that India has significantly increased its annual commercial and defense spending in aerospace. The SMC helped organize the reception, attended by more than 250 people from U.S. and Indian industry, including retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin and FAA Administrator Marion Blakey. A Note of Thanks Thanks to the following companies for hosting supplier events at the Paris Air Show: Boeing, Goodrich, Kaman, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon Company. We couldn't have done it without you!  Pete Retalliata of Air Industries Machining Corp. (far left) talks to Jamie Estrada (far right), acting assistant commerce secrtary for manugacturing and services, during an AIA roundtable on small business issues during the International Paris Air Show. AIA Source: varun.nikore@aia-aerospace.org An AIA Perspective: Alternative Aviation Fuels and the Fuel Crisis This is the second in a five-part series highlighting AIA's commitment to environmental excellence in collaboration with airlines, airports, air traffic system providers, manufacturers, and government agencies worldwide. Installments will examine issues that affect the air in which we travel: increased fuel efficiency, alternative fuels, emerging technologies, and advances in research and development. Since the energy crisis of the 1970s, aircraft and engine companies have been investigating the practicality of alternative fuels for aircraft. Growing concerns over the availability of jet fuel, price fluctuations, local air quality, and the global climate impacts of aviation have generated a renewed interest in alternative fuels. In the United States, initiatives to address these concerns have been spearheaded by the Defense Department. Responding to climate change concerns and airline interest in alternative fuels, AIA has joined with the Air Transport Association and the FAA to form the Commercial Aviation Alternative Fuel Initiative (CAAFI). CAAFI members include the Airport Council International-North America, NASA, energy and finance companies, and, as an associate partner, the U.S. Air Force. The initiative was designed to facilitate industry data gathering, improve communication, and reduce redundancies. The attempt to shift from fossil to alternative fuels is not unique to aviation. Unfortunately, the biofuels available to automobiles and for heating purposes are not now suitable for aviation applications. Biofuels have the potential, however, to reduce aircraft carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Coal-to-liquid (CTL) processes appear to offer a near-term answer if the excess CO2 generated during the production process can be captured and permanently stored. Many alternative fuel proponents would like to start full-scale CTL production now and initiate a national research and development effort to solve the CO2 sequestration problem in the future. AIA doesn't share this view. Rather, a dual approach of securing maximum fuel efficiency improvements — while pursuing an aggressive research and development effort to solve outstanding issues that would enable viable CTL production capability — is the quickest path forward. Research and development efforts need to focus on CO2 sequestration, aviation biofuel stability and engine performance, use of non-food biomass sources, methane recovery, and hydrogen-electricity-fuel co-production technologies. Breakthroughs in these areas would make CTL production less CO2-intensive than current energy production techniques, enable the use of biofuels in aviation, and facilitate rapid penetration of liquid and hydrogen fuel technologies in all sectors of the economy. Although continued research and development of revolutionary and evolutionary engine and airframe technologies are the principal means to reduce the environmental impact of aviation, air transportation system transformation and airport capacity improvements are vital in further reducing CO2 emissions through elimination of congestion and delay. This requires the Joint Planning and Development Office to swiftly initiate a robust, multi-agency research and development effort in conjunction with the Next Generation Air Transport System. The development and introduction by mid-century of non-carbon aircraft fuel will simultaneously accelerate annual reductions in CO2 emissions, aggressive technology development programs, and dynamic methods for technology insertion, likely leading to a sustainable supply-side policy. AIA Source: howard.aylesworth@aia-aerospace.org |
Copyright © 2008 Aerospace Industries Association. All rights reserved. Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy