Op-Ed Columnists – Page 17

  • Opinion

    Comment: No free ride to space

    2010-11-23T00:00:00Z

    Saving money and developing a spacecraft to replace the Shuttle sound like mutally exclusive endeavours in cash-strapped Washington, but politicians aren't getting the real cost issue

  • Opinion

    Comment: Speculation and reassurance

    2010-11-16T00:00:00Z

    Rolls-Royce has been taking a lot of heat. Having one of its newest products - a mighty Trent 900 - blow up under the wing of that most attention-grabbing of aircraft, a packed-with-people Qantas Airbus A380, was a good route to negative publicity.

  • Opinion

    Comment: New report shows that airline pilots are missing both basic and advanced skills

    2010-11-16T00:00:00Z

    Pilots are perhaps the most frequently re-trained people in any profession, yet accidents are revealing that many flightcrew are missing both basic and advanced skills

  • Opinion

    Comment: China's not whispering

    2010-11-09T12:00:00Z

    Foreign visitors to next week's Zuhai air show may rightly conclude that locally developed aircraft aren't up to Western standards - but they'll be completely missing the point

  • Opinion

    Comment: UK/France defence pact spells a tale of two cities

    2010-11-05T15:00:00Z

    Facing the worst of financial times, the UK and France have signed a broad-ranging defence co-operation pact ...

  • Opinion

    Comment: A silver lining to the ash cloud?

    2010-11-02T00:00:00Z

    In recent years the European Union has zapped its air carriers. It has introduced over-the-top passenger rights legislation and has delayed and long-routed flights with its jigsaw-puzzle air traffic management system. And it has overcharged airlines for the privilege.

  • Opinion

    Comment: Breakthrough or bust

    2010-11-02T00:00:00Z

    After 25 years of operating Bell's Kiowa Warrior as an 'interim' platform, the US Army is pushing, again, for a replacement. But will a gamble on new technology return a winner?

  • Opinion

    Comment: The fear factor

    2010-10-26T17:15:00Z

  • Opinion

    COMMENT: Business aviation is shackled in most of the world

    2010-10-26T00:00:00Z

    Business aviation gets a rough ride in most of the world for no good reason. Changing that situation should be the principal aim of all the business aviation...

  • Opinion

    Comment: Defence review, or strategic error?

    2010-10-22T14:59:00Z

    What are the long-term implications of the UK's decisions to axe its carrier strike and maritime patrol aircraft capabilities?

  • Opinion

    Comment: It's a style thing

    2010-10-18T12:00:00Z

    Price, performance and after-sales service all figure into the mix when it comes to choosing between brands. But what really makes the sale is raw, sexy good looks

  • Opinion

    Comment: The nuts and bolts of the plastic fanatic

    2010-10-18T10:00:00Z

    Aerospace manufacturers have long been convinced of the benefits of lightweight, aerodynamic composite materials, but engineering has proved problematic.

  • Opinion

    Comment: Short ride on a spaceplane

    2010-10-12T12:00:00Z

    The term "space tourism" does not always bring to mind positive images. Think chequebook astronauts who dream of going boldly without actually having to compete intellectually with the terrifyingly well-qualified crew who fill the seats on real space missions

  • Opinion

    Comment: Zero hour for helicopter safety improvement

    2010-10-10T11:00:00Z

    Now, five years after the International Helicopter Safety Team launched its historic attempt to transform global rotary-wing safety performance, it has assembled the necessary critical mass of data on which to base intervention strategies

  • Opinion

    Comment: Speed – a question of money

    2010-10-03T10:00:00Z

    When Mel "Mad Max" Gibson visits a lonely desert mechanic in search of serious horsepower, a sign above the door sums it all up: "Speed is a question of money - how fast do you want to go?"

  • Opinion

    Comment: Do it or rue it

    2010-10-02T10:00:00Z

    Aviation has a golden opportunity to set itself challenging but achievable targets for emissions reductions. If it doesn't act now, enviromental activists may force change on the industry

  • Opinion

    Comment: Destruction still means death

    2010-09-28T00:00:00Z

    One reason military electronics cost a bomb compared with civilian gadgets is that military equipment has got to operate reliably in vastly more hostile environments than a living room or a Starbucks

  • Opinion

    Comment: Probing investigation

    2010-09-28T00:00:00Z

    Air accident investigation in Europe will still be carried out by national agencies, but a new EU law requires them to be much more accountable. This is no bad thing

  • Opinion

    Comment: Revolving doors

    2010-09-21T12:24:00Z

  • Opinion

    Comment: Endlessly fighting yesterday's battle

    2010-09-21T12:00:00Z

    True to all expectations, the World Trade Organisation ruling last week on Europe's claim that Boeing receives "illegal" subsidies was a victory for Europe. And, it was a victory for the USA.