Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Lynn underlined the importance of modernizing the outdated export control process at an event hosted by AIA Sunday night. The exclusive reception and dinner brought together executives of aerospace manufacturers, the Congressional Delegation and officials from the departments of Commerce, Defense, State, Transportation and NASA.
AIA’s Marion Blakey welcomed the roughly 200 attendees, saying, “This dinner is always an excellent time to reflect on what brings us to the Paris Air Show – the confluence of technology and leadership that typifies our industry… As manufacturers, we’re particularly proud of the role we have in developing and deploying the technology that supports them. We’ve seen this year how our troops – supported by this technology –have brought down the most significant terrorist of our era.”
Representing AIA’s leadership was the chairman of its Board of Governors, Jim Albaugh, President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Bill Lynn with AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey
Lynn was the evening’s dinner speaker, and focused on the difficult economic environment U.S. aerospace companies operate under. The Obama administration is dedicated to revising the current export control process, which Lynn noted looks like "a marriage of the complexity of the Internal Revenue Service with the inefficiency of the Department of Motor Vehicles. It's something we have to change. We need to reverse this dynamic."
AIA and the Society of Japanese Aerospace Companies held a joint reception on the eve of the 2011 Paris Air Show, underlining the importance between U.S.-Japanese cooperation, especially in the aerospace industry.
Chief among topics of conversation was the recovery following this spring’s earthquake. According to SJAC’s Chairman Kazuo Tsukuda, the Japanese aerospace supply chain has been relatively lucky.
SJAC's Chairman Kazuo Tsukuda is also Chairman of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the firm that manufactures the composite wings of the 787.
Tsukuda said, “As for the Japanese aerospace industry, fortunately, there was relatively little damage [due to the earthquake.] Even the greatly affected IHI factory resumed their production in May, which assures the delivery and quality of the aircraft engine parts exported from Japan.”
AIA’s President and CEO Marion Blakey further underlined the relationship between the two countries. “The over flights of the damaged nuclear reactor by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and the humanitarian missions carried out by both U.S. and Japanese aircraft reminds us of the important role the aerospace industry plays in keeping the world secure... I am confident the AIA-SJAC friendship will continue to grow as we navigate uncharted airspace filled with both obstacles and opportunities for our industry.”
SJAC President Kosuke Imashimizu, SJAC Chairman Chairman Tsukuda, Senator Daniel K. Inouye and wife Irene Hirano with AIA President and CEO Marion Blakey
Members of the U.S. congressional delegation participated in a special tour of the DOD corral Sunday, the day before the Paris Air Show officially opened for business.
From Right-Left: Senators Lautenberg, Inouye, Inhofe and Cochran learn about the Guardian UAS
The delegation was sent to support U.S. commercial efforts at the show, and includes Senators Daniel K. Inouye of Hawaii, Thad Cochran of Mississippi, Tom Harkin of Iowa, James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, Frank R. Lautenberg of New Jersey, Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Richard Shelby of Alabama.
Senate delegation leader Inouye met with air crew supporting the DOD aircraft
Senator Inouye, a World War II veteran and a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, is a wounded war hero who at the age of 86, walked through the DOD corral and praised the men and women who represented the aircraft on display.
After touring the corral, the delegates dined with members of the crews who flew the aircraft to the Le Bourget airport for the show, journeys that took days for some and just hours for others.
AIA celebrated the anniversary of one of the most important speeches in French history today with a luncheon at le Cercle Interalliée that brought together U.S. aerospace executives and members of the Senate delegation.
Seventy-one years ago today, Charles de Gaulle gave his "Appeal of June 18" radio address from London, marking the beginnings of French Resistance to German occupation during World War II.
"Believe me, I who am speaking to you with full knowledge of the facts, and who tell you that nothing is lost for France. The same means that overcame us can bring us victory one day. For France is not alone! She is not alone! She is not alone! She has a vast Empire behind her. She can align with the British Empire that holds the sea and continues the fight. She can, like England, use without limit the immense industry of the United States. Whatever happens, the flame of the French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished.” Charles de Gaul
Noted French historian Jean-Louis Cremieu Brilhac, a World War II veteran, gave his firsthand account of the French resistance. After escaping imprisonment in Germany, Brilhac became national commissioner in London and head of propaganda, helping prepare broadcasts to occupied Europe.
A team from Rockwall-Heath High School in Heath, Tex., took first place at the ninth annual Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC) finals Saturday, May 14, besting 99 teams from across the country to advance to the international fly-off at the Paris Le Bourget Air Show this summer.
Rockwall-Heath joined more than 600 participating teams in September 2010 on a journey that included rocketry design, simulated flights and test launches. Sponsored by the Aerospace Industries Association and the National Association of Rocketry, the contest encourages students to prepare for careers in the aerospace industry, which is working to boost the pipeline of students with science, technology, engineering and math skills.
“This contest is why I’m going into aerospace,” said team president John Easum, who is attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the fall. “It's hands-on, and you experience a lot of failures, but then you troubleshoot and end up with success. It's a really good feeling.”
The first place team logged a 16.0, earning the best score of the competition. Each three- to 10-person team was challenged to design and build a rocket that lifted off to exactly 750 feet during a 40- to 45-second flight. The payload, a raw egg, had to return to the ground by parachute undamaged.
“We’re delighted with this year’s competition,” said AIA President and CEO Marion C. Blakey. “It’s clear that all the teams put a lot of effort into their rockets. I’m sure that in just a few short years, we’ll be welcoming a number of today’s participants to our industry.”
More than 50,000 students have entered the competition since TARC’s inception in 2003. In a 2010 survey of TARC alumni, 92 percent of participants said they would encourage a friend to pursue a STEM-related career and four out of five respondents said TARC has had a positive impact on their course of study.
Raytheon Company is a major sponsor, providing event support and funding for the Rockwall-Heath team to advance to the international fly-off on June 24 at the Paris Le Bourget Air Show to compete against teams from the UK and France. The winning team shares a prize pool of more than $60,000 in scholarships and prizes with other top finishers, including $15,000 in scholarships from Lockheed Martin Corporation. The top 20 teams also will receive an invitation from NASA to participate in its Student Launch Initiative, an advanced rocketry design program.
The Defense Department; NASA; the American Association of Physics Teachers, Estes – a model rocket manufacturer – and more than 33 industry partners also support the contest.
Comments
Share your comments