Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast

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.

Direct download: Eight_Surprises_In_2023_Eight_Predictions_For_2024.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 11:44am BST

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. 

Direct download: Did_Boeing_Turn_The_Corner_In_2023.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 11:31am BST

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.

Direct download: Lifting_The_Veil_On_Area_51s_Secret_Flight-Test_History.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 11:39am BST

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.

Direct download: On_Its_25th_Birthday_Was_The_International_Space_Station_Worth_It.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 12:04pm BST

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

Direct download: Why_India_Wont_Replace_China_In_Commercial_Aviation.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 11:45am BST

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.

Direct download: Dubai_AirshowBoom_Times_Are_Back.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 7:18am BST

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.

Direct download: Defense_Highlights_At_Dubai_Airshow.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 6:08am BST

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.

Direct download: Building_A_Resilient_Defense_Industrial_Base.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: San_Francisco_To_TokyoIn_One_Hour.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 7:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Has_Chinas_Aviation_Market_Lost_Its_Luster.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Can_Business_Aviation_And_Sustainability_Co-Exist.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 3:00pm BST

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.

Direct download: Inside_The_Tradeoffs_That_Created_The_F-35_.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 12:16pm BST

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.

Direct download: Why_Airbus_Is_Shaking_Up_Its_Leadership.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 10:40am BST

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.

Direct download: Explaining_ReplicatorA_Plan_For_Thousands_Of_Drones.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 12:59pm BST

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.

Direct download: The_Case_For_A_New_Boeing_Airplane.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 11:13am BST

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.

Direct download: The_Latest_on_the_B-21_and_U.S._Air_Force.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 8:30am BST

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.

Direct download: Are_Supersonic_And_Sustainability_Mutually_Exclusive.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:48am BST

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.

Direct download: Will_There_Ever_Be_A_New_Widebody.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 9:00am BST

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.

Direct download: AAMTime_To_Put_Up_Or_Shut_Up.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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. 

Direct download: Why_Amazon_Could_Be_the_Next_Big_Defense_Prime.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 9:00am BST

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.

Direct download: The_Outlook_With_PwCBeyond_Paris_The_Future_Of_Aviation.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Northrops_Next-Gen_Fighter_Surprise_And_A_Rocket_Industry_Makeover.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 10:00am BST

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.

Direct download: How_The_Small_Satellite_Market_Continues_To_Take_Off.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 12:32pm BST

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.

Direct download: Is_Boeing_Building_Something_That_Nobody_Wants.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 10:31am BST

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 

Direct download: Understanding_Air_Power_With_Former_USAF_Futurist.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 6:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Nervous_In_NewarkNew_York_Air_Transport_In_Crisis.mp3
Category:airlines -- posted at: 8:15pm BST

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.

Direct download: The_Rules_for_Commercial_Human_Spaceflight.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Paris_Air_Show_Commercial_HighlightsCheck_6.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 11:16am BST

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.

Direct download: Defense_Highlights_At_Le_Bourget.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 8:13am BST

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.

Direct download: On_The_Record_With_Boeings_CEO.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 9:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Check_6_With_Accenture_Countdown_To_Paris.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: The_Vanishing_Aerospace_Workforce.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 10:36am BST

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.

Direct download: Boeing_Defense_CEO_Ted_Colbert_On_His_Rebuilding_Plan.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: The_Outlook_with_PWC_Sustainability_Special.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 9:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Check6_ReplaceF-22RaptorBegins_052323.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:00am BST

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

Direct download: A_Call_To_Help_The_FAA.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:28am BST

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

Direct download: Explaining_Pratt__Whitneys_Durability_Problem.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:57pm BST

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.

Direct download: Check_6_With_Accenture-Will_Aerospace_Make_Money_in_2023.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:56am BST

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.

Direct download: JetZeros_Challenge_To_The_Airbus-Boeing_Duopoly.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 5:00pm BST

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.

Direct download: Making_Sense_Of_The_SpaceX_Starship_Launch.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 5:12pm BST

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.

Direct download: Can_Boeing_Rebound_In_China.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Leaked_Intel_Reveals_Depth_of_Ukraines_Air_Defense_Shortage.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 5:21pm BST

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.

Direct download: Why_Virgin_Orbit_Went_Bankrupt.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 5:47pm BST

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.

Direct download: Farewell_MD-11_As_Cargo_Market_Moves_On.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: The_Outlook_With_PwCHot_Spots_For_Aerospace_Manufacturing.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 10:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Hydrogen_Hype.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 12:25pm BST

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.

Direct download: Who_Needs_AAM_The_Future_Of_Vertical_Flight.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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.

Direct download: Australias_Avalon_AirshowBuilding_a_Sovereign_Munitions_Capability.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 7:00pm BST

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.

Direct download: Why_Big_Planes_Are_Big_Business.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 8:00am BST

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

Direct download: Will_India_Be_Aviations_Next_China.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 9:30am BST

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.

Direct download: U.S._Air_Force_Poised_For_Modernization_Revamp.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 4:34pm BST

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.

Direct download: Chinas_Spy_Balloon.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 11:03am BST

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.

Direct download: Can_Aviation_Suppliers_Catch_Up.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 10:43am BST

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

Direct download: End_Of_The_Line_For_Boeings_747_.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 7:07pm BST

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.

Direct download: F-35_Under_Pressure.mp3
Category:Defense -- posted at: 8:44am BST

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.

Direct download: Have_Airbus_And_Boeing_Turned_The_Corner_On_Production.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 5:03pm BST

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.

Direct download: Will_MA_Heat_Up_in_2023.mp3
Category:Aerospace -- posted at: 9:17am BST

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