Model Airplanes

by Mike Snead
Monday, January 23, 2017

The apparent intention of the Trump administration to reestablish the National Space Council has raised expectations that important improvements in national space policies and America’s space enterprise will be forthcoming. One crucial area is improving the ability of Americans to travel to and from low Earth Orbit (LEO). In various forums, recommended policy changes focused on these key human space transportation system characteristics: passenger space travel, safety, reusability, low cost, and commercial. While these may sound self-descriptive, as an engineer, I think it is important for those making these recommendations, as well as those drafting updates to overall national space policy and space transportation policy, to use these terms consistent with commonly understood meanings.

Passenger space travel

The term “passenger” is increasingly slipping into discussions of human space travel. For example, when mentioning NASA’s commercial crew program to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station, some describe this as a commercial passenger system when it is not. Similar comments arise when discussing commercial suborbital human spaceflight. Perhaps unknowingly, “passenger” is used generically when, in fact, it has a very specific legal definition that substantially impacts how a true passenger space transportation system would be built and operated. Incorrect use in policy, legislation, regulation, advertising, and commentary could significantly hamper achieving commercial passenger space travel and misinform the public.

Humans have been traveling

Article source: http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3152/1

TOKYO, JAPAN – APRIL 01: A Boeing Co. aircraft, in the livery of a Star Wars character, operated by All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA), stands during the welcome ceremony for newly hired ANA Holdings Inc. employees at the company’s hanger on April 1, 2016 in Tokyo, Japan. Japanese airlines ANA Holdings welcomed 2,498 new employees, the largest number to date for the company. As the majority of Japanese start their career on April 1st after graduating from schools in February or March, it is a custom for large Japanese corporations to hold mass welcoming ceremonies for their new employees. (Photo by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

Boeing Co ($BA) is scheduled to release earnings before Wednesday’s open. The widely owned stock is trading near its record high. To help you prepare, here is what the Street is expecting:

Earnings Preview:

Boeing is expected to report earnings of $2.34/share on $23.44 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, the so-called Whisper number is $2.46. The Whisper number is the Street’s unofficial view on earnings.

Company Profile Various Businesses:

The Boeing Company, incorporated on July 19, 1934, is an aerospace firm. The Company operates in five segments: Commercial airplanes; Defense, Space Security (BDS), such as Boeing Military Aircraft (BMA), Network Space Systems (NSS) and Global Services Support (GSS), and Boeing Capital (BCC). The Company’s unallocated activities are Engineering, Operations Technology (EOT) and Shared Services Group (SSG). The

Article source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/adamsarhan/2017/01/23/earnings-preview-what-to-expect-from-boeing-on-wednesday/

ALCOA, Tenn. (WVLT) — Cirrus Aircraft’s Knoxville presence continues to take off.

The company that builds personal jets is on the verge of completing its customer service center housed at McGhee Tyson Airport.

“Beginning in just the next week or two, we’ll be delivering all of our piston aircraft (here), that’s seven airplanes a week,” Todd Simmons, President of Customer Experience at Cirrus Aircraft, said Monday morning. “So we are right at point of tipping into full operational status here at the Vision Center,” Simmons continued.

The Vision Center is Cirrus Aircraft’s multi-building facility that serves as the company’s customer service headquarters.

Regardless of where a Cirrus Aircraft is bought, the customer will come to Knoxville for training, and then fly the plane back home.

In 2014, The Duluth, Minn.-based company conducted a nationwide search, looking for a home for its new customer service facilities. In 2015, after exploring 30 cities, Cirrus Aircraft announced that Knoxville and McGhee Tyson Airport would be that location.

“The central-ness of Knoxville is key,” Simmons explained. “It’s so close to so many metropolitan places where our customers live. In a matter of minutes, I can be in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Louisville, Chicago is just a couple of hours away.”

Ben Kowalski, vice president of communications and marketing at Cirrus, says Knoxville’s weather climate also played a role in establishing the company’s customer service center in East Tennessee.

“We’re in a part of the world that has great weather and we can train constantly without interruptions,” Kowalski

Article source: http://www.local8now.com/content/news/Cirrus-Aircraft-taking-off-in-Knoxville-411583145.html