Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast

Boeing acknowledges that production-quality issues meant the first 1,000 or so 787s delivered did not meet its specifications. But it insists the productions issues have been corrected, and that the in-service fleet is not at risk. 

A Boeing engineer has come forward to challenge these claims, sparking a new round of scrutiny for the beleaguered manufacturer. Aviation Week Network's Jens Flottau, Sean Broderick and Graham Warwick break it all down.

Industry analysts Ron Epstein and Richard Aboulafia join Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo and Michael Bruno to discuss the momentous challenges facing Boeing’s next leader—and who that leader might be.

Read: The Quarter When Boeing Broke

The paper trail on the secretive Xian H-20 had gone cold for a couple years, but recent comments from a PLAAF general suggest the program is coming along. Aviation Week Network's Guy Norris, Steve Trimble and Matt Jouppi dissect what was said and look at where the bomber would fit in China's air force structure.

On March 25 Boeing signaled the departures of President and CEO Dave Calhoun, Chairman Larry Kellner and Stan Deal, president of its Commercial Airplanes division.

Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Michael Bruno, Jens Flottau and Guy Norris break down the seismic leadership changes and what they mean for the company's future.

Listen in as former Space Shuttle program manager Wayne Hale joins Aviation Week's Irene Klotz and Guy Norris to unpack Starship's third flight test.

Having seized the pole position in electric vehicles, Chinese industry is racing ahead in advanced air mobility. SMG Consulting's Sergio Cecutta joins Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Graham Warwick and Ben Goldstein to discuss how the market is developing.

Read Ben's latest story: Autoflight’s CarryAll eVTOL To Be Certified Imminently, CEO Says

Subscribe to Aviation Week Intelligence Network's AAM Report here

Talks to acquire troubled aerostructures supplier Spirit Aerosystems hold big implications for Boeing—and Airbus. Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Michael Bruno, Jens Flottau and Steve Trimble break it down.

On the 60th anniversary of an LBJ press conference, Aviation Week editors revisit the moment Lockheed’s YF-12 was revealed for the very first time, and discuss what similarities that unveiling might have with recent developments of today...

Check 6 Revisits delves into Aviation Week's more than 100-year archive. Subscribers can explore our archive here and read Aviation Week's coverage of the "A-11" in the March 9, 1964, edition of the magazine: A-11 Proven In Reconnaissance Missions

Read the CIA memo on former Aviation Week editor Bob Hotz relating to the "A-11" here.

Listen to President Johnson's full speech here courtesy of the University of Virginia's Miller Center.

While Heli-Expo's organizers have moved to embrace eVTOLs, updates on a number of rotorcraft programs have stolen the headlines. Listen in to hear from Aviation Week's Guy Norris and Tony Osborne on the ground in Anaheim, California.

Listen in as Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Christine Boynton, Chen Chuanren, Jens Flottau and Guy Norris at Singapore Airshow discuss Comac's starring role, the C919's prospects in today's market and what this could mean for the Airbus-Boeing duopoly.

Listen in as Aviation Week Network's Program Excellence Editor Mike McClary talks to two 2023 finalists from Honeywell and Skunk Works respectively as well as a reviewer from Raytheon about what goes into a winning submission.

Nominations for the 2024 Aviation Week Program Excellence Awards are open through March 30. Click here to find out more.

A father of the design and development of the F-16 explains the unique philosophy and processes used to bring the most popular fighter of the post-Vietnam era from an idea to a finished product. Listen in as Gen. Michael Loh speaks to Aviation Week's Steve Trimble.

Listen in to this sponsored episode as PwC's Sarah Senyo and Michael Holland discuss current aerospace and defense M&A trends, and insights related to driving deal value and synergies.

Learn more here: Aerospace And Defense: US Deals 2024 Outlook

As Boeing's 737 program has dominated the headlines, more details are emerging about Airbus' plans for a new clean-sheet narrowbody, but when could it launch and will it generate significant emissions savings? Aviation Week editors are joined by Sash Tusa, an analyst with Agency Partners and regular guest columnist, to discuss.

Aviation Week Network's Joe Anselmo sits down with AeroDynamic Advisory's Richard Aboulafia, Aviation Week's Michael Bruno and Bank of America's Ron Epstein to discuss aerospace suppliers and investors—and what the new MAX woes could mean for their businesses.

As bad as it is for Boeing, it could have been a lot worse. Listen in as our editors discuss the Alaska Airlines midair blowout.

In this sponsored episode Deloitte’s Lindsey Berckman and Ajay Chavali share their insights into the rapidly growing advanced air mobility sector and where it’s heading.

An Aviation Week/Siemens survey uncovers some disturbing trends as big labor negotiations loom. Aviation Week editors are joined by special guest Todd Tuthill, vice president of aerospace and defense at Siemens Digital Industries Software.

In this sponsored podcast leaders from Siemens explain how aerospace companies can embrace digital transformation and invest in market intelligence to manage their supply chain.

They break down the results of a Siemens supply chain survey conducted by Aviation Week. Watch Siemens' full webinar here.

As the year draws to a close, listen in as editors from across the Aviation Week Network reflect on 2023 and share what they think lies ahead in 2024.

As Boeing elevates a possible successor to CEO Dave Calhoun, industry guru Richard Aboulafia joins Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Guy Norris and Sean Broderick to discuss the company's 2023 and its path forward. 

The year that ends Dec. 31, 2023, will hold some surprising results for the aerospace and defense industry, and the year ahead in 2024 will too. 

In this sponsored podcast Aviation Week talks with experts from Accenture’s aerospace and defense practice as they review exclusive results from their latest Commercial Aerospace Insight Report and Accenture’s own survey of C-suite executives.

A new scholarly book takes the wraps off the secret flight-test history of the U.S. Air Force facility in the Nevada Test and Training Range like no one ever has before. Listen in as Aviation Week editors Guy Norris and Steve Trimble discuss with author Peter Merlin. 

Merlin's voluminous work is titled Dreamland: The Secret History of Area 51 and has been published by Schiffer. More information can be found here.

Former NASA chief Dan Goldin oversaw creation of the station. What does he think of it now? He speaks to Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo and Irene Klotz a quarter of a century on from the U.S. Unity module docking with Russia's Zarya module to form the ISS.

India's airlines have ordered thousands of aircraft this year, but economic realities will keep it from replicating Beijing's growth miracle anytime soon.

Emirates leads a long list of commercial aircraft orders announced at Dubai Airshow, but the fortunes of Airbus and Boeing differed. 

Listen in as Aviation Week editors Christine Boynton, Guy Norris and Jens Flottau talk about the key developments in commercial aviation from the show.

Impressive fly-by-wire F-15 flying, unique displays from around the world and the absence of Israel are all discussed by Aviation Week editors Guy Norris, Tony Osborne and Steve Trimble at Dubai Airshow. 

To read all our coverage download our ShowNews app.

Aviation Week editors take a break from Day 2 of the A&D Programs conference in Washington to tease out the intractable issues facing the industrial base—and some of the programs that are getting it right.

A new rocket engine for military uses could be repurposed for Mach 9 air travel. Listen in as Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo and Graham Warwick talk with the founders of far-out startup Venus Aerospace, which has already raised more than $40 million from investors.

As U.S. companies rethink their presence amid heightened political tensions, some in Europe are doubling down on the Chinese market.

Listen in as Aerodynamic Advisory's Kevin Michaels joins Aviation Week editors to discuss how Western planemakers and suppliers are adjusting to the shifting geopolitical situation.

As NBAA BACE show opens, industry coalesces around a new campaign to reach net zero. Will it work? Listen in as Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Guy Norris and Lee Ann Shay discuss.

Tom Burbage, the former executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program during its first decade of development, discusses what it took to get the world’s largest and most complex fighter program off and running with Aviation Week's Jen DiMascio and Michael Bruno.

As Christian Scherer takes up the mantle of Airbus Commercial Aircraft business CEO, Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Jens Flottau and Tony Osborne are joined by Agency Partners' Sash Tusa to discuss why Airbus is making the change.

Capital Alpha Partners’ Byron Callan and Sam Bendett from the Center for Naval Analysis join Aviation Week editors Jen DiMascio and Steve Trimble to discuss challenges with the Pentagon’s initiative to manufacture masses of uncrewed vehicles learned from the war in Ukraine and posed by the Indo-Pacific theater.

Bank of America’s Ron Epstein talks with Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Graham Warwick and Michael Bruno about the business and technical implications of his call for Boeing to act fast.

Record at the Air & Space Forces Association’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Aviation Week's Jen DiMascio, Brian Everstine and Garrett Reim discuss Northrop Grumman starting tests on the next stealth bomber and industry floating multiple concepts for collaborative combat aircraft.

Listen in as Aviation Week editors Joe Anselmo, Guy Norris and Graham Warwick discuss NASA’s recent contract awards to study technology for high-speed airliners flying faster than Mach 2—and the one supersonic project that is still pushing forward, Boom Supersonic.

Aviation Week & Space Technology has covered supersonic flight since the first programs began. Beginning in 1964, watch the history of supersonic civil transports unfold on our covers in the gallery here.

As Russia pulls out of the CR929 and Airbus and Boeing sit on their hands, JetZero is showing that its radical new concept just might be for real. Aerodynamic Advisory's Richard Aboulafia joins Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Jens Flottau and Guy Norris to discuss.

The advanced air mobility market is at a critical juncture—and the hard work is just beginning. Listen in as expert guests Sergio Cecutta and Kirsten Bartok Touw join Check 6 to discuss the latest developments and what comes next.

The differentiator in military programs is shifting from platforms to software. Defense industrial specialist Steve Grundman joins Aviation Week Network's Joe Anselmo, Graham Warwick and Jen DiMascio to explain the generational change—and how it will transform industry. 

In this sponsored podcast PwC's Scott Thompson shares his insights on what to expect in the second half of the year across commercial aviation and the supply chain.

Aviation Week's Jen DiMascio, Steve Trimble and Michael Bruno discuss Northrop Grumman’s exit from the U.S. Air Force’s competition to replace the F-22 Raptor and the implications of L3Harris Technologies’ acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne.

A new report projects the smallsat industry will gather about $110.5 billion in market value over the next 10 years.

Aviation Week's Jen DiMascio, Garrett Reim and Irene Klotz discuss the meaning of that growth, new technologies for flying satellites in autonomous formations and the U.S. Space Force’s national security space needs.

The Boeing 777X looks poised to hit the market at the perfect time, but its long-range variant has been a tough sell with airlines. Joe Anselmo, Jens Flottau, Guy Norris and Sean Broderick discuss the 777-8's prospects.

The definition of air power has remained the same for more than a century, but the doctrine, tactics and technology continues to evolve.

As the Russia-Ukraine war rages on and the U.S.-China rivalry heats up, Aviation Week invited the former "chief futurist" of the U.S. Air Force, retired Lt. Gen. Clinton Hinote, to talk what the application of air power means today and how it is likely to evolve over the next decade.

Read Aviation Week's coverage of GASCC & RIAT on the ShowNews app. Download here 

Tens of thousands of flights have been delayed or canceled in the U.S. Northeast over the past few weeks. Airlines blame the FAA, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has his eye on airline performance—Aviation Week editors Lori Ranson, Christine Boynton, Sean Broderick and Jens Flottau discuss the real reasons.

Aviation Week talks to George Nield, who led the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, about how to manage the risks of private space travel without harming innovation in the wake of the OceanGate deep-sea submersible loss.

This year’s highlights from Le Bourget include a massive airplane order and the looming AAM shakeout. Listen in as Aviation Week break down the developments.

To read all our coverage download our ShowNews app.

Hypersonics, missile defense, UAVs and next-generation fighters are in vogue amidst a surge in spending by NATO members. Listen in as our defense editors share what has stood out to them at this year's Paris Air Show.

We asked Dave Calhoun when the company is going to roll out its next airplane. Listen in to hear his answer.

The Paris Air Show is almost upon us. For updates throughout the event download Aviation Week's ShowNews app here.

Listen in to this sponsored podcast as Accenture leaders John Schmidt and Joyce Kline delve into key themes to watch for at the Paris Air Show as the industry returns to Le Bourget after four years.

Demand has come back, but a lot of workers haven't. Listen in to hear what that means for commercial aviation, defense and MRO as Aviation Week editors are joined by special guest Todd Tuthill, vice president of aerospace and defense at Siemens Digital Industries Software.

Ted Colbert, the president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space and Security, vows to bid differently for future programs in a conversation with Aviation Week's Jen DiMascio and Brian Everstine.

Airlines committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions from their operations by 2050 at the IATA AGM in 2021.

As this year’s edition of that event fast approaches, American Airlines’ Jill Blickstein, IATA’s Marie Owens Thomsen and PwC’s Jan Wille join Aviation Week Network’s Karen Walker for a special edition of The Outlook With PwC podcast to explore what it will take for IATA member airlines to meet that goal.

The U.S. Air Force plans to award a contract for a fighter aircraft to replace the F-22 Raptor in 2024. Aviation Week editors discuss how the service got to this point, and where the competition might be headed.

Aerospace Industries Association chief Eric Fanning joins our reporters to talk about the FAA's leadership woes and chronic underfunding of ATC.

What's behind the grounding of scores of airplanes and how Pratt is working to fix it.

Despite supply chain problems, inflation and the war in Ukraine, aerospace and defense will see growing revenue this year, according to the latest Accenture Commercial Aerospace Insight Report. But that does not mean everything will be rosy. Industry executives have a dim view of their supply chain’s near-term capabilities, while confidence is growing longer term.

But what really keeps executives up at night might surprise you, as it is hardly a headline risk these days.

Listen in as Aviation Week interviews Accenture aerospace and defense practice leaders and hear why 2023 should be better, albeit still bumpy.

A dual-use aircraft conceived by JetZero could serve as a military tanker while ushering Northrop Grumman into the airliner business. Richard Aboulafia of AeroDynamic Advisory joins Aviation Week editors as they discuss the merits and drawbacks of the blended-wing-body aircraft concept.

Read Guy's exclusive story on JetZero here.

SpaceX’s super heavy rocket exploded in mid-air during a test launch on April 20. Aviation Week editors talk about the aftermath of the test and the future of commercial and military space launches.

Boeing's deliveries to China have plummeted and Airbus is doubling down with a new assembly line. Analysts Sash Tusa and Richard Aboulafia join Aviation Week editors to discuss—and debate.

The recent circulation of U.S. military and intelligence documents amplifies warnings about Ukraine’s need for fighters and counter-air missiles. Listen in as Aviation Week editors discuss the situation.

Richard Branson’s launch venture Virgin Orbit ran out of cash. Could a buyer pick up the valuable pieces? Aviation Week editors are joined by veteran space journalist Warren Ferster to discuss.

Listen in as Aviation Week editors discuss the McDonnell Douglas MD-11’s legacy after news that FedEx and UPS have both announced plans to retire the trijet.

Listen in as PwC’s Scott Thompson breaks down the key themes driving the firm’s latest regional rankings.

Explore PwC's 2022 Aerospace manufacturing attractiveness rankings.

Aviation Week editors are joined by special guest Martha Neubauer, a senior associate at AeroDynamic Advisory, to discuss the complex path to hydrogen propulsion and why air travel will get more expensive.

Rotorcraft are ripe for disruption, but eVTOL makers were largely absent at signature industry show Heli-Expo.

Listen in as Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Guy Norris and Tony Osborne discuss the key themes coming out of the show.

Australia is on the verge of releasing its Defense Strategic Review, which will chart a course for the nation's future military expansion as it seeks to fend off the widening influence of China and build its military industrial capabilities.

Listen in as Aviation Week's Steve Trimble and Chen Chuanren discuss the newest developments from the 2023 Avalon Airshow, Australia's largest airshow to date.

Airbus and Boeing Will Be Building a lot more A350s, A330s, 787s and 777s in the coming years. Wall Street analyst Rob Spingarn, Managing Director at Melius Research, joins the podcast to explain why.

Aviation Week’s team discusses Air India’s massive aircraft order and defense highlights from Aero India.

Autonomous fighters, adaptive engines, powerful surveillance satellites and a new generation of airlifters and tankers are among the next wave of modernization priorities set to be unveiled in the next U.S. Air Force budget request.

Aviation Week editors Steve Trimble and Brian Everstine discussed all of the possible options with J.J. Gertler, who co-hosts the Defense & Aerospace Report Air Power Podcast.

Listen in as Aviation Week editors discuss a week of high drama, including the shootdown of China's balloon and the future of high-altitude surveillance platforms.

Listen in as business editor Michael Bruno and analysts Richard Aboulafia and Rob Epstein discuss aerospace's big problem.

They sat down after the Aviation Week A&D Supply Chain conference in Beverly Hills, California, which brings together aerospace and defense supply chain leaders.

Listen in as Aviation Week editors reflect on the 747's beginning and its legacy.

Head over to AviationWeek.com to read How Boeing’s 747 Revolutionized Air Travel

Lockheed Martin's premier combat aircraft is an essential part of the aerospace industry, infusing the economy with billions of dollars each year. The U.S. has a deal for three more years of production but will face continued challenges with international sales and technical upgrades.

Michael Cisek, a senior advisor at AeroDynamic Advisory, joins Aviation Week's Jen DiMascio and Steve Trimble to discuss the program's future.

December delivery figures suggest the airplane manufacturers’ supply chain, quality and labor problems might be easing. Listen to our team break down the numbers.

Aviation Week Network’s A&D SupplyChain conference takes place in Beverly Hills, California, on Jan. 31-Feb. 1. Find out more and register here.

Dealmaking slowed down in the second half of 2022, but the year ended with a bang. John Stack, Canaccord Genuity's head of U.S. aerospace and defense investment banking at in New York, joins Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo and Michael Bruno to share his insights.

The 5th annual Aviation Week Network’s A&D Mergers and Acquisitions conference takes place in Beverly Hills, California, on Jan. 30. Find out more and register here.

Listen in as Aviation Week editors Guy Norris, Steve Trimble and Graham Warwick discuss—and sometimes debate—whether Boom’s new supersonic engine plan is for real. Read Guy's story here.

There are five generations working in aerospace, but the largest continues to exit en masse. New workers have new demands and expectations. Can aerospace companies meet them? KPMG reports on its survey findings in this sponsored podcast.

Is propulsion falling behind airframers’ ambitions? Listen in as our editors break it down.

Two of the biggest events of the year for military aviation happened on sequential business days between Dec. 2-5. Aviation Week editors Steve Trimble, Brian Everstine and Graham Warwick discuss how both events went down and what they mean for the future of military aviation.

On Dec. 2, the U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman will roll out the service’s first new stealth bomber in more than three decades. Aviation Week defense editors discuss what details they are hoping to see and what is likely to come next for the B-21 Raider.

Amidst economic uncertainty, addressing talent considerations is crucial. Listen in as PwC's Justin Hall and Yasi Akbari discuss aerospace and defense talent outlook and opportunities.

California’s Archer Aviation has just unveiled its four-passenger production air taxi, the Midnight. The company claims it will be first to gain FAA certification and has announced manufacturing plans and supply chain selections.

Aviation Week editors Carole Hedden, Garrett Reim and Graham Warwick discuss the shifting competitive dynamics in the nascent advanced air mobility market where three rival OEMs with differing approaches push toward FAA certification and operation. 

Aviation Week editors are skeptical of CEO Dave Calhoun’s new commercial airliner timeline. Joe Anselmo is joined by Michael Bruno, Jens Flottau and Guy Norris to discuss.

Read Guy's article here, no sign-up required.

The industry is looking to digitalization to offset higher prices and workforce challenges.

Aviation Week’s Jen DiMascio, Carole Hedden and Steve Trimble are joined by Capital Alpha Partners’ Byron Callan at the A&D Programs Conference.

Former Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper shares some of his memories about the former Defense Secretary, who knew science, technology and the politics of the Pentagon to tackle its toughest challenges.

The majority of industry executives surveyed in Accenture’s latest Commercial Aerospace Insight Report remain cautiously optimistic about the market’s growth potential in the near and midterm.

The outlook remains positive despite growing frustrations over inflation, workforce availability and other challenges buffeting the sector. Interestingly, an overwhelming portion of industry expects to reorganize or roll out new business operating models in the coming months and years to adapt and thrive under post-pandemic conditions.

Listen in as Aviation Week talks with Accenture aerospace and defense leaders about what companies are doing and why they remain upbeat about the sector’s future.

Aviation Week Network editors at the NBAA-BACE 2022 discuss market outlook, technology, SAF and more.

Pushed by the drive for sustainability, novel propulsion systems that until relatively recently seemed years away are quickly coming into focus.

Organizers of the 25th International Society for Air Breathing Engines (ISABE) conference discuss some of the fast-emerging technologies.

In this episode of 'The Outlook with PwC" we discuss affordability in A&D. Specifically, what companies can do to navigate today's constrained budgetary environment, customer expectations, and supply base dynamics to deliver on cost-efficient and mission capable defense aircraft.

On Oct. 14, eight renovated galleries of the museum in Washington, D.C., will reopen to the public. Chris Browne, John and Adrienne Mars Director of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, reveals hints about some of the new installations and his favorite artifacts.

Click here to view images of the new galleries.

The U.S. military services are looking for a range of autonomous aircraft – from expensive high-end aircraft to less costly lower end systems. Aviation Week editors discuss what industry is offering, particularly for mid-range attritable systems, and some of the complications involved with cultivating the new technology.

Nobody wanted a twin-aisle. Now there may not be enough of them. Listen in to find out why.

Mike Leinbach, the final NASA Space Shuttle Launch Director, shares his thoughts about the finicky fuel and how the Artemis team is managing with the Space Launch System.

As the aerospace industry gathers in Montreal, the challenges of getting to net-zero are laid bare.

More details have recently emerged about changes Boeing is implementing in the 737-10 cockpit. But the looming certification deadline not only threatens the -7 and -10 variants. It also raises the question whether and how Boeing can introduce future modifications or even derivatives should the U.S. Congress decide in favor of an extended certification timeline for the latest MAX models.

Aviation Week editors Jens Flottau, Guy Norris and Sean Broderick discuss scenarios and future challenges.

Program managers are in the middle of the maelstrom. From historic inflation, to disrupted supply chains, to soothing bifurcated workforces where some employees get a choice of where and how they do their jobs, aerospace program managers are wrestling with issues many have never dealt with in their careers.

Not surprisingly, the profession of program management is going through another round of education, from program managers themselves to senior executives who choose and groom them. Aviation Week editors discuss what they heard at the 2022 Program Excellence Evaluation Team meeting in August.