Columbus Airbus work

Airbus Defense And Space Inc. of Herndon, Va., was awarded a $28,320,933 modification to an Army contract for logistic support that entails flying hours for various contract line item numbers within and outside of the United States, mission equipment packages and direct labor support. Work will be performed at AHI in Columbus, Miss. Estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2015. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 02/24/15)

AHI lands new Thai helo deal

The Royal Thai Army has committed to buying six of Airbus Helicopters’ light-utility EC145 T2, and most powerful, model helicopters. The helicopters will be used mainly for official passenger transport missions. The Thai army is also expecting the imminent delivery of six UH-72A Lakota helicopters from America. The UH-72A is a version of the EC145 type produced by Airbus Helicopters’ plant in Columbus, Miss., for the U.S. Army. (Source: Airbus Helicopters 02/23/15)

CAFB okays extending Riverwalk

COLUMBUS, Miss. – The city of Columbus is planning to extend its Riverwalk to Columbus Air Force Base with some assistance from the state and Defense Department. Mayor Robert Smith said the Mississippi House had already voted to provide $5 million. The bill is pending in the Senate. The trail would be extended to the south gate of Columbus AFB. The base has endorsed the projected 5-year, $25 million project. It was not specified what amount DOD may offer. (Mississippi Business Journal 02/21/15)

FAA draft disappoints farmers

Farmers hoping to use drones for their fields were disappointed by the Federal Aviation Administration’s restrictive commercial drone rules released last weekend. Two draft rules were singled out for criticism: Pilots must remain in visual contact with drones and height restrictions of 500 feet. The constraints limit drones’ range and usefulness, critics said. FAA contended that farmers can address the line-of-sight limitation by using spotters. Firms having invested in drone technology are feeling the strain. However, the Niceville, Fla.-based Pravia LLC got two grants of exemption from the FAA in February. They will operate the eBee Ag and E384 small UAS for precision agriculture applications, for seed company Syngenta AG, over 10 crop test sites in seven states. “We are excited to be among the first to receive FAA approval,” said Pravia managing partner Tim Ray. The company will be able to bring “precision agriculture imagery and automated analysis services to smaller fields … thanks to the efficiencies gained with (small) UAS over traditional manned aircraft.” The proposed operations will include biomass analysis and estimation, yield monitoring, leaf area indexing, and reporting of geographical data and overall crop health. (Source: Reuters 02/18/15) Central Mississippi Note: Mississippi State University researchers are preparing for the day UAVs can be used commercially in agriculture. Some MSU researchers are already using UAVs while others are examining additional applications. Bobby Golden, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher, is one of the university’s scientists interested in using UAVs in their studies.

Benign unmanned drone proposal

The Federal Aviation Administration released a relatively-benign draft Feb. 15 that would proposed a special pilot certificate for commercial drone-flying firms, day-time only flights; age (17), speed (100 mph) and altitude (500 feet) limitations. But, the rule is not likely to help Amazon’s quest to deliver packages using unmanned drones to Central Mississippi since it would require an FAA-certified pilot to keep it in sight at all times; factors not envisioned by Amazon's plan. The draft rule must undergo public comment and revision before becoming final, which is expected in about a year. The rule doesn’t require drone pilots to undergo medical tests or flight hours, which are required of manned aircraft pilots. (Source: Reuters 02/15/15)

Contract: Airbus, $220.6M

 Airbus Defense and Space Inc. of Herndon, Va., was awarded a $220,564,993 Army modification contract to procure 41 UH-72A Lakota helicopters and 41 Airborne Radio Communications 231 radios. FY 2015 procurement funds in the amount of $220,564,993 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is July 31, 2017. Work will be performed at Airbus Helicopters in Columbus, Miss. “The Lakota helicopters have proven to be effective and affordable aircraft for the Army,” said U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, and the Golden Triangle’s “highly capable workforce” contributes to the success of the program. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD, 02/12/15)

MSU: State’s R&D flagship

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University has again been ranked 96th among the Top 100 research schools in America by the National Science Foundation’s Higher Education Research and Development Survey for 2013. The school spent nearly $206 million in research and development - equal to total spending of all other Mississippi colleges – making MSU the state’s flagship research university. Three Bagley College of Engineering disciplines were rated in the Top 50 for R&D expenditures, including aerospace. (Source: WVTA 02/11/15)

NASM exercise may delay access

The Navy-wide Solid Curtain 2015 force security exercise will continue through Feb. 13 – including at Naval Air Station Meridian. Measures have been taken to minimize disruptions, but there may be times when the exercise causes increased traffic or delays to base access. NASM has upped its security measures level to “Bravo.” (NAS Meridian Facebook 02/11/15)

CAFB earns 12th AFOUA

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. – The 14th Flying Training Wing at Columbus AFB has been named the recipient of the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award (AFOUA) from the Air Education and Training Command. Those permanently assigned to the 14th FTW from July 1, 2012, to June 30, 2014, are eligible for the award – including reservists, guardsmen and those on TDY orders; but not those attending training or in student status. It’s the 12th time CAFB has received the AFOUA. The award ribbon has a narrow red stripe, flanked by a thin white stripe, a wide blue stripe, a thin white stripe, edged with a narrow red stripe. A bronze "V" device is worn on the ribbon to denote award for combat or direct combat support actions. During the award period, the 14th FTW graduated 641 pilots at the AF’s second busiest airfield in 2013-14. CAFB was the AF's largest flying-hour program of 2013 and second largest in 2014. The wing sent 227 personnel in support of 13 deployment operations worldwide. (Columbus AFB 02/06/15)

UAV ag research at MSU

Mississippi State University researchers are preparing for the day unmanned aerial vehicles (i.e. drones) can be used commercially in agriculture. Some MSU researchers are already using the UAVs while others exam other potential applications. Bobby Golden, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher, is one of the university’s scientists interested in using UAVs in their studies. (Source: Mississippi State University Extension Service 02/09/15)

LM Meridian’s STEM awardee

BETHESDA, Md. - Lockheed Martin celebrated the accomplishments of Black Engineer of the Year and STEM award recipients at the 2015 BEYA STEM Conference Feb. 7 in Washington, D.C. The conference was the largest gathering of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) professionals committed to advancing diversity in the technology workforce. Among special awardees was Karmyn Norwood of LM's Aeronautics business in Meridian, Miss., who received a Special Recognition Award for her leadership in executing multi-billion dollar military aircraft programs and for her STEM community outreach efforts. (PR Newswire 02/09/15)

GA railrun tests on JHSV

The Navy has a Mach 7 cannon - an experimental electromagnetic railgun – ready to start firing from the Zumwalt-class USS Lyndon B. Johnson destroyer as early as 2018. One of two railgun prototypes is undergoing testing aboard the Joint High-Speed Vessel USS Millinocket (JHSV-3). An electromagnetic railgun’s non-explosive projectile is as small as a breadbox and less expensive than a Tomahawk cruise missile, which means enhancing a ship’s effectiveness, saving space and money. (Source: USNI News 02/05/15) Central Mississippi/Gulf Coast Note: General Atomics’ Tupelo, Miss., facility designs and fabricates railguns for the Navy. The Austal USA shipyard at Mobile, Ala., builds JHSVs for the Navy.

‘Game of Change’ player passes

Former Mississippi State College basketball player and retired Air Force lieutenant colonel Stanley R. Brinker has died at the age of 71. Brinker played basketball at MSC in early 1960s. By 1963, State's teams had missed multiple NCAA tournament trips having been forced to abide by the "unwritten rule" that kept white Mississippi teams from playing integrated teams. In 1963, MSU President Dean Colvard and legendary coach Harrison "Babe" McCarthy risked their careers by arranging to sneak the team out of Mississippi to face the integrated Loyola University of Chicago team. The "Game of Change" – as it was known – changed college basketball. A Sports Illustrated photograph of Brinker shaking hands with Loyola player Vic Rouse made most every newspaper in the country. Brinker took part in three reunion events a half-century later – two in Chicago and one in Starkville - as MSU hosted those Loyola players along with their own. In 1966, he joined the Air Force and had tours at Eglin AFB, Fla.; Binh Thuy, Vietnam; and the Pentagon. He played significant roles in programs such as laser guided bombs; F–15 fighter jet and was missile defense advisor for former President Ronald Reagan's "Star Wars" program. After the AF, he began a second career as a consultant for the Defense Department and NASA; and finally retiring to North Alabama’s Lake Guntersville area southeast of Huntsville. Brinker is survived by his wife, two sons, five grandchildren, a sister and three brothers. (Source: Clarion Ledger 02/08/15)

Rep. Nunnelee passes away

WASHINGTON - U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee, a Mississippi Republican representing the 1st Congressional District which includes Columbus and West Point in the Golden Triangle region, died Friday at his home in Tupelo. He was part of the historic 2010 GOP election wave. He was 56. Nunnelee was serving his third term. He was serving on the House Appropriations Committee; and was vice chair of the panel's subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies. He was a graduate of Clinton High School and Mississippi State University. Nunnelee's health had declined over the winter holidays. He died Friday from inoperable brain cancer and complications from a subsequent stroke. Nunnerlee is survived by his wife, Tori, and three children, Reed, Emily and Nathan. Funeral services are scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday (Feb. 9) at Calvary Baptist Church in Tupelo. (Source: Clarion Ledger 02/07/15)

Psychosis of poverty?

A PBS documentary is highlighted. It is entitled: "Will new manufacturing ease Mississippi’s “psychosis of poverty?” PBS News Hour 02/06/15.

CAFB loses valued civilian

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. – A Columbus AFB federal civil servant, Ellen Staples, who served as the 14th Comptroller Squadron's Quality Assurance Manager, passed away unexpectedly Jan. 27 in Tupelo. A memorial was held Feb. 4 at the base chapel. Mrs. Staples served 22 years in the Air Force before retiring as a master sergeant in 1993. Following retirement, she continued serving as a Team BLAZE civilian Airman. Since 1994, Mrs. Staples had dedicated her efforts towards the 14th Flying Training Wing as a member of the comptroller department. (Source: Columbus AFB 02/05/15)

GTRA gets final piece of puzzle

Columbus City Council approved Feb. 3 a resolution committing the final $125,000 toward a $500,000 shared community grant match for the final piece of a federal grant aiming to provide westbound flights from Golden Triangle Regional Airport. Other local governments involved include Lowndes, Clay Oktibbeha counties, and West Point. GTRA Executive Director Mike Hainsey said the match is part of a $1.5-million federal incentive package to recruit an airline to provide westbound air service to the airport - one of 16 nationwide to secure a $750,000 Small Community Air Service Development grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. Air service from GTRA currently provides three Delta flights per day to Atlanta. Hainsey hopes to add an airline to provide two non-stop westbound flights daily focused on recruiting American Airlines for flights to Dallas, since companies like Airbus Helicopter and PACCAR (a subsidiary of Peterbilt) have corporate HQs there. If that doesn't work out, GTRA would look to either Houston or Denver. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 02/05/15)

UFOs in the Golden Triangle

There have been 15 reported sightings of unidentified flying objects in the Golden Triangle over the last 40 years. The most recent was in October. Someone in West Point, looking into the dark sky "noticed five reddish orange balls that appeared to look like large stars flashing in an 'N' formation for three minutes," according to the UFO reporting center. After about three minutes, it vanished. The 15 incidents are documented at the National UFO Reporting Center, which since 1974 has cataloged UFO sightings (96,061) across North America. Each entry contains the time, place and brief description. Off all those “sightings” 499 were from Mississippi. The most recent was two weeks ago in Brandon. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 02/04/15)