Bell to lay off 325 workers as V-22 orders decline

[TexasTowelie]

Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Another 325 employees are receiving pink slips at Bell Helicopter as the manufacturer continues to downsize in the face of declining defense spending, officials said on Monday.

The layoffs will affect managerial and non-managerial employees, as well as employees and members of the United Auto Workers Union Local 218 in Hurst, the company said.

The latest cuts, which will largely affect its Fort Worth operations, brings Bell’s total staff reductions to more than 700 since early 2013.

The company, which is a division of Rhode Island-based Textron, reported a drop in revenues of $76 million, or 8 percent, to $873 million, when Textron released its first-quarter earnings last week. The decline in sales was blamed on lower commercial and military aircraft deliveries, according to the report.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/05/05/5793642/bell-to-lay-off-325-workers-as.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy

Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/05/05/5793642/bell-to-lay-off-325-workers-as.html?rh=1

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Bell Helicopter CEO John Garrison attributed the new round of layoffs to continuing reductions in the nation’s defense budget.

[AtheistCrusader]

1. Sell them to private search/rescue/aid orgs.

Doesn't have to be military hardware. It bothers me that these aren't in demand in the civilian space, since it's just a way of moving people/things from point a to b.

We need a lot more of that in the world.

[Lurks Often]

2. It's almost certainly too expensive for the private sector,

both to purchase, maintain and operate. I would expect that 99% of a private search/rescue/aid org needs can be met by far less expensive helicopters and/or light transport planes.

I think the V-22 is an interesting concept and of some real use to the military, but unless they can make them cheaper to built and probably easier to fly, I don't think the tilt rotor platform is going to be seeing a lot of use in the civilian world.

[AtheistCrusader]

3. That's true, the speed requirement that led to it just isn't necessary.

A traditional helo is quite adequate. At a much lower cost.



Of course, this suggests it should go away entirely...

[MADem]

11. Plus, they're death traps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accidents_and_incidents_involving_the_V-22_Osprey

The V-22 Osprey had 7 hull-loss accidents with a total of 36 fatalities. During testing from 1991 to 2000 there were four crashes resulting in 30 fatalities.[1] Since becoming operational in 2007, the V-22 has had three crashes resulting in six fatalities including one combat-zone crash,[2] and several minor incidents.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

4. You mean the police aren't taking up the slack from a lack of wars?

[BootinUp]

7. That chopper was made in France btw

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Thunder_(helicopter)

[Spitfire of ATJ]

9. That movie was prophetic on the militarization of the police and privacy issues.

[BootinUp]

10. Its one that I re-watch every few years.

It will never be out of date.

[Fuddnik]

5. That thing has been a flying coffin since it's inception.

[tawadi]

8. Why don't you count how many lives it has saved in Iraq and Afghanistan

and all the other rescue missions it has been on. Like Haiti.

Don't talk about what you don't understand.

[MADem]

12. I don't think the families of the thirty six people killed in that thing will take comfort in your

POV.

It's not without certain capabilities, but it's expensive as hell and other platforms can do the job for far less.

http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/feature/144961/v_22-%E2%80%98reputation-remake%E2%80%99-falls-flat.html

[Jesus Malverde]

6. Good news.

Let work on a peace dividend for the people.