White House to Get New Helicopter Fleet ($1.6 billion)

[Nambe]

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP)

Designers say it flies faster, farther and smoother. Pilots say the latest collision avoidance systems in the all-digital cockpit make it the safest in the air.

Then there's the wood-paneled cabin, soft leather seats, on-board galley, executive bathroom and a bank of TV screens, satellite links and video conferencing equipment.

If it sounds like a helicopter fit for a president, that's because the VH-92 Superhawk is one of two new aircraft competing for a $1.6 billion contract to replace an aging fleet of presidential choppers. ..
Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[tritsofme]

1. New hellicopters for a new President

Sounds good to me.

[kskiska]

2. He got the new Air Force 1, too

This guy sure loves luxury.

[Placebo]

10. What are you talking about?

[kskiska]

22. A new Air Force One was ordered while Clinton was Prez

* was the first to use it.

[flordehinojos]

3. "Pilots say ... safest in the air" ......

An obsessive priority for señor arbusto, I am sure since he is terrified that the boogie man 'gonna get him. But, didn't the TITANIC have "UNSINKABLE" written on its keel and didn't it sink in its maiden voyage. Not that I am wishing anyone any harm. I am not.

[Placebo]

11. No air transport for the President has EVER crashed.

There's a tradition for Marine One, it's called PERFECTION.

Definitely can't compare the president's transportation to the Titanic.

[flordehinojos]

20. yeah, that is what the Titanic was supposed to be: PERFECTION/UNSINKABLE

:-)

[Tempest]

4. United Technologies cleaning up under Bush (Once owned by Carlyle Group)

Bush's $396 Billion Military Budget: "Leave No Defense Contractor Behind"
http://www.commondreams.org/views02/0206-02.htm

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http://www.opensecrets.org/news/defensebudget/index1.asp
UNITED TECHNOLOGIES
United Technologies gets the bulk of its defense contracts through subsidiaries Sikorsky, best known for its line of Black Hawk helicopters, and Pratt & Whitney, one of the largest manufacturers of aircraft engines in the world. Revenues from these two units and from United Technologies’ other (non-military) products—including elevators, heating and air-conditioning units, flight systems and fuel cells—helped bring in nearly $28 billion for the company last year.

The Influence
2003 Campaign Contributions: $137,000 (52 percent to Republicans)
2003 Lobbying Expenditures: $1.5 million
Notable Lobbyist: Copeland Lowery’s Letitia Hoadley White, former aide for House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.)

The Payback
One of the biggest budget items benefiting United Technologies is the $1.1 billion Congress set aside for development of the RAH-66 Comanche. Sikorsky, along with Boeing, is a primary contractor for the Army reconnaissance helicopter. Of no less importance was Congress’ approval of $228 million for 19 Sikorsky Black Hawk Army helicopters. In June, a House subcommittee asked the Pentagon to investigate reports of quality control issues in the Black Hawk program.

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Former EPA head to join United Technologies board
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/23090/story.htm

NEW YORK - Christine Todd Whitman, the former head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, will join the board of United Technologies Corp. (UTX.N: Quote, Profile, Research) , the military helicopter and elevator maker said on Wednesday.

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U.S. CEOs Who Outsource Get Bigger Pay Hike-Survey

The top 50 outsourcing firms included United Technologies Corp., where
CEO George David's pay rose 629 percent to $70.5 million last year;

-----------
Hartford-based United Technologies Corp. will eliminate 3,600 jobs
through 2005 at its various subsidiaries, according to information
filed this week with the Securities and Exchange Commission as part of
its first-quarter report.
http://www.fuelcellsworks.com/Supppage600.html

-----------
Carrier to shut Syracuse plants
About 1,200 of the site's 2,800 employees will lose their jobs as
company shifts work to Asia.

http://money.cnn.com/2003/10/06/news/companies/carrier.reut/

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Carrier Corp., the world's largest maker of air
conditioning, heating and refrigeration equipment, said Monday it will
close two manufacturing plants in Syracuse, N.Y., next year and shift
most of the work closer to its customers in Asia.

About 1,200 of the site's 2,800 employees will lose their jobs as a
result. Carrier, a unit of Hartford, Conn.-based United Technologies
Corp. (UTX: up $0.03 to $81.83, Research, Estimates), employs about
40,000 people at 81 locations worldwide.

[pfitz59]

14. $70.5 million last year;

War profiteering at its finest! Tax-payer subsidized aristocracy. Tax payers due a refund. I say let's make ALL public employees, including consutants and contractors, compliant with FEDERAL pay constraints! Accordingly mister David owes the US treasury a $70.2 million refund! Time for a class action suit, people of the US versus greedy, bloody-handed war-profiteering scum!

[dArKeR]

18. Good report!

[bucknaked]

5. They're already part of his security detail.

I saw 3 of them fly out of MSP (Minneapolis-St. Paul International airport) when he was campaigning in Southern Minnesota. Those are some big birds! Quite impressive to see fly over you in formation at 50-100 feet AGL (above ground level).

Obviously they were flown in, since no Guard unit around here (that I know of) is assigned that type.

I can't even imagine the cost of having those flown in (they're flown to his campaign stops inside C-5 Galaxy cargo jets). I mean, Presidential matters, of course, but making campaign stops to fly-over country, we (taxpayers) should be reimbursed by the campaign for the security detail, IMO.

[unionjack]

7. Maybe they could surprise us......

....they could forget the Sikorsky and opt for the European alternative they're supposed to be seriously considering.

But I wouldn't count on it.

[brendan120678]

15. US101!

All I can say is, as a Lockheed employee, I strongly advocate NAVAIR choosing the US101 (aka the EH101 Merlin in Europe).

Team US101

[Catch22Dem]

6. I'm involved in that.

Hoping the VH-92 gets the contract. It's an American made Sikorsky. The other helicopter US-101 is a joint US/European venture. Every prez since Kennedy has flown in a Sikorsky. If the VH-92 gets the contract, my job security goes up, so....

[soothsayer]

8. Kerry will enjoy them

thanks, dumbya, for the parting gift!

[Placebo]

9. I am just praying they go with SIKORSKY and not LOCKHEED!

For one, it's just tradition that the president flies in a Sikorsky, ALL-AMERICAN chopper. That is all the president has ever rode in, and that is who deserves to get the contract. As they like to say "There's a tradtion for Marine One. It's called Perfection."

Also, there would be seamless migration from the current fleet to a new one, because Sikorsky knows exactly how the security has to be handled.

[leesa]

12. A little pocket change for his corporate friends.

[Placebo]

13. No, this isn't the issue to invoke corporate scandal over.

The current Marine One is based off a 40+ year old airframe. The former Air Force One fleet (of modified Boeing 707's) lasted 30+ years before they needed to be replaced.

It is definitely time for our president's chopper transport to be updated to a new aircraft. Besides, its not like they buy new choppers every 5 years, these will last at least 40+ years.

And besides, THERE IS NOT MUCH PROFIT TO BE MADE FROM THIS CONTRACT. This order would be for a relatively small # of aircraft, so its mostly for prestige.

And in this time of terror, I want out president to be flying on the safest most security bird he can, don't you?

[Tempest]

17. I want out president to be flying on the safest most security bird he can

Maybe the next president.

I couldn't care less about this one.

If you run up a $500 billion deficit, shouldn't you be forced to tool around in an old clunker until you pay it off?

[Just Me]

16. Fabulous!!! I'll add that to my "serve the privileged, kill the many",...

,...flyer!!!

Ask any person,...any person,..."How much is a BILLION?"

[BrotherBuzz]

19. a real president would

make sure the troops (well, Marines) were equiped with these new toys that have the latest collision avoidance systems in the all-digital cockpit makeing it the safest in the air. The hell with wood panels, soft leather seats, on-board galley, executive bathrooms, and a bank of TV screens; transportation is transportation!

[Placebo]

21. You've got to be kidding me.

You can't just stick the president on any 'ol chopper. HE'S THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. They need to have the best of the best, and that includes security measures, and you're not going to stick him in some rugged bare bones chopper anyway. thats why he gets a limo, not a pick-up truck.

transportation is not transportation when it comes to the POTUS.

[porkrind]

23. "transportation is not transportation when it comes to the POTUS"

It's only "transportation" when it comes to troublesome democratic senators like Paul Wellstone?

(Oops, I better not bring it up, don't want to "outrage" any DU'ers who just know it was an accident and that the government would never do something low. Just like the 9/11 commission concluded it had a "failure of imagination.")
:eyes:

[napi21]

25. Ag yes, but he prefers the PU truck, doesn't he???

At least he pretends to really love it on his "farm" and his truck and chain saw!

[bleedingheart]

24. When do they order the new White House china?

[napi21]

26. May have already. I think it's always done in the later part of 4th yr.

I vaugly remember Hillary displaying her new choice sometime in maybe Oct/Nov. of 4th year of Bills term.