Funding proposed for UAS research

Mississippi’s Senate Appropriations Committee has tripled FY 2017 research funding for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) led by Mississippi State University’s Center Of Excellence. The committee gave the thumbs-up to $17.6 million – up from $5M last year. More than 100 aviation-industry partners provide matching funds to support COE research related to integrating UAS technologies. The FAA has oversight of the program. Additional proposed state funding provides $150 million for Essential Air Service (EAS) to subsidize air carriers serving Tupelo, Meridian, Hattiesburg/Laurel and Greenville; existing contract air traffic towers at Golden Triangle Regional, Greenville Municipal, Hawkins Field in Jackson, Meridian/Key Field, Olive Branch, Stennis International Airport and Tupelo Regional; and $2.1 billion to support the Space Launch System at Stennis Space Center in Hancock County. The appropriations must pass both chambers of the state legislature. (NE Mississippi Daily Journal “Opinion” 04/24/16)

PWD Meridian earns 3 top awards

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. –The Public Works Department at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., garnered three of the top five slots for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast’s 2015 Employee and Supervisors of the Year. PWD Meridian’s Brandon Maxwell, utilities energy management technician, was selected ‘Employee of the Year 2015 Tier I’ (GS11 and below) for support of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure program. PWDM’s James Coleman, water treatment plant operator, was selected ‘Wage Grade Employee of the Year’; and Matthew Copeland, facility sustainment branch head, was named ‘General Schedule Supervisor of the Year’. Another Gulf Coast PWD representative was NAS Pensacola, Fla.'s facility shop supervisor Frank Derise, who was also named a ‘Wage Grade Supervisor of the Year’ for his expertise in handling of a barracks project located at NAS-Joint Reserve Base New Orleans. (Source: Naval Facilities Engineering Command 04/20/16)

LM-100J work at Meridian

MARIETTA, Ga. - The first Lockheed Martin LM-100J commercial freighter aircraft has reached major production assembly milestones in Georgia, West Virginia and Meridian, Miss. Wing production has begun in Marietta, home of the C-130J Super Hercules final assembly line. Other structural parts are in production at Meridian and West Virginia plants. The LM-100J incorporates technological developments over existing L-100s. The LM-100J is the civil-certified version of Lockheed's C-130J Super Hercules. (PR Newswire 04/18/16)

AHI beefs up global talk for Lakota

Airbus is beefing up international marketing, and seeking orders, for its UH-72A Lakota helicopter, and production facility at Columbus, Miss. Airbus Helicopters Inc. has been building the “helos” for the Army for nearly a decade, but those orders are scheduled to end in 2019. Without 15-to-20 new production orders annually, the Columbus plant could run out of business. There is some down-the-road speculation that AHI may pitch a military variant of its H145 commercial helicopter as a future replacement for the UH-72A Lakota. (Source: National Defense 04/13/16)

Med helo comes to GTRA

The University of Mississippi Medical Center will be bringing a medical-transport helicopter to the Golden Triangle Regional Airport for use in emergent cases needing to be sent to UMCC at Jackson. It’s capable of being a flying “advanced ICU Critical Care” helicopter, says Sam Marshall of UMMC Air Care Service. Locals also agree that critical care in the air is good for area patients. It’s an Airbus Helicopter, but wasn’t built at AHI’s Mississippi facility in Lowndes County. (Source: WTVA 03/25/16)

Court upholds lawsuit against AFS

The Mississippi Supreme Court supported a West Point man’s lawsuit against Aurora Flight Sciences for firing him after the firm found a firearm inside his locked vehicle on company grounds. The March 24 decision states that employers in Mississippi cannot fire employees for keeping a firearm in a locked vehicle in a publicly-accessible parking area. West Point native Robert Swindol filed a federal lawsuit against AFS in 2013. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 03/25/16)

Army may seek more ‘Lakotas’

The Army may want 16 more UH-72A “Lakota” helicopters – built at Airbus Helicopters’ production facility in Columbus, Miss. The Navy has ordered 12 UH-1Y “Venoms” and 16 AH-1Z “Vipers” from Bell Helicopter. An Army contract process for the 16 UH-72s is "anticipated" to be awarded about June 30, according to a contracting notice published March 10. Delivery would be between December 2017 and March 2018. The tentative award appears to extend production beyond a 12-helo order from last November. Delivery from that award is anticipated by August 2017. Venoms and Vipers are primarily operated by the Marine Corps. This order reflects the Corps' transition to the AH-1Z light-attack helicopters from legacy AH-1Ws, which will be phased out by 2020. (Source: Flight Global 03/14/16) Gulf Coast Aviation Note: The Marine aviation unit at NAS/JRB New Orleans is the only regional site still flying the legacy AH-1W “Super Cobra.” They are tentatively to be replaced by the UH-1Y.

MDA: Canada conference info

The Mississippi Development Authority plans to lead business and economic development professionals to the 9th annual Southeastern U.S.-Canadian Provinces Alliance Conference in Nashville on May 25-27. Information on the program is available by contacting the MDA at (601) 359-3155. Early registration deadline is March 31. (Source: Mississippi Development Authority 03/09/16)

Mississippi NASA ambassadors

NASA has selected 11 educator teams – including one from Mississippi - for its 2016 Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program. The program is a professional development opportunity for educators designed to improve teaching methods that inspire students. As preparation, the ambassadors are to complete a graduate-level astronomy course; partner with professional astronomers as scientists conduct research aboard NASA’s flying telescope, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. SOFIA is a modified Boeing 747SP jetliner fitted with a 100-inch telescope to study celestial objects on 10-hour overnight science missions. (SETI Institute 03/04/16) Central Mississippi Note: The 2016 team from Mississippi includes Connie Gusmus of Guntown Middle School and Robert Swanson of Itawamba Community College in Fulton. The educators are to take what they’ve learned back into their classrooms and communities to convey the value of scientific research and career path options available to students.

Voluntary buy-outs at LM-Miss.

Lockheed Martin Corp. announced that its aeronautics division is seeking to part with up to 1,000 workers to stay competitive by offering a voluntary program to mid-level employees at its Meridian, Miss., facility and six others in Texas, Georgia, California, West Virginia, and Maryland. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, based in Fort Worth, builds the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; and the out-of-production F-22 Raptor. (Source: PR Newswire 03/08/16)

Miss. ammo contract: $97.2M

JACKSON, Miss. - Ammunition manufacturer Nammo Talley has announced it was awarded a $97.2 million defense contract, creating 12 jobs in Crawford – about 20 miles southwest of Columbus – for production of ammunition for the Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) system. “This is a huge win for our program team and for our operation in Mississippi,” said Jim Mullis, general manager of NT’s Mississippi operations. Supporters of the facility included the Mississippi Development Authority, Golden Triangle Development LINK, East Mississippi Community College Workforce Training, and the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. “Mississippi has a strong, growing presence in the defense sector, and Nammo Talley’s new contract further strengthens the state’s foothold in the industry,” Gov. Phil Bryant said. (Source: Mississippi Development Authority 03/08/16) Central Mississippi Note: Nammo Talley’s Mississippi manufacturing operation was specifically designed for high volume final assembly of shoulder-launched munitions - like SMAW projectiles. The facility was also designed for high rate pyrotechnic operations and storage. The firm is the only manufacturer of man-portable, unguided, shoulder launched munitions in the United States.

OCSD orders Airbus helo

The Orange County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department has ordered an Airbus Helicopters H125 AStar helicopter as an upgrade to its existing law enforcement helicopter fleet. The H125 AStar contracted March 2 at the Heli-Expo 2016 in Louisville, Ky., will be delivered to the agency later this month, and is expected to be in service by summer. (Source: Airbus Helicopters 03/02/16) Central Mississippi Note: AHI has a helicopter production facility in Columbus, Miss.

DHART contracts for new AHI helo

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Dartmouth-Hitchcock Advanced Response Team (DHART), an air medical transport services provider for Northern New England, has contracted with Airbus Helicopters Inc. for an H135-series helicopter. With bases in Lebanon and Manchester, N.H., DHART provides air ambulance services throughout New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, New York and Connecticut. DHART operates more than 1,400 missions per year with two EC135 aircraft equipped with the latest instrument flight rules avionics and medical technology. The new aircraft, to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2016, will replace an older Airbus EC135, which will be transitioned to a dedicated backup role. Metro Aviation of Shreveport, La., will operate and provide aviation services for the new DHART aircraft. (Source: Airbus Helicopters Inc. 03/01/16) Central Mississippi Note: AHI has a large production and manufacturing facility at Columbus, Miss.

AHI books new helo for UHP

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Airbus Helicopters Inc. has booked an order for one of its H125 AStar helicopters from the Utah Highway Patrol. UHP already has an AHI AS350 B2 helicopter it uses to conduct a wide variety of law enforcement missions. The new aircraft is expected to be delivered in March and in service by summer. Produced at AHI’s plant in Columbus, Miss., the single-engine H125 is the latest version of the firm’s AStar family of helicopters. (Source: Airbus Helicopters Inc. 03/01/16)

Army helo cuts concern Cochran

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, raised concerns about proposed cuts to Army aviation based on the Defense Department’s FY 2017 budget requests. Cochran wants an explanation for a 38 percent decrease in Army aircraft procurement, including Apaches, Black Hawks, Chinooks and Lakota helicopters. Reductions, according to Cochran, would likely affect now-deployed Army combat, training and support aircraft. (Source: WVTA 02/26/16) Central Mississippi Note: UH-72A Lakota helicopters are built at Airbus Helicopters Inc. in Columbus, Miss., and are to be the Army’s newest trainers of helo pilots.

AF undergrads selected for training

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas - Fifty-three company grade officers and one major have been selected for the Air Force's Undergraduate Flying Training program. Those selected will attend pilot, remotely piloted aircraft, combat systems officer or air battle manager training. Some of those selected for specialized undergrad pilot training will go to Columbus AFB, Miss. ABM candidates will attend training at Tyndall AFB, Fla. CSO candidates will attend training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. (Source: Air Force Personnel Center 02/25/16)

GTRA hosts drone experts session

The Golden Triangle Regional Airport in Columbus, Miss., was the site of an experts’ meeting Feb. 18 regarding unmanned aircraft systems regulations and safety tips for new drone-hobbyists. Among the experts providing information were representatives from the Federal Aviation Administration, Aurora Flight Sciences, Mississippi State University's Raspet Flight Research Center, and Columbus Air Force Base. There are FAA regulations for both hobbyists and drones used for commercial purposes. MSU’s Dallas Brooks, who works on researching UAS, talked about a drone-operation knowledge test (Part 107), similar to a driver's license, that is likely to come out from the FAA this summer. CAFB safety officer Capt. Jason Greer discussed ways drone operators could avoid interfering with air operations around the base – warning that some student-aviators fly as low as 500 feet at times. Other airfields fly at lower altitudes, he added. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 02/19/16)

Canine EOD collaboration

COLUMBUS AFB, Miss. - Military Working Dog teams from Columbus Air Force Base, alongside other units from Lowndes County, the Highway Patrol, Fire Marshal’s office, South Haven and Mississippi State University, met with the FBI on Feb. 16 to perform joint explosives detection training on MSU’s campus in Starkville. FBI bomb technician Brandon Grant led the training to improve the canines’ detection of improvised and commercial explosives. A major focus of the event was improving relationships – and collaboration - between various units. “Without that collaboration, the ability to detect explosives at venues like this would be greatly diminished,” said Grant. (Source: Columbus AFB 02/18/16)

Aldrin highlights teamwork at MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, one of the two NASA space explorers to first walk on the moon in July 1969, was guest speaker at Mississippi State University’s Global Lecture Series on Feb. 9. It was a NASA team effort, which got Apollo 11 into orbit and the landing module onto the surface, he told the audience – a number close to 400,000. While reminiscing about the moon walk with Neil Armstrong, Aldrin highlighted the power of teams working together to achieve success. “The true value of the Apollo program is the amazing story of teamwork that overcame many obstacles to make it to the moon.” The 86-year-old former astronaut is a bestselling author of biographies and children’s books. He continues to advocate for broadening space exploration. The Apollo 11 crew received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. (Mississippi State University 02/09/16) Central Mississippi Note: MSU’s Raspet Flight Research Laboratory is a leading-edge research, development, and does testing of manned/unmanned flight vehicles and aviation composite materials.

Fight brewing over Jackson airport

Despite its miniature size, the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport is the largest and busiest airport in Mississippi. It’s metro area has a population of about 500,000. It’s been an untapped resource. In early February, state Sen. Josh Harkins (R-Flowood) indicated plans to file a modified bill to change who sits on the airport board; and replacing the 5-member Jackson Municipal Airport Authority with a 7-person board—(two each from Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties) - appointed by the governor. Now, there’s a fight brewing as to who gets to do the tapping. The City of Jackson, which controls the 3,381 acres that the airport sits on is bracing for a battle for governance and control against the state. Are there racist tones to this battle? The Business Ministerial Alliance of Mississippi spoke out against the "hostile takeover" of the airport. On Jan. 15, alliance chairman Dwayne Pickett, pastor of New Jerusalem Church, argued that changing the governance of the airport would spur a major outcry from the city and its citizens. (Source: Jackson Free Press 02/03/16)