Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast artwork

Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast

424 episodes - English - Latest episode: 10 days ago - ★★★★ - 325 ratings

Aviation Week & Space Technology editors take a look at some of the bigger-picture issues in the world of aerospace and defense

Technology News Business News safety aerospace airlines aviation defense news space technology
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed

Episodes

Will Boeing Deliver on T-X Promise?

May 31, 2019 11:48 - 26 minutes - 48.5 MB

Boeing Defense officials say new processes, procedures and design allowed them to outbid competitors on multi-billion-dollar contracts last year, including the next-generation T-X trainer and MQ-25 carrier-based aerial refueling tanker. Aviation Week editors discuss their pitch and past record of delivering on the major programs.

Airbus – Looking Ahead

May 23, 2019 20:00 - 24 minutes - 14.8 MB

Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury and his management colleagues have taken over little over a month ago. Now, weeks before the Paris Air Show, the new leadership team has given first indications on strategy and priorities. What are the key takes? Aviation Week Network editors discuss.

Business Aviation Under Siege

May 22, 2019 15:04 - 16 minutes - 15.4 MB

Safety and security have always been a given in the business aviation industry. Now, attention has turned to adding sustainability to the mix, with alternative jet fuel leading the news at EBACE this year. Also, in the aftermath of the Boeing MAX crashes, are changes needed to the ODA process? Listen in as our editors discuss this and more from Geneva, Switzerland.

When Will the Boeing 737 MAX Fly Again?

May 17, 2019 03:31 - 20 minutes - 8.56 MB

As Boeing nears finalization of its proposed fix to the 737 MAX since the fleet-wide grounding in March, our editors discuss the ramifications for pilot proficiency, automation and other civil aircraft programs.

Podcast: Which LEO Constellations Will Survive?

May 10, 2019 03:12 - 16 minutes - 23.3 MB

Some 80,000 satellites are proposed to begin flying in low Earth orbit, but the talk at the Satellite 2019 was about which companies have the strongest leg up and which launch providers will take them to space.

Why Your Company Is Trailing in the Digital Race

May 02, 2019 03:12 - 24 minutes - 10.7 MB

Feel like your company is not innovating fast enough? You are probably right. Chances are your company is not doing enough to drive digital change in its culture, products and services. In the latest Check 6 with Accenture, Aviation Week’s Michael Bruno talks with Accenture Managing Directors John Schmidt and Chris Tridico on how the A&D industry is wrestling with the challenges, from figuring out where to invest to what to expect.  

Boeing Chief Faces the Fire on NMA

April 25, 2019 01:29 - 21 minutes - 18.5 MB

Editors Guy Norris and Michael Bruno listened in as CEO Dennis Muilenburg fielded Wall Street’s questions. A few of his answers surprised them.

How The U.S. Is Reorganizing For Space Warfare

April 17, 2019 04:38 - 13 minutes - 25.3 MB

The U.S. military is debating everything from creating a sixth service for space to a unified combatant command to how to architect and buy a new generation of satellites.

Urban Air Mobility: Breaking Out, or Overhyped?

April 11, 2019 23:16 - 14 minutes - 12.5 MB

At Aviation Week's inaugural UAM conference, editors discuss which air transport applications have the best chance of breaking out

Behind The F-35’s New Aerial Tricks

April 03, 2019 20:41 - 14 minutes - 26.8 MB

Since first flight of the original F-35 test aircraft more than 12 years ago, the U.S. military has given the public only one glimpse of the aircraft’s hotly contested dogfighting chops — and that was nearly two years ago at the Paris Air Show. That’s changing this year. Defense Editor Steve Trimble talks with U.S. Air Force F-35 Demo Pilot Capt. Andrew “Dojo” Olson about the new display’s public debut on March 30 in Melbourne, Florida.

Boeing and Congress, on MCAS and the 737 MAX

March 29, 2019 03:27 - 22 minutes - 19.3 MB

Just back from Seattle, where Boeing was briefing regulators and operators on its upgrades to the MCAS control law implicated in to 737 MAX fatal crashes, senior editor Guy Norris talks with managing editor Graham Warwick about the changes, Congress’s grilling of the FAA’s Administrator and the ramifications of both for the MAX, for certification and, perhaps in the long term, for automation in airliner cockpits.  

New Twists in 737 MAX Saga

March 22, 2019 03:12 - 19 minutes - 16.9 MB

Aviation Week editors discuss the latest from the two MAX accident investigations and look back at the compromises that led to the controversial MCAS system.

MAX Family Groundings: What Next?

March 15, 2019 02:18 - 25 minutes - 23.7 MB

In the aftermath of global groundings of the Boeing 737 MAX family aircraft, our editors discuss what measures need to be taken to overcome the crisis for the OEM and operators. 

Rotary Innovations From Helicopters To eVTOLs

March 12, 2019 19:18 - 17 minutes - 15.5 MB

From the latest commercial helicopter news to the irresistible growth of eVTOLs and novel hybrid-electric propulsion systems, listen to Tony Osborne and Guy Norris as they discuss the highlights of HAI’s recent Heli Expo 2019 convention from a freezing week in Atlanta.

Putting Odds on Boeing's NMA

March 08, 2019 03:04 - 17 minutes - 14.4 MB

Why did Rolls-Royce say “no thank you” to Boeing’s NMA? How might Airbus respond? Listen in as we discuss the risks of launching a new mid-market airliner.

Can Aviation Do More to Combat Climate Change

March 01, 2019 03:18 - 23 minutes - 43.6 MB

Impressive improvements in aircraft fuel burn and carbon emissions are being offset by the industry’s rapid growth. Listen in as our editors discuss the quandary and possible solutions.  

How Russia is Expanding S-400 Exports

February 21, 2019 22:28 - 22 minutes - 13.4 MB

From the loss of 40N6E missiles in the English Channel to Russia’s attempt to  sell the air defense system to Saudi Arabia, and the politics of sanctions, Defense Editor Steve Trimble discusses new developments from the International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi.

How Electric Propulsion Will Shock the Aerospace Industry

February 16, 2019 01:41 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MB

The number of electric-propulsion aircraft projects continues to climb at a staggering rate. What is more, 2019 could be a year of many firsts. Bye Aerospace flew its Sun Flyer 2 prototype fitted with a Siemens motor Feb. 8, and MagniX has revealed its intent for November, just to name a few. For years, Robert Thomson and Nikhil Sachdeva of Roland Berger have been tracking and analyzing all the well-known and semi-secret projects – now counting 140-plus. In this week’s episode of Check 6, th...

Will the Boeing 747 Outlive the Airbus A380?

February 08, 2019 04:58 - 22 minutes - 14.8 MB

Marking 50th anniversary of first 747 flight, our editors discuss the “giant jet’s” rocky beginnings, how much of a future it has left and whether Airbus will shutter the A380 line.

The U.S. Air Force’s Vision for Future Refueling

February 01, 2019 15:29 - 18 minutes - 34.2 MB

After the delivery of the KC-46A tanker, the service is looking to detach itself from future, platform-centric plans.

Podcast: Surprise Ending for Stratolaunch Engine, Launcher Programs

January 24, 2019 17:30 - 18 minutes - 33.7 MB

Aviation Week editors discuss the shocking turnabout for the late Paul Allen’s air-launch space company and other recent churn in the space launch market.

How U.S. Shutdown, Brexit Are Messing Up Aviation

January 17, 2019 21:49 - 20 minutes - 13.4 MB

Unpaid controllers, delayed certifications and a European regulatory quagmire are just some of the impacts of political crisis across two continents. Listen in as our editors discuss.

Looking Into The Future At SciTech

January 11, 2019 20:11 - 17 minutes - 11.4 MB

From transonic truss-braced wing designs to learning lessons from Apollo, Graham Warwick and Guy Norris report from this year’s AIAA SciTech conference in San Diego, California.

Help Wanted: Must Love Airplanes

January 09, 2019 02:47 - 24 minutes - 31.7 MB

Need workers? Got workers but they don’t have the right skills? After decades of shedding employees, A&D finds itself in a race to staff-up ahead of everything from near-peer national security threats to just staying ahead of tech industry disruptors. What should companies do? In this episode of Aviation Week Check 6 with Accenture, Senior Business Editor Michael Bruno talks with Accenture A&D Lead John Schmidt and Communication, Media and Technology Managing Director Jessica Kane, who offer...

Who is Pat Shanahan?

January 03, 2019 21:38 - 16 minutes - 3.88 MB

Aviation Week editors discuss Acting Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan’s career as Boeing’s Mr. Fix-It and whether he will stand up to President Trump

Predictions for 2019: What’s Next in Aerospace

December 19, 2018 13:14 - 21 minutes - 38.9 MB

From the advent of suborbital tourism to the launch of massive communication satellite constellations, space looms large in Aviation Week’s crystal ball. Listen is as our editors discuss the year ahead. 

Airbus Doubles Down on Alabama

December 14, 2018 22:50 - 20 minutes - 4.68 MB

Airbus' Mobile, Alabama production line delivers its 100th A320-family jet as it prepares to break ground on a new A220 factory that will nearly double employment. General manager Daryl Taylor shares details with Aviation Week’s Joe Anselmo and Michael Bruno.

Peril for the Pentagon?

December 07, 2018 13:16 - 27 minutes - 49.9 MB

Defense analyst Steven Grundman joins Aviation Week editors to discuss the fiscal forces shaping U.S. defense market.

Meet the Air & Space Museum’s Visionary New Leader

November 30, 2018 18:46 - 21 minutes - 4.81 MB

Why Ellen Stofan is confident humans will follow robots to Mars in less than 20 years and how she plans to bring the 42-year-old institution back to the future.  

Bombardier’s Big Shrink

November 16, 2018 19:08 - 22 minutes - 5.06 MB

A year after giving its C Series program to Airbus, Bombardier unloads its turboprop business. Is the CRJ line next? Aviation Week editors discuss.

From China to New Zealand, the Latest in Launchers

November 16, 2018 17:02 - 24 minutes - 11.4 MB

China is drawing on existing technology with a proposed new manned launch vehicle, Moon rocket and is tweaking the design to make its Long March 8 reusable. Keep listening as Aviation Week editors reveal details of the Chinese space program and commercial endeavors by Rocketlab and SpaceX.

Airshow China 2018

November 09, 2018 04:46 - 24 minutes - 5.51 MB

A swarm of drone projects appeared at China's biennial air show. UAC discussed the schedule of the CR929 widebody airliner.

Rolls-Royce’s Perfect Storm

November 02, 2018 21:15 - 23 minutes - 5.41 MB

UK engine company’s should be celebrating a year of record production. Instead the end of 2018 cannot come soon enough. Our editors discuss Rolls’ production delays and its long-term future.

Defense Trends: From Sales to Saudis, Budgets, Mergers and More

October 26, 2018 03:58 - 18 minutes - 34.1 MB

Capital Alpha Partners’ Byron Callan joins Aviation Week editors to discuss the outlook for defense spending, the U.S. withdrawal from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty and Boeing’s recent contractual dominance at the Pentagon.

High Speed to Low Speed at NBAA

October 17, 2018 16:06 - 17 minutes - 4.04 MB

From flying cars to supersonics, and new midsize jets to the state of the market, Aviation Week and BCA editors review a National Business Aviation Association convention boldly venturing where no NBAA has gone before.

The U.S. Army Gets its Groove Back

October 13, 2018 00:52 - 20 minutes - 4.76 MB

After years of fighting counterinsurgency campaigns, the U.S. Army has realized it is outgunned by Russian and Chinese artillery. The service has a $25 billion plan to match and surpass the shortfalls – on multiple fronts. Aviation Week’s U.S. defense team discusses multiple modernization programs under way including long-range precision fires, future rotorcraft and tactical UAVs.

Why Boeing Just Can’t Lose

October 05, 2018 19:48 - 18 minutes - 4.17 MB

MQ-25 and MH-139 competitions. But could the OEM’s strategy backfire in the long run? Aviation Week editors and Teal Group’s Richard Aboulafia break it down.

Gateways, Starshades, Exoearths and Hypersonics

September 27, 2018 20:39 - 22 minutes - 5.06 MB

The mood at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ co-located Space forum and Spaceplanes and Hypersonics conference in Orlando was bullish amid growing investment in space infrastructure and hypersonic development. Aviation Week editors Guy Norris and Graham Warwick join up once again to discuss their findings.

T-X Trainer Predictions and the Future of the U.S. Air Force

September 20, 2018 23:17 - 20 minutes - 4.72 MB

From the upcoming T-38 replacement decision to the future of the Jstars replacement program and the F-35’s massive production ramp-up, Aviation Week editors discuss what happened on the sidelines of the Air Force Association’s annual meeting.

DARPA’s Future; Boeing’s Production Woes

September 10, 2018 19:47 - 24 minutes - 5.58 MB

Where the Pentagon is focusing cutting-edge R&D and what Boeing is telling investors about its airplane production crunch are the focus of this week’s discussion.

Boeing’s Big MQ-25 Win

September 05, 2018 18:47 - 10 minutes - 19.2 MB

The U.S. Navy has picked a winner for its hotly contested, unmanned, carrier-based aircraft, but will the losers go away quietly? Listen in as Aviation Week editors discuss the program.

Boeing’s Big MQ-25 Win

September 05, 2018 18:47 - 10 minutes - 19.2 MB

The U.S. Navy has picked a winner for its hotly contested, unmanned, carrier-based aircraft, but will the losers go away quietly? Listen in as Aviation Week editors discuss the program.

Boeing’s Big MQ-25 Win

September 05, 2018 17:14 - 10 minutes - 18.5 MB

he U.S. Navy has picked a winner for its hotly contested, unmanned, carrier-based aircraft, but will the losers go away quietly? Listen in as Aviation Week editors discuss the program.

B-52s for the Next Generation

August 31, 2018 16:01 - 19 minutes - 4.37 MB

Aviation Week editors piece together the U.S. Air Force’s emerging initiatives to revamp the 1950s-era bomber for long-range strike missions.

The Leading Edge of Electric Propulsion, Hypersonics

August 20, 2018 21:46 - 22 minutes - 5.11 MB

Aviation Week editors discuss the viability of hybrid-electric aircraft and the Pentagon’s new zeal for hypersonic.

Darpa’s Space Shakeup

August 10, 2018 03:18 - 34 minutes - 47.4 MB

Guest star Fred Kennedy, the director of Darpa’s Tactical Technology Office, talks to Aviation Week about ways to revolutionize satellites, space launch and the U.S. Air Force’s reliance on stealth.

A New Ecosystem in Space

August 05, 2018 22:19 - 16 minutes - 5.7 MB

The reduction in space launch costs and anticipation of thousands of small satellites is attracting $2-3 billion in investment in newly seeded types of businesses - from those that gather and analyze data to others that manage space traffic and communications signals and more.

Podcast: The End of J-Stars

July 27, 2018 02:39 - 9 minutes - 18.6 MB

Congress is on the verge of killing off the Air Force’s $7 billion program to replace its aging E-8C battle management aircraft, which will allow the service the leeway it sought to move to a networked command and control architecture.

The Tempest of Farnborough

July 18, 2018 20:57 - 25 minutes - 47.1 MB

Noticeable absences from military aircraft in the aerial display disappointing many show-goers. But on the business front, change is in the air. Listen in as Aviation Week Network editors discuss highlights and lowlights at the show. Including Britain’s future fighter vision: is it a storm in a teacup, or will it really happen?

The Tempest of Farnborough

July 18, 2018 20:53

Noticeable absences from military aircraft in the aerial display disappointing many show-goers. But on the business front, change is in the air. Listen in as Aviation Week Network editors discuss highlights and lowlights at the show. Including Britain’s future fighter vision: is it a storm in a teacup, or will it really happen?

Guests

Tory Bruno
1 Episode