IAN STRACHAN reports from the Weapon Systems and Technology post-Strategic Defence and Security Review Conference, organised by the RAeS Weapon Systems and Technology Group.

This is a full article published in Aerospace International: May 2011

A preview of what to look forward to at this year’s Paris Air Show on 20-26 June

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Airlines are making ever increasing use of social media sites to reach out and interact with their customers. BILL READ reports on the brave new virtual world of fan pages, loyalty strategies, viral campaigns, influencers and travel tribes.   

Part 2 of a report from the European Commission’s Aerodays conference - highlighting the latest aeronautical research and development. Go To Item

Bill Read reports from Madrid on the European Commission’s Aerodays conference - highlighting the latest aeronautical research and development. Go To Item

Tim Robinson reports from Asian Aerospace 2011, held in Hong Kong on 8-10 March.

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The events currently unfolding in the Middle East as the people protests, fanned by social media, has profound implications for the region – which as yet are still unclear. Autocratic regimes, their rule, formerly seeming strong, are now either under siege or facing major challenges. But what are the implications for aviation?

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On 1 February the Flight Test Group Evening Lecture was given by Captain Frank Santoni - Chief Test Pilot, Commercial Airplanes, Boeing on the 787 and 747-8. A former naval aviator, Captain Santoni now heads the civil aircraft test pilot group at Boeing and, as was described in his introduction during the lecture, “is rated to fly anything with a 7 on the end of it.”

We took the opportunity to ask Captain Santoni about the 787 test schedule, his day-to-day job and the challenges of glass cockpit airliners.

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A full report as the UK’s Joint Helicopter Command hones its edge in pre-deployment exercises for Afghanistan - and how the latest training can help replicate the complex and difficult decisions faced in theatre.

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With the aviation industry now moving out of survival mode, the environment is now firmly back on the agenda for decision makers. TIM ROBINSON reports from the first Imperial College Aviation Forum held on 6 January.

In December NASA Astronaut Dr Piers Sellers (who was awarded an OBE in the latest UK New Years Honours List) gave the Wilbur and Orville Wright Lecture at the Royal Aeronautical Society, as well as meeting the young winners of the Society’s Meet an Astronaut competition.

We caught up with him to ask him questions on the imminent retirement of the Space Shuttle, space tourism, a manned Mars mission and NASA’s future focus.

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An in-depth analysis of China’s new Chengdu J-20 stealth fighter, which made its first flight on 11 January, and why it may not only represent a threat to Western fighter pilots, but also to the Russian aerospace industry.

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In 2010 an ash cloud from an eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano in Iceland caused the closure of much of Europe’s airspace for six days from 16-21 April. A conference at the Royal Aeronautical Society on 9 November focused on the events and their consequences and looked at what lessons could be learned for the future. BILL READ reports.

In this controversial opinion piece, guest blogger David Ashford argues strongly that spaceplanes, not rockets should be the way forward for low-cost space access and, given enough will and resources, could be in service sooner than we think.

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On 4 November Qantas flight QF32, an Airbus A380 outbound from Singapore, ran into serious problems when a turbine on its Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engine suffered an uncontained failure. We caught up with one of the five pilots onboard, who describes how the crew professionally dealt with the incident, the sequence of events, and how the most dangerous period was after they had landed.
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As air cargo starts to recover from the recession, Richard Gardner looks at aviation’s most vulnerable sector.

The latest farcical twist to the KC-X tanker saga saw the USAF procurement executive send confidential assessments to rival competitors, Boeing and EADS. What next for this aviation procurement soap opera and could a split buy be on the cards?

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Are global airline alliances good or bad for the consumer? A recent debate at the Royal Aeronautical Society highlighted the pros and cons of these transnational giants.

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On the 1-2 December in Brussels a high-level conference will take place organised by ASD/CEAS, the two umbrella bodies for aerospace/defence trade associations and professional organisations like the Royal Aeronautical Society. Uniquely then, it is an event where European aerospace stakeholders from industry, politics and research will meet to discuss the top-level strategic issues facing the sector, today and in the future.

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Are we on the brink of new era of flying machines able to stay airborne for weeks, months or even years at a time? RICHARD GARDNER looks at ultra long endurance UAVs.