Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast - podcast cover

Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast

Aviation Weekwww.aviationweek.com
Aviation Week & Space Technology editors take a look at some of the bigger-picture issues in the world of aerospace and defense
Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

NASA's New Moonshot

The new administrator shakes up the space agency with plans for lunar base and sunsetting SLS. Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo and Irene Klotz speak with Redwire Space President Michael Gold about the developments.

Mar 31, 202626 min

The Impact Of The Iran War On Airlines

Conflict and fuel prices have battered air transport, but U.S. carriers are surprisingly confident. Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Christine Boynton, Jens Flottau and Lori Ranson discuss how the Iran war is affecting airlines in different regions and look ahead to potential ripple effects.

Mar 20, 202621 min

High-Energy Laser Weapons Reach New Heights

Aviation Week editors Robert Wall and Steve Trimble discuss the evolution of laser weapons that are now getting their first battlefield kills and are destined for new applications.

Mar 17, 202629 min

Heavy Lift And eVTOLs Put The 'Vertical' In Verticon

Aviation Week's Guy Norris and Tony Osborne are joined in Atlanta by vertical flight veteran Mike Hirschberg of H2 Advisors to discuss the highlights of this year's Verticon rotorcraft expo.

Mar 13, 202627 min

Rolls-Royce Wants A Piece Of The Next-Gen Narrowbody Market

Some 14 years after exiting the single-aisle engine market, Rolls-Royce is trying to get back into it, unveiling a new engine concept called the UltraFan 30—but can it break the CFM-Pratt duopoly? Editors are joined by guest columnist Scott Mikus, director of Melius Research covering aerospace, to discuss the dynamics in next-generation single-aisle propulsion.

Mar 10, 202629 min

How Iran War Tests Air Power, Gulf Hubs

Aviation Week's Robert Wall, Jens Flottau and Steve Trimble discuss the military operation in Iran, how it has disrupted commercial air travel and consider the ramifications for aviation.

Mar 06, 202630 min

High On CCAs, B-21, Space & More—The AFA Warfare Debrief

Listen in as Aviation Week's Robert Wall, Brian Everstine, Vivienne Machi and Guy Norris reflect on program updates and other highlights from the AFA Warfare Symposium. Thank you to our sponsor L3Harris. L3Harris' Red Wolf and Green Wolf deliver an unfair fight by combining speed, extended range and lethality through kinetic and non-kinetic effects: https://www.l3harris.com/all-capabilities/l3harris-pack-launched-effects...

Mar 03, 202629 min

Aviation And Trump's Tariffs, Round Two

Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Michael Bruno and Jens Flottau are joined by consultant Kevin Michaels to break down President Trump's latest tariffs and where the pain will be felt in the aerospace supply chain.

Feb 27, 202623 min

Fuel Up For AFA Warfare Symposium

Editors preview AFA Warfare Symposium, setting the scene for key topics that will be on the agenda in Colorado. They touch on new leadership and shifting priorities, modernization efforts, and key programs like on-orbit refueling and tanker development.

Feb 23, 202629 min

Airbus Points The Finger At Pratt & Whitney

Editors are joined by Richard Aboulafia to discuss airliner production after Airbus shared its delivery targets for this year and Boeing updated its suppliers.

Feb 20, 202624 min

How Europe Learned To Start Worrying And Love The Bomb

Editors are joined by Agency Partners' analyst Sash Tusa to discuss the fallout of the Munich Security Conference and Saudi Arabia's World Defense Show. Key Topics: Overview of Recent Defense Events The Future of FCAS and European Defense Cooperation Germany's Nuclear Ambitions and European Security Insights from the World Defense Show in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia's Defense Industrialization Efforts Find out more about Aviation Week's Defense Conference here...

Feb 17, 202625 min

Jared Isaacman On NASA's Future

NASA is under new leadership with Jared Isaacman. Listen in as he answers questions from Aviation Week's Irene Klotz after eight weeks on the job in this special episode presented by Editor-in-Chief Joe Anselmo. --- Nominations are now open for the Space Tech Challenge Awards—could your solution be a winner? Find out more and apply here https://spacetechchallenge.aviationweek.com/ The Space Tech Challenge Awards connect execution-ready innovations with the government agencies, prime contractors,...

Feb 12, 202629 min

Commercial Aviation Insights From The Singapore Airshow

Listen in as Aviation Week's Guy Norris, Jens Flottau and Adrian Schofield sit down at the end of Day Two of the 2026 Singapore Airshow to break down what has—and hasn't—happened in commercial aviation at the event.

Feb 05, 202619 min

Shot Down—What the FCC's UAS Ban Means

The Trump administration has started the clock on a near-total ban of foreign UAS and parts in the U.S. The surprise blanket ban has the potential to dramatically effect American customers and contractors alike—and not necessarily in a good way. Listen to Aviation Week's Michael Bruno and Bill Carey who are joined by The Drone Girl, Sally French, to explain what is happening and what it means.

Jan 27, 202623 min

What Did SciTech Reveal About The Future Of Aerospace?

Listen in as Aviation Week's Guy Norris and Graham Warwick report back from their annual pilgrimage to AIAA SciTech, sharing news of future aerospace technologies they learned about at the aerospace research forum. They also hear from Clay Mowry, the head of AIAA.

Jan 23, 202620 min

Innovate, Compete, Win: Aviation Week's Space Tech Challenge 2026

Aviation Week's Robert Wall and Garrett Reim are joined by Russ Matijevich, space industry veteran and a judge in the Space Tech Challenge Awards. Nominations are now open for the awards—could your solution be a winner? Find out more and apply here: https://spacetechchallenge.aviationweek.com/ The Space Tech Challenge Awards connect execution-ready innovations with the government agencies, prime contractors, and commercial operators actively seeking them. From lunar operations to Mars missions, ...

Jan 20, 202625 min

Does Airbus Deserve a B+ or a C-?

Airframers' 2025 delivery totals are in. Aviation Week's team grades Airbus, Boeing and the smaller OEMs on their production performance last year.

Jan 16, 202628 min

Trump Vs. Defense Industry

Analyst Byron Callan joins Aviation Week editors to discuss U.S. President Donald Trump's attack on contractor profits and his plan to boost defense spending by 50%. Find out more about Aviation Week's Defense Conference here

Jan 13, 202626 min

Is The GCAP Fighter The F-35's International Successor?

Watch as Richard Aboulafia joins the podcast to discuss how 2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for two next-generation fighter programs conceived in Europe: FCAS and GCAP. Subscribers can read Richard's column on the Global Combat Air Program here Find out more about Aviation Week's Defense Conference here...

Jan 09, 202629 min

Flubs & Forecasts 2025-26 Edition

In the annual Flubs & Forecasts edition of Check 6, editors reflect on what they got right and wrong in 2025 and make their predictions for 2026. Listen in as Aviation Week & Space Technology Editor-In-Chief Joe Anselmo hears from Christine Boynton, Michael Bruno, Brian Everstine, Guy Norris, Garrett Reim, Lee Ann Shay, Robert Wall and Graham Warwick. Check 6 will be back in 2026. Thank you to our sponsor GE Aerospace. Learn more about how GE Aerospace and its partners are defining fligh...

Dec 19, 202532 min

Check 6 Revisits: RTX's Pratt & Whitney Marks 100 Years

In this special anniversary episode of Check 6 Revisits, Pratt & Whitney President Shane Eddy and Aviation Week editors Guy Norris and Christine Boynton delve into the engine-maker's achievements over its first century. This episode explores how Pratt & Whitney's propulsion innovations have made it a global powerhouse, navigating highs and lows throughout the decades—and all dating back to a revolutionary little engine developed in a former Connecticut tobacco warehouse space. Visit Prat...

Dec 16, 202543 min

Debriefing Defense In 2025

The F-47, low-cost missiles, space superiority and more—listen in as Aviation Week's Robert Wall, Steve Trimble, Tony Osborne and Brian Everstine break down the key developments of 2025 in the defense world.

Dec 12, 202540 min

As Airbus Strains, Boeing Gains

Airbus will again miss its delivery target due to supplier quality problems as Boeing's turnaround takes another step forward. Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Jens Flottau, Sean Broderick and Michael Bruno break it all down.

Dec 05, 202522 min

Fighter Deals Afar Stir Dubai Airshow

Listen is as Aviation Week's Steve Trimble, Tony Osborne and Robert Wall discuss what the defense industry was talking about at Dubai Airshow: from Saudi F-35s to Fursan to the Red Arrows.

Nov 20, 202528 min

Big Widebodies Back On The Agenda At Dubai Airshow

Boeing and Airbus are both now looking at the feasibility of upsizing their largest twin-aisles at the behest of Emirates, which led the way for orders at Dubai Airshow. Listen in as Christine Boynton, Jens Flottau, Guy Norris and Graham Dunn discuss that and other commercial highlights in this special episode recorded at the event. Thank you to our sponsor GE Aerospace. Learn more about how GE Aerospace and its partners are defining flight for today, tomorrow, and the future here...

Nov 19, 202521 min

Will The Comac C929 Be The Next New Widebody?

Aviation Week editors are joined by guest columnist Richard Aboulafia of Aerodynamic Advisory to explore why Airbus and Boeing are dragging their feet on the next twin-aisle, leaving the Comac C929 as the only passenger widebody program formally in development.

Nov 13, 202525 min
Hosted on Libsyn
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android