Don Erickson, site director for Lockheed Martin, shows off the hangar where they hope to build T-50A trainer jets for the U.S. Air Force in the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center on Wednesday, May 18, 2016.(Photo: LAUREN PETRACCA/Staff)Buy Photo

Don Erickson, site manager ofLockheed Martin's Greenville facility, will address the South Carolina Aerospace Convention and Expo in Columbia in August.

The third annual conference will be held Aug. 29 to 31at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

Erickson will talk specificallyabout Lockheed's planned move of F-16 fighter jet production to Greenville from the company's Fort Worth, Texas plant. Hewill go over the timeline of when production is expected to start in Greenville and the details associated with the move.

In March, officials confirmed Lockheed Martinwill transition F-16 production to itsGreenville facility at the South Carolina Technology and Aviation Center, or SCTAC. Leslie Farmer, spokesperson for Lockheed's Greenville operations, toldThe Greenville Newsthelast F-16 from the Forth Worth plant will be delivered in September, and it will take about two years for the company to get production going at its Greenville.

Employees at the Fort Worth familiar will transition into production of theF-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

Erickson said some pieces of the F-16 production transition have already started, while renovations of the existinghangar are ongoing.

Lockheed already employs about 500 people at its Greenville facility. Erickson said the F-16 production shift could initially add between 180 and200 people, but there are potential opportunities to add more.

Asked whether Lockheed Martin supplier companies could shift their work from Fort Worth to Greenville: Erickson said there is a possibility down the road.

"There's a lot out there. The F-16 is certainly an excellent aircraft and very affordable," he said. "As we get the opportunity to build more, some of the suppliers could see it as advantageous to move a little bit closer."

Last year at the convention, Erickson spoke about Lockheed's T-50A trainer jet, part of an ongoing battle to wina $8 billion to $10 billioncontract to build a new training jet for the U.S. Air Force.

The Air Force is expected to make a decision on that by early 2018.

In August, Erickson will be joined by other speakers, that includeJoan Robinson-Berry, Vice President and general manager of Boeing in South Carolina, andUniversity of South Carolina Provost Joan Gabel.

"It'salways good to get together with aerospace partners in South Carolina," Erickson said. "Ithink it'sgreat forum foreveryone to glean amore knowledge and share information."

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On June 19th, one of the world largest and most prestigious air shows will open at the Le Bourget airfield outside Paris. This is an event that the aerospace world attends, one which private companies and governments both employ as a stage to showcase some of their best products and impressive capabilities. European companies, in particular, are fond of using the Paris Air Show to launch major new platforms. In addition, it has become quite common for aircraft manufacturers to announce major sales during the show.

Historically, the biennial Paris Air Show has provided a snapshot of the state of aerospace industries around the world. Particularly during the Cold War but even afterwards in times of increased international tensions, the major military powers used this venue to send messages regarding their abilities in the air and space domains. This year is likely to be no different.

It is noteworthy, therefore, that the U.S. Air Force, after some initial hesitancy, decided to allow two F-35A Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) to conduct a flight demonstration at the show. This is not the first time that U.S. F-35s have appeared in European air space. The Marine Corp F-35B, the short takeoff and vertical landing variant, participated in the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow. Earlier this year, eight F-35As conducted the first joint training deployment in the United Kingdom. These aircraft also made politically-important visits to both Estonia and Bulgaria.

Nevertheless, this planned F-35A flight demonstration is important on several levels. It is part of a concerted effort by the U.S. government to underscore its commitment to the security of Europe. It sends a message to friends and foes that the U.S. military leads the world in the development and deployment of fifth-generation aircraft. Visits to the United Kingdom and France also serve as reminders that the JSF is an international fighter and that seven NATO members invested their money in the program. In fact, these allies are planning to acquire several hundred F-35s. Finally, the flight demonstration will underscore the fact that virtually all of the JSFs teething problems are behind it.

The F-35 will not be going to Le Bourget alone. The Department of Defense will send many of its top-of-the-line aircraft and helicopters to Paris including the P-8A anti-submarine aircraft, the C-130J transport, the V-22 Osprey, AH-64 Apache and the CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter. These are among the best military aircraft in the world which is reflected in the continuing demand for them by friends and allies. In addition, the Textron/Airland team is sending its Scorpion, a light attack/intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance jet aircraft, to Le Bourget.

On the commercial side, Boeing is sending both its 737 MAX 9 and 787-10 Dreamliner flight test airplanes along with enhanced versions of its popular aircraft to the air show. Other U.S. companies that will provide display versions of their products include Gulfstream and Bell Helicopters.

Even the appearance at Le Bourget of non-U.S. commercial aircraft can say something important about the state of this countrys aerospace industry. The Canadian Company Bombardier, which debuts its C Series passenger jet at the 2015 air show, will be back looking for additional sales. Embraer, Brazils major aircraft producer, used the last air show to unveil its E-Jet E2 family of narrow-body, medium range commercial aircraft. It is reported that this year Airbus will publically fly for the first time its new A321neo, one of several variants in the family.

What these aircraft programs have in common is that they all are powered by Pratt & Whitneys advanced geared turbofan engine (GTF). The GTF also is on A320neos operated by numerous airlines and will power hundreds more that are on order. This engine provides a substantial improvement over those presently in service in terms of fuel use, noise level, emissions and operating costs.

The GTF has experienced some problems with respect to the reliability of specific components. Pratt & Whitney is taking steps to deal with these issues, which are not uncommon for new aviation products. Given the companys past successes in troubleshooting its products, including its development of a rapid solution to a fan blade rubbing problem with the F-35s engine, it is likely that GTFs problems will be solved.

Like the 51 air shows that have come before, the 2017 event will be a testament to the technological progress that continues to be made in the aerospace sector. It also will speak to the importance of the U.S. and its allies continuing to invest in aerospace capabilities that will ensure its military superiority over any potential adversaries.

Daniel Gour, Ph.D., is a Vice President of the Lexington Institute. He served in the Pentagon during the George H.W. Administration and has taught at Johns Hopkins and Georgetown Universities and the National War College. You can follow him on twitter @dgoure and you can follow the Lexington Institute @LexNextDC

Image: U.S. Air Force

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The Paris Air Show Will Showcase America's Aerospace Industrial Might - The National Interest Online (blog)

MOSCOW, June 8. /TASS/. The Titov Center of Russias Aerospace Force has taken the Briz booster from the designated orbit of the Echostar-21 satellite to a dump orbit, the Defense Ministry has told the media.

The US telecommunication satellite Echostar-21 was put in space on Thursday morning from the Baikonur space site in Kazakhstan with a Proton-M rocket, which blasted off at 06:45 Moscow time. The satellite entered the designated orbit nine hours and 13 minutes later.

"To remove the Briz-M booster from Echostar-21s orbit the engines were turned on twice. The booster was pushed into an orbit of about 2,000 kilometers at perigee and about 35,000 kilometers at apogee," the Defense Ministry said.

"Once the Briz-M booster was taken to a dump orbit the Aerospace Forces Space Control Center started analyzing and processing information concerning other space objects.

The booster and the satellite will be monitored by the chief center for space situation reconnaissance of Russias Aerospace Force.

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Russia's Aerospace Force takes Briz-M booster to dump orbit - TASS

Shareholders of LMI Aerospace Inc. (St. Louis), at a special meeting held June 8, approved the merger agreement for the Sonaca Groups acquisition of LMI. Under the terms of the agreement, LMI shareholders will be entitled to receive $14 per share in cash at the closing of the transaction.

LMI is supplier of structural assemblies, kits and components and provider of engineering services to the commercial, business and regional, and military aerospace markets. Sonaca Group is a global Belgian company active in the development, manufacturing and assembly of advanced structures for civil, military and space markets.

Shareholder approval is an essential milestone toward closing this transaction, said Dan Korte, LMI Aerospace CEO. With the strong support our shareholders gave today, we are one step closer to building a bright future together with the Sonaca Group.

We look forward to welcoming LMI Aerospace to the Sonaca Group, said Bernard Delvaux, Sonaca CEO. As complementary businesses with different core customers, we see opportunities to combine our strengths to better serve our customers and expand our market access globally.

Approximately 76.7 percent of outstanding shares voted, with more than 99.4 percent of votes cast in favor of the merger agreement and related transactions. LMI shareholders also approved, on an advisory (non-binding) basis, certain compensation that may be paid or become payable to LMIs named executive officers in connection with the transaction. LMI will file with the Securities and Exchange Commission Form 8-K with the final voting results on all agenda items. The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including required regulatory approvals. Closing is expected by the end of June 2017.

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LMI Aerospace Shareholders Approve Merger Agreement for Acquisition by Sonaca Group - Advanced Manufacturing

With $4.52 in dividends paid over the past 12 months, a single SPDR S&P Depositary Receipt (NYSEMKT:SPY) currently yields 1.9%. That's probably more money than your bank will pay you on your savings account-- but it's still not a lot of money. So can you do better?

Historically, Aerospace & Defense has been a great place for investors seeking consistent, above-average dividend payments. Lately, however, it's become harder to find above-market dividends even in aerospace. This is not necessarily a bad thing. After all, dividend yields are calculated by dividing a company's dividend payment by its stock price. Thus, when dividend yields fall, it's often the case that this is because stock prices have risen -- and this has been the case in aerospace.

The sky's the limit for some of these aerospace dividends. Image source: Getty Images.

Still, it does pose a problem for investors who want to own a piece of the booming aerospace industry, but who also want to be paid for their investments in the form of steady dividend income. To help you with that, I've scanned the industry and culled the below-average dividend payers, emerging with a handful of top aerospace stock ideas that just happen to pay above-average dividends as well.

Here are my top five prospects, listed in order of dividend attractiveness.

General Electric

GE

3.5%

88%

12.3%

28.0

BAE Systems

BAESY

3.2%

73%

7.9%

23.4

Boeing

BA

3%

58%

18.1%

23.0

Lockheed Martin

LMT

2.6%

56%

5.8%

16.4

United Technologies

UTX

2.2%

41%

6.6%

19.0

Data sources: S&P Global Market Intelligence, Yahoo! Finance.

With every passing quarter, it seems General Electric (NYSE:GE) is pulling farther away from its historical roots, and focusing more on remaking its business as a provider of heavy equipment to the power and fuel extraction industries. But despite all the changes, one thing remains constant: GE is still an important provider of airplane engines to the aerospace industry.

Last year, GE's Aviation divisiongenerated sales of $26.3 billion, making it GE's second biggest business after Power. And with pre-tax profits of $6.1 billion, Aviation is already easily GE's most profitable business -- and likely to become more so. Over the past five years, GE has grown Aviation sales 39%, and Aviation profits nearly twice as much -- up 74%. GE Aviation's strength is one reason General Electric boasts the second strongest earnings growth rate of any company on this list. And so long as things continuing going well in the booming aerospace industry, GE's sector-leading dividend yield of 3.5% should remain secure.

U.S. investors may be less familiar with my second aerospace dividend stock, London-listed BAE Systems (NASDAQOTH:BAESY) -- but they might want to get acquainted with it. One of the UK's biggest military contractors, BAE Systems builds Typhoon fighter jets and British warships, armored personnel carriers and military electronics. (Its breadth of products and services makes it look a little bit like a British version of Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT).)

BAE also pays a big dividend, albeit not quite as big as GE's -- 3.2%. With a payout ratio of only 73%, though, BAE also has more room to grow its dividend checks if it so chooses. Top it all off it has a lower valuation on a price to earnings (P/E) ratio basis than GE's. BAE may be worth a look for investors seeking a bit of international flavor in their dividend portfolios.

Next up: Boeing (NYSE:BA). The biggest name in commercial aircraft and the fastest at growing profits -- based on estimates -- on this list, Boeing's a name that will be familiar to any investor in the aerospace sector. One-half of a global airplane-building duopoly (with Airbus (NASDAQOTH:EADSY), whose 1.8% dividend yield is too tiny to make this list), Boeing sells $95.6 billion worth of airplanes and other products and services in a year -- 27% more than Airbus. What's more, with trailing net profits of $5.1 billion, Boeing is much more profitable than Airbus -- more than one full order of magnitude greater.

Boeing's business spans the full range of aircraft, from civilian airliners to commercial freighters to military fighter jets and auxiliary aircraft, bringing it into direct competition with ...

Easily America's biggest pure-play defense company, Lockheed Martin does $48 billion worth of business annually. Its most famous product today is the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jet, a plane destined to become the most ubiquitous fifth-generation fighter on the planet -- much like Lockheed's F-16 is currently the most popular fourth-generation fighter in the world.

So what does the F-35 mean for Lockheed Martin as a stock, and as a source of steady dividend income? The U.S. Air Force expects to still be flying F-35s well into the 2070s-- more than 50 years from now -- and analysts believe this single program could come to be responsible for generating as much as 50% of Lockheed Martin's annual sales. Assuming that's how things play out, Lockheed's dividend should be safe for decades to come.

Last but not least, we come to United Technologies -- incidentally, the manufacturer of the F135 jet engine that powers Lockheed Martin's F-35, and a beneficiary of multiple billion dollar contracts for that engine's production. A diversified industrial supplier, United Technologies derives $14.9 billion a year in revenues from its Pratt & Whitney engines business, and a further $14.5 billion from its complementary Aerospace Systems division. Respectively United Tech's second and third largest divisions, these two businesses account for well over 50% of the company's business.

That said, United Technologies' two aerospace divisions only produce about 44% of the company's profits. They're part of the reason (one imagines) that United Tech is only able to ante up 2.2% in annual dividend payments -- and part of the reason that with growth estimates of less than 7%, United Tech is the slowest grower on this list.

Which of these stocks should a dividend-hungry investor buy? That's a choice to be made based as much on what these companies are paying today, as on what they might pay tomorrow. (In which regard, lower payout ratios leave more room for expanding dividends -- but faster growth rates may be even more important, by foreshadowing more profits becoming available for paying out as dividends in the future).

Opinions may differ here. But personally, I think Boeing stock offers the best combination of a good current dividend yield, moderate room for improvement in the payout ratio, and strong earnings growth to support richer dividends in the future.

Rich Smith has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of General Electric. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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The 5 Best Dividend Stocks in Aerospace - Motley Fool

UK Insurer Global Aerospace to Set Up EU Subsidiary in Paris - The ... New York Times UK insurer Global Aerospace is setting up a European Union subsidiary in Paris to make sure it can continue to serve customers after Britain leaves the bloc, the ... and more »

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UK Insurer Global Aerospace to Set Up EU Subsidiary in Paris - The ... - New York Times

PARISThe Paris Air Show comes at a timely juncture as French aerospace leaders seek to lobby a newly elected head of state and government for support of the high-tech industry in a tough world market.

We have a new government and new ministers, said Eric Trappier, vice chairman of Groupement des Industries Franaises Aronautiques et Spatiales, or Gifas, the trade body backing the air show. It is for us a very special time to address the new government and, above all, the new president, he told a June 6 news conference.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit June 19, the first day of the show, while Prime Minister Edouard Philippe is due June 23. Some 12 ministers are expected, including Sylvie Goulard, the armed forces minister, and Jean-Yves Le Drian, Europe and foreign affairs minister. The latter was the previous defense minister and was widely seen as the super salesman for the Rafale fighter jet, helping to win orders from Egypt, India and Qatar.

There is plenty of government support in the U.S. and other countries for their own aerospace industries, Trappier said. For France, one of the key factors is whether the government will boost the defense budget to 2 percent of gross domestic product by 2022, he added.

Political backing is viewed as a necessity, as the Ministry for the Economy and Finance has reportedly lopped off more than 2.6 billion (U.S. $2.9 billion) from the 2017 defense budget, prompting protest from Patricia Adam, head of the National Assembly's defense committee.

The members of parliament adopted on April 6, 2016, a 700 million increase for the 2017 defense budget, particularly to support equipment spending, she said in a June 6, 2017, statement. A budget cut would threaten our defense and security in a time of severe strategic instability and terrorist threat, she said.

The largest cut in the budgetary reduction is 675 million for equipment, business website La Tribune reported.

At the show, the French procurement office, Direction Gnrale de lArmement, will display the future of weapon systems from 2017 to 2022, including the Talios laser targeting pod and Meteor long-range, air-to-air missile for the upgraded Rafale F3-R, said DGA official Thierry Sanchez. Other themes include command systems, refueling, intelligence gathering and surface-to-air defense.

There will also be a display of systems beyond 2025, with an immersion in studies for future weapons, pointing up the cooperative work between government and industry. Innovative technology to be shown include intelligent sensors, artificial intelligence, and virtual and augmented reality.

On display, there will be two Rafalesone from the Air Force and one from the Navya Tiger attack helicopter, an NH90 transport helicopter and a special forces Caracal.

French Air Force pilots dont rest, said Trappier, sparking much laughter at the news conference.

An Antonov An-132 military transport plane from Ukraine will make its first appearance at the show, as will the Embraer KC-390 and Kawasaki P-1 maritime patrol aircraft.

U.S. companies make up the second-largest regional presence at the show, with 15.21 percent of the exhibitors, after 57.21 percent from Europe. The third-largest region is East Asia, with 8.5 percent. Russian firms account for 3.48 percent. French companies make up about half of the total 2,370 exhibitors.

The Paris Air Show charges the lowest rate among world exhibitions, with a tariff of 355 compared to 415 at the British Farnborough International Airshow, 562 at the Dubai Airshow and 951 at the Singapore Airshow, said Gilles Fournier, the Paris Air Show's managing director.

Some 140 aircraft will be on display. France will receive 296 official delegations, including 146 military teams.

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Paris Air Show: French aerospace industry sees event as chance to lobby new president - DefenseNews.com

TUSTIN, Calif., June 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --Elite Aerospace Group (EAG) is proud to announce the formal acquisition of HALO Industries, a precision machining and engineering dynamo with over three decades of experience supporting the aerospace, defense, orbital rocket and communication sectors, as well as commercial aviation.

The acquisition of HALO Industries bolsters EAG's production capacity by adding nearly 20,000 square feetof additional production and engineering capacity. This facility located in Huntington Beach, California will be the headquarters for Elite Aerospace Group's newest division: Elite Space Services.

On the acquisition, CEO Dustin Tillman stated, "HALO's contributions to the Aerospace industry have been unparalleled over their nearly three-decade tenure. We're absolutely thrilled to have HALO Industries and all their capabilities, experience, and expertise under the Elite Aerospace Group umbrella. The opportunity to infuse the Elite spirit with the sterling legacy of HALO Industries is sure to further enhance the value proposition of both companies. HALO was a hidden gem in the market for nearly three decades, and now it's time to shine a spotlight on their skill sets and take the business to the next level."

Elite Space Services' new facility houses 3, 4, and 5-axis vertical and horizontal precision machining tools as well as a team of some of the most skilled engineers in the A&D industry. The primary focus of this facility will revolve around Space and Communications projects for some of the biggest names in the Aerospace sector.

About Elite Aerospace Group EAG is an advanced design, engineering, manufacturing and technology leader within the aerospace industry. Elite is comprised of talented professionals who are passionately committed to providing the highest level of customer service and quality, while delivering cost-competitive supply availability solutions.EAG was formed by senior aviation officials who, tired of their expectations not being met, set out on a campaign for change; challenging conventionality in the marketplace and driving customer-centric part supply strategies. Elite is a proud contributor to the reshoring initiatives, focused on bringing manufacturing back to the United States. EAG's focus on its core values and commitment to excellence has made the company an attractive, competitive standout to consumers and investors alike. http://www.EliteAerospaceGroup.com

Contacts:

Zeeshawn Zia, COO, Elite Aerospace Group/ 949-783-7067 / team@eliteaerospacegroup.com

Diane McNamara / 617-304-1940 / diane@fireituppr.com

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/elite-aerospace-group-acquires-halo-industries-300469855.html

SOURCE Elite Aerospace Group

http://www.eliteaerospacegroup.com

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Elite Aerospace Group Acquires HALO Industries - PR Newswire - PR Newswire (press release)

Take off with increased productivity Driving the aerospace industry on its path to the digital enterprise

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Get in touch with our experts for aerospace industry

Take off with increased productivity

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Aerospace - Aerospace - Siemens

Liebherr-Aerospace develops, manufactures and services aircraft flight control and actuation systems, landing gear, air management systems, on-board electronics as well as gears and gearboxes for the aerospace industry. Liebherr provides a complete OEM customer service based on a global network with maintenance, repair and overhaul services, engineering support, documentation and spare parts as well as AOG service.

In each product line, Liebherr offers the full integration of leading-edge technology equipment making the company the adequate partner for all air framers and aircraft programs. Products and Solutions

Our service team is a reliable partner for our worldwide customers by providing superior support solutions for air management, flight controls, landing gear systems, gears and gearboxes. Customer Services

Liebherr-Aerospace develops technologies of the future that will make air transport greener, safer and more comfortable for passengers and crew. Technologies for the future

Liebherr-Aerospace has been certified by all relevant quality assurance and aviation authorities. Find the certificates here along with other downloads. Downloads and certificates

Liebherr-Aerospace congratulates COMAC to the successful first flight of the C919. Play video

Liebherr-Aerospace congratulates COMAC to the successful first flight of the C919. The company supplies the integrated air management and landing gear systems for this prestigious aircraft program.

Liebherr-Aerospace has invested 1.4 million Euros in a new vibration test bench which will enable to internally certify its air conditioning packs. Play video

Liebherr-Aerospace has invested 1.4 million Euros in a new vibration test bench which will enable to internally certify its air conditioning packs.

Faced with the challenging demand for increasingly lightweight aircraft, Liebherr-Aerospace as chosen to invest in the manufacture of titanium parts. Play video

Faced with the challenging demand for increasingly lightweight aircraft, Liebherr-Aerospace as chosen to invest in the manufacture of titanium parts.

Liebherr-Aerospace began additive layer manufacturing six years ago and presented the fruits of its labours during ILA Berlin Air Show in June 2016. Play video

Liebherr-Aerospace began additive layer manufacturing six years ago and presented the fruits of its labours during ILA Berlin Air Show in June 2016.

Log in to our customer portal to access technical documentation about our products. liebherr.aero

Learn more about Liebherr-Aerospace in two of our most recent print publications.

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Aerospace - Liebherr

A state panel intended to bolster aerospace in Ohio will likely target workforce development and protection of military bases as top priorities, an Ohio lawmaker says.

The Ohio Aerospace and Aviation Technology Committee appointed or reappointed 14 members Tuesday to the 21-member panel for two-year terms. They represent legislative, academic, commercial and military backgrounds across the state, said Sen. Bill Beagle, R-Tipp City, committee chairman.

In the Dayton region, the panel reappointed Vincent J. Russo, past executive director of the former Aerospace Systems Command at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base; Ronald Shroder, president and CEO of Frontier Technology, Inc., which has an office in Beavercreek; and Terrence Slaybaugh, City of Dayton director of aviation.

Gov. John Kasich reappointed John Leland, vice president of research at the University of Dayton Research Institute.

The panel will meet to determine other key areas to target, Beagle said.

Weve taken on a number of initiatives, such as workforce development, since the committee started in 2014, he said. Were trying to identify things and potential solutions.

The state senator said he foresees two key issues staying in the forefront: Building an aerospace worker talent pipeline and finding ways to increase the value to the federal government of Ohio military installations, such as bolstering public-private partnerships.

Thats spurred in part by more and more talk about a potential new round of base closures coming from Washington, D.C., he said, noting the importance of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and other military installations to Ohio. Its also home to NASA Glenn Research Center near Cleveland.

Along with Beagle, state Rep. Rick Perales, R-Beavercreek, is one of two area legislators on the panel. Three senators and three House representatives are among the members.

The committee produces an annual report of findings and recommendations to state lawmakers on ways to bolster the aerospace industry in Ohio.

The state is the leader in aircraft engine production and is the No. 1 U.S. supplier to aerospace manufacturers Boeing and Airbus, according to JobsOhio.

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State lawmaker group to focus on aviation jobs in Ohio - Dayton Daily News

A A

JUNEAU, Alaska When most people think of Alaska, they picture its thick forests, hulking grizzly bears and soaring, snow-covered peaks.

What they might not imagine is rockets whisking defense and other payloads into space. But Americas northernmost state has that too, entering the high-tech aerospace business more than 25 years ago as it looked to diversify its oil-reliant economy.

The state-owned Alaska Aerospace Corp. hit a low point after a rocket exploded at its launch site in 2014 amid a deepening state deficit. The governor later gave it an ultimatum: Become self-sustaining or shut down.

Today, Alaska Aerospace has rebuilt its launch site and is again showing signs of liftoff. It is no longer confined to Alaska or government contracts, recently winning, for example, a deal with Rocket Lab to track the companys rockets and monitor its onboard systems in New Zealand.

Gov. Bill Walker said he is impressed by the corporations aggressive pursuit of contracts and its transformation. His budget office recently freed $2.2 million in state money previously earmarked for the corporation for launch site improvements.

Two years ago, we had a failed rocket, and we had a destroyed facility, and we had no customers, Alaska Aerospace CEO Craig Campbell said. Weve turned the corner.

Alaska sought to develop its aerospace sector in 1991 as states and private organizations were looking to capture a piece of a space industry that had once been the domain of NASA.

Alaska Aerospace now runs one of 10 commercial launch sites in the U.S. that are regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration. Some are co-located with federal facilities or have buzzy partnerships. The anchor tenant at New Mexicos state-owned Spaceport America is Virgin Galactic.

Campbell is tight-lipped about some of the business at Alaska Aerospaces launch site on Kodiak Island about 250 air miles southwest of Anchorage in the Gulf of Alaska because of proprietary concerns. But the remote site is well-positioned for polar launches, which often are used for communication and weather satellites and those that take images of Earth.

An advantage Alaska has over major launch sites is a lack of wait times, said Micah Walter-Range, research and analysis director for the Space Foundation, a space advocacy organization. A boom in smaller satellites tied to cheaper hardware components and other factors also presents opportunity, he said.

The corporation launched its first rocket in 1998. It had another 16 launches through 2014, when a rocket carrying an experimental Army strike weapon was blown up after taking off from Kodiak Island. All of the launches it conducted were for the federal government, including NASA.

The blast, which damaged launch site facilities, proved pivotal, coinciding with a ballooning state deficit and a diminished appetite among some Alaska legislators to put more state funding toward what some at that time saw as a money-sucking novelty.

Besides rebuilding its launch site, Alaska Aerospace opened an office in Alabama to try to better compete for aerospace business and landed a multiyear contract, worth up to $80 million, with the federal Missile Defense Agency to test its system for detecting incoming missiles.

In addition, the corporation is evaluating building a second launch site closer to the equator so it can handle a wider range of satellites. Campbell called equatorial launches the predominate orbit to meet the majority of the Earths population.

Still, Alaska Aerospace remains at a critical juncture, with several launches lined up for this year and next and high hopes for becoming more profitable and further establishing itself in the industry.

Campbells goal is to have at least six launches a year. So far this year, he expects two as part of the Missile Defense testing program and one involving a company working on a small rocket. He declined to identify the company.

The corporation has 16 staff, down from 44 when Campbell took over. It also has a contingency of about 14 contractors, many of whom are former corporation employees, he said.

State Rep. Louise Stutes, a Kodiak Republican, said an influx of activity surrounding a launch boosts the regions economy, though she noted the need to at times close roads for activities at the site has rankled some residents. About 13,500 people live in the Kodiak Island Borough.

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Alaska aerospace business has high hopes for future - The Columbian

According to the consultancy MarketsandMarkets, aerospace firms will be using additive manufacturing (AM) to make more than $3 billion in parts by 2022, up from a bit over $700 million in 2017. Aerospace and AM have a mutually beneficial relationship. Aerospace firms often have the rigorous requirements in weight and performance and make the small volumes that AM is best suited for, so encourage AM development. AM in turn helps OEMs make much better products, boosting the sectors growth.

But AM, also called 3D printing, is still young, and engineers have a lot to learn about the new process. In a webinar presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Denis Cormier, professor of industrial and systems engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology, explained some basics.

Powder-bed laser printing systems are the majority of machines used now, but all the different laser and electron beam systems have their particular uses, Cormier advised. Each machine maker provides a guide for designing parts to be made with its AM process, including the surface roughness and ribbing to expect and orientation of support structures. Surface finish is much better now, but you are not getting a machined surface yet, Cormier said.

AM of lattice structures is increasingly popular, both to reduce weight and create heat sinks. The struts in AM lattices can be as small as a half millimeter and generally should not be smooth. But Cormier warned that the software code required for lattices can be astronomically large, and not every designers PC could handle it. However, some machine-makers are starting to enable trickle feed of code, like that used on computer numerically control machines.

Part unitization, or the combination of many small parts into an AM one, is another popular trend, as evidenced by the GE LEAP engines fuel nozzle. You can throw the DFM [Design for Manufacturing] guidelines out the window, Cormier joked. There is no problem getting the part out of a mold.

But very complex unitized parts may pose problems in getting extra powder out of internal channels. Most laser machines will allow powder to be jiggled out, but removal is tougher with electronic beam machines. Generally, if a liquid or gas is to flow through the internal channel, surface roughness is good. But for laminar flows of parallel layers, finishing the rough surfaces may be desirable.

AM can print exceedingly complex parts that may replace up to 20 parts made by conventional methods. But engineers must remember the surfaces that will have to be finished and seek to make this easier, for example by making unitized parts easy to hold in vises.

One big trend in AM is toward larger parts, up to 1-2 meters for laser powder bed or electronic beam processes. But the cost of metal powder can be a challenge for large parts, Cormier warned. A machine may have up to $100,000 worth of powder in it before it begins to make a large part. AM processes that use wire-feed may economize on bigger parts.

Another trend is toward simulation-based design. This can help engineers achieve uniform heating for uniform microstructure before parts are expensively printed. And OEMs are building machines with sensors and cameras that can measure the temperature of the powder beds to improve control.

The other trend, or wish, is for less expensive powders. Cormier hopes that competition will drive powder cost down or that wire and other feedstocks will come more cheaply. That would certainly spur adoption in aerospace and other industries.

For the moment though, most AM machine makers continue to require their own proprietary powders be used in their machines. Thats expensive, but may be necessary for a while longer to ensure quality results, especially in safety-critical aerospace uses.

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Additive Manufacturing Design Tips For Aerospace - Aviation Week

Students at the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine routinely use an altitude hypobaric chamber at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which simulates a flight at 25,000 feet, as part of initial aerospace physiological training.

1st Lt. Alex Medina, U.S. Air Force Space, Missiles, and Forces Intelligence group executive officer, is one of those students. After 30 minutes of pre-breathing 100 percent oxygen, during his training he took his mask off and quickly felt the effect of lack of air due to the decrease in barometric pressure.

The hypoxic effects began much quicker than I had anticipated and felt very similar to feeling overly intoxicated, Medina said.

When there is a loss of cabin pressure, aircrew and passengers experience hypoxia oxygen deprivation which the most dangerous aspect of flying at altitude, said Senior Master Sgt. Johal Mandeep, USAFSAM Aerospace and Operational Physiology Division superintendent .

The purpose of initial aerospace physiological training is to help aircrew and operational personnel flying in aircraft understand the hazards of high altitude flight and the physiological effects of low barometric pressure.

Wright Patterson marks 100 years of aviation achievement

When we put students in the chamber theyre accompanied by two to three chamber technicians as safety observers; we are all trained to treat any issues that could occur during the flight, Mandeep said.

As the barometric pressure drops , instructors give students a few puzzles, short-answer questions and simple math problems to solve.

I was able to do the first three tasks fairly quickly, but then quickly became very dizzy Medina said. I tried to work through it, but the simple math problems were increasingly difficult, due to the onset of mental confusion.

I skipped around on the page to accomplish other questions/puzzles that were easier to comprehend but then felt very hot and decided to call it quits. Medina said. I dont think I made it past 60 seconds.

Every year USAFSAM train s about 1,300 students in the two-day, Air Force-required training, which includes academics and a chamber flight.

I believe the most valuable experience about the training is to give our students basic information on the hazards of low barometric pressure in-flight and to be able to physically experience the effects of hypoxia so they can identify it and treat if it occurs in-flight, Mandeep said.

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CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - June 05, 2017) -FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.("FLYHT") (TSX VENTURE:FLY) (OTCQX:FLYLF) today announced that Nola Heale will not be continuing in her position of CFO & VP Finance of FLYHT. The Company has appointed Paul Takalo, the Board of Director's Audit Committee Chair, to serve as the interim CFO & VP Finance. FLYHT will pursue a permanent replacement to fill the position.

About FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.

FLYHT is a leading provider of real-time aircraft intelligence and cockpit communications for the aerospace industry. More than 70 customers, including airlines, leasing companies and original equipment manufacturers, have installed our systems in order to increase safety, improve operational efficiencies and enhance profitability. FLYHT's proprietary technology, the Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS), operates on multiple aircraft types and provides functions such as safety services voice and text messaging, data collection and transmission, and on-demand streaming of flight data recorder (black box), engine and airframe data. AFIRS sends this information through the Iridium Satellite Network to FLYHT's UpTime ground-based server, which routes the data to customer-specified end points and provides an interface for real-time aircraft interaction. AFIRS has flown over 2.5 million aggregate flight hours and 1.7 million flights on customers' aircraft. FLYHT holds supplemental type certificates (STC) which allow for the installation of AFIRS on 95% of transport category aircraft.

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FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. Announces Management Change - AviationPros.com

Additive Manufacturing taken to unseen heights

The Aerospace industry is a huge and diverse market withEBM applications found in basically all segments, such as commercial and military aircraft, space applications, missiles and various subsystems like engines and accessories.

A common driver throughout the aerospace segment is weight reduction. A term often referred to within the aerospace community is the Buy-to-Fly ratio. The Buy-to-Fly ratio is the weight ratio between the raw material used for a component and the weight of the component itself.

Due to the importance of weight optimization it is not uncommon with Buy-to-Fly ratio as high as 15-20 for flying components, adding a lot of cost to the component for material and machining. The EBM process opens up an opportunity to produce light-weight components with a Buy-to-Fly ratio very close to 1.

For casting the aerospace companies rely heavily on a few dominant suppliers and many times the lead time for design iterations is many months long. Arcams EBM technology is a tool-less production technology allowing design modifications with minimal lead time and cost.

The freedom in design provided byEBM technology enables designers to create completely new and innovative product designs.Components may be optimized with regards to weight reduction or functional aspects such as improved cooling, heating or filtering characteristics.

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EBM in Aerospace - Additive Manufacturing | Arcam AB

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The IJAAA is the peer-reviewed journal of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Worldwide College of Aeronautics. With one of the most recognized names in aviation education across the globe and almost 90 years of excellence, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University provides a premier publication outlet for scholars, industry stakeholders, and government entities. The IJAAA is open access, thus there are no fees or charges required of authors or readers.

The Journal editorial staff work very hard to make your publication experience as easy and seamless as possible. Gone are the days of waiting months for decisions on your hard work. Currently, our average publication decision is made within 14 days.

Our articles are now available through Google Scholar. We are diligently pursuing primary research database indexing as well as inclusion in well-recognized impact factor measurement services. The IJAAA is now listed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), Cite Factor, and has a pending impact factor with SCOPUS. You can be assured your articles will receive wide distribution and availability.

We just released our second issue for 2017. We have numerous articles in queue for publication - check back soon for more great research!

NOTE: Only works listed under "articles" are peer-reviewed. Others are selected by editorial review.

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International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

For our nations security, defense, and intelligence agencies, Jacobs is a leading provider of mission operations support, information technology systems, scientific engineering, cyber security, facility operations support, and building design.

Information technology is a critical enabler of security programs and facilities. Our solutions span virtually every form of modern software, data-processing and communications technology. We specialize in IP-based network engineering, cloud-based solutions, application development, enterprise voice communications, global video-teleconferencing solutions, service desk operations, and cyber security.

Attacks compromising the information systems and data security of both private and public organizations have increased alarmingly in recent years. Jacobs' cyber security experts apply a wide range of technologies, processes, and practices to protect data centers, networks, and computer systems from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. We are adept at working with traditional security architectures as well as meeting the challenges posed by virtualized and cloud-computing environments. Jacobs' experts develop and apply identity management and access control systems; enable cross-domain solutions; perform vulnerability analysis and penetration testing; and certify and accredit the security strength of systems. In addition, unlike most cyber security providers, we also tune systems for best performance.

Jacobs has extensive mission operations experience including all source analysis, war gaming, mission planning, modeling and simulation, and acquisition and logistics. Our buildings design expertise includes state-of-the-art data centers, mission critical infrastructure, military, intelligence, aviation, and civilian public sector facility projects. Our building services range from master planning to design to construction management.

Jacobs also operates and maintains a wide range of secure facilities including administrative, laboratory, wind tunnel, testing, research, and advanced manufacturing. We strive to reduce operational costs through condition-based maintenance principles, and we leverage the power of data analytics to optimize technology utilization and workforce alignment.

To ensure bias-free support to our clients, we require no firewalls or other corporate structures when selecting systems and hardware, and thus avoid traditional organizational conflicts of interest (OCI). Our freedom from OCI also allows us to serve in sensitive roles supporting our clients mission, providing independent and objective assessments of hardware, systems, and alternative approaches.

At Jacobs, we take pride in the trusted relationships we form with our customers, strive to maintain our technological and operational expertise, and follow through on our commitment to innovation and the transfer of best practices.

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Aerospace and defense | Jacobs

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WHITE SALMON On a recent Wednesday morning, Everybodys Brewing already had a short line at its door 10 minutes before opening.

Then, right before its doors opened, polo-clad workers from a nearby avionics company rounded the corner and joined the wait.

Within an hour, the brewpub roiled with a lunchtime crowd, which seemed out of scale with the midsized building, perched on a hill in a small town that looked to fit well within a postcard for the Columbia River Gorge.

The owners werent surprised, though.

It happens a lot, said Doug Ellenberger, who co-owns Everybodys Brewing with his wife, Christine.

Everybodys Brewing is one of the restaurants in the Gorge now feeding off a new class of customer. Led largely by Insitu Group, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Boeing Co., these companies and their higher-wage workers are breathing life into small businesses in the Gorge that used to subsist on tourists and a few locals.

The brewpub opened in 2008, at the height of the recession, and its preparing to double its square footage by April 2018. Ellenberger thanks the aerospace industry and the community at large.

Companies across the street that work with Insitu, they get out around 11:20 and its always a good thing for us, he said. Employees of aerospace companies, like Insitu and its nearby suppliers, are the ones who have become the locals. When its not the season for tourism, theyre the ones who keep the lights on for us as well as everyone else in the community, he said.

Welcome to one of the most resurgent places along the Columbia River, 60 miles east of the Vancouver-Portland metropolitan area. Cities on both sides of the river have found success, thanks to landing big players in the drone industry.

In Klickitat County, the home of little towns like White Salmon and Bingen, the population has risen just 3 percent since 2010. But median household income has risen nearly 30 percent. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 10 percent of households in the county earn between $100,000 and $149,999 more than double its share in 2010.

That rise has given a lifeline to restaurants, hotels and recreational companies in the area, said Tamara Kaufman, director of the regional Mt. Adams Chamber of Commerce.

Their presence has had a positive impact on this community overall, she said of the industry. I know that if you go to lunch around here, you can go to any number of these little eateries and see people carrying a lanyard indicating they are employees of Insitu or one of its many suppliers, she said.

That is the kind of development that helped Matt Ramey and Jen Peterson decide to locate their second barbecue restaurant in Bingen, rather than a place like Portland.

Pine Shed Ribs and Barbecue, based in Lake Oswego, Ore., will open kitty-corner from the Insitu headquarters on state Highway 14 at the end of June. Ramey said although Bingens population is small, its also less saturated with eateries.

If you spend a little bit of time online, you can find a list as long as my arm of restaurants that closed in Portland this year and in 2016, Ramey said. They went into Portland to get all the foot traffic, but they were also lost in the noise of other restaurants.

The couple had vacationed in the area for years but noticed the business opportunity last fall. They jumped on the vacant storefront, and now have what they hope will be a prime location for many years. Across the street, a white commuter bus drops off dozens of Insitu employees who are brought to job sites every day from as far away as Vancouver.

We knew where their offices were; we thought this might be a good idea, Ramey said of finding the location. We signed a lease on it almost immediately. Im really optimistic about its possibilities long-term.

The restaurant will also be close to Eagle Point, the 125,000-square-foot manufacturing plant that Insitu opened in 2014. Inside, workers in a bright warehouse piece together the modular drones according to customer specifications.

When completed, the drones can be used to monitor schools of fish, map wildfires or survey crops. Insitu whose name is latin for in the same place does not weaponize the drones, specifically, but drones without firepower can still map battlefields and, according to company officials, helped save the life of Captain. Richard Phillips, whose experience with Somali pirates was made into a movie starring Tom Hanks.

Employment has ballooned at Insitu this year. The company has hired more than 200 employees and plans to hire another 140. It has offices as far away as Vancouver and facilities in Oregon, California, Mississippi, England and Australia.

With all the new faces, Dave Poucher, the mayor of White Salmon, said its not uncommon to see the small towns jam-packed on a Friday or Saturday night.

By 4:30 p.m. Friday, there will not be a parking space in White Salmon, he said. Anybody thats doing any type of business is booming.

Poucher, 70, said hes seen enough to think the growth could last for generations.

There are so many baby carriages, people jogging, pushing strollers and things like that, he said. There just seem to be more and more of them.

Its a big turnaround for Klickitat County, which grappled with high unemployment even when times were good for its timber industry and aluminum plant, said David McClure, the countys economic development director.

Both lifelines fell hard in the 1990s, McClure said, and officials didnt know where to look.

In 1995, we were plotting out How do we get our community out of this? Aerospace wasnt even on our radar, he said. Insitu pretty much changed the landscape.

Insitu arrived in Bingen in 1994, but first made headlines four years later when a team of five engineers flew a 29-pound drone from St. Johns, Newfoundland to the Hebrides Islands of Scotland. It was the first unpiloted aircraft to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

Company officials said business really took off, however, when the military started using drones for reconnaissance in 2004, during the Second Battle of Fallujah in Iraq.

Fast-forward to 2014, when the company, now a subsidiary of Boeing Co., built Eagle Point at the Port of Klickitat. Today the company has 1,300 employees, including 900 in the Gorge, said the companys infrastructure and real estate director, Jenny Taylor.

Besides Insitu, more companies popped up to carve out a role in the industry, some founded by former employees. Zepher Inc. provides assembly, testing and transportation services, and Sagetech builds the worlds smallest aviation surveillance equipment.

More companies are arriving. In January, Australian propulsion systems company Orbital announced it would set up an office in Bingen.

Today, the Gorge aerospace industry employs about 1,700 people across 17 companies in the Oregon communities of Hood River, Wasco and Sherman, and Skamania and Klickitat counties, according to the Gorge Technology Alliance, an industry association.

They make a significant difference in the region in terms of employment and the quality of the jobs and the wages they pay, said executive alliance director Jessica Metta.

Sitting in the thick of the lunchtime clamber at Everybodys Brewing, McClure, whose job it is to find and retain new businesses in Klickitat County, said he couldnt take credit for Insitu. He called it a unicorn that just happened to find its way to their land.

I wish I could claim it, he said. Its the center of gravity for aerospace in this region. For it to pop up here, its significant.

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Aerospace industry, led by Insitu, lifts economies of Columbia Gorge communities - The Columbian