The Farnborough Air Show in England last week proved to be busy time for aviation and defense types—with a little sniping thrown in as well. It all started with Boeing Chairman James McNerney throwing a barb at EADS by asserting that the European company does not have to adhere to certain US regulations governing the export of military hardware. Speaking with the Seattle Times, EADS North America Chairman Ralph Crosby said that McNerney was “just patently wrong” about his assertions, adding that EADS bid on the competitive Air Force tanker contract as a subcontractor to Northrop Grumman—an American company that is subject to all US trade regulations and military sales legislation. “EADS operates by a strong code of conduct,” Crosby added.
With the Air Force in the midst of its biggest testing boom in decades, the Maintenance Operational Test (MxOT) Division at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., is making sure those tests include an often-overlooked perspective: that of maintainers.