Charles Alcock
Managing Editor
Charles Alcock is a senior editor with AIN, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at Manchester University in the northwest of England and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.
Latest from Charles Alcock
FutureFlight
Sikorsky Teases Possible Advanced Air Mobility Plans In VTOL Technology Talk
The helicopter manufacturer highlighted electric propulsion and automation as priorities for its research and development work on autonomous and optionally piloted flight.
FutureFlight
Charter Booking Platform Flapper Plans To Offer Jaunt Journey eVTOL Aircraft
The companies say they will work together to provide urban air mobility flights across a network of Latin American cities.
FutureFlight
UK's ATI Publishes Outline Plan for Hydrogen-powered 75-seat Airliner
The Aerospace Technology Institution says UK companies must step up their efforts and investments to exploit opportunities to bring new technology to market.
FutureFlight
Lilium Starts Next Phase of eVTOL Flight Testing in Spain
The company has appointed a new chief test pilot and is working on its fifth-generation eVTOL design using the Atlas Flight Test Center in southern Spain.
FutureFlight
JetPack To Train Asian Military Users for JB12 Personal Aerial Vehicle
The California-based company says that this is a breakthrough defense contact for its jet packs, as it steps up work on the Speeder VTOL aircraft.
FutureFlight
Elroy Announces Launch Customers for Autonomous Chaparral VTOL Aircraft
The fully autonomous vehicle is set to be used in a variety of commercial cargo, military, and humanitarian applications, with Elroy now backed by both private and government funding.
Aircraft
Bye eFlyer 800 Backlog Grows to 135
Bye Aerospace, which confirmed launch of the eFlyer 800 last April, has received purchase and option agreements for 135 of the electric-powered aircraft.
Aircraft
Airbus Launches Cargo Airline With Beluga Fleet
The aircraft manufacturer wants to tap growing demand for moving over-sized freight around the world using five of its A300-based BelugaST transporters.
FutureFlight
Leonardo Launches Technology Start-up Accelerator Program
The Italian aerospace, defense, and security group plans to support 30 start-ups over the next three years through its new Business Innovation Factory.
Airlines
IATA Calls For an End to Covid Travel Restrictions
Travel restrictions prompted by the outbreak of Covid's Omicron variant undermined a somewhat encouraging recovery in demand for flights in 2021.
FutureFlight
Boeing Bets Big on eVTOLs, with $450 Million Funding for Wisk Aero
The aerospace and defense group says it is taking a long-term approach to the advanced air mobility sector, opting to back Wisk's plan for fully autonomous eVTOL air taxi services.
FutureFlight On The Radar
USAF Captain Is First Military Pilot To Take the Controls of Remotely Piloted eVTOL
As part of the U.S. Air Force Afwerx Agility Prime program, Capt Terrence McKenna remotely piloted Kitty Hawk's uncrewed Heaviside vehicle, which is one of several eVTOL aircraft being evaluated for military service.
Aircraft
Boeing Invests Another $450 Million in eVTOL JV Wisk Aero
Boeing is investing a further $450 million in its Wisk Aero eVTOL joint venture, signaling its intention to hold a significant stake in the AAM sector.
Airports
Skyports Buys London's Falcon Heliport for eVTOL Ops
Skyports has acquired Falcon Heliport, one of only two public heliports in London, and will develop it as a potential vertiport for eVTOLs.
FutureFlight
Overair Starts Ground Tests with Butterfly eVTOL's Propulsion System
The company is running a full-scale example of the electric aircraft's propulsion system on a truck-based test bed to evaluate its large-scale tilting propellers and other components.
FutureFlight
Neuron and Hedera Step Up Plans To Digitize Airspace Management with Blockchain Data Distribution
The partners are working on ways to safely digitize air traffic management by gathering data from sensors in all aircraft types, and securely storing and distributing it via blockchain-based shared ledgers.
FutureFlight
Japanese Flight Booking Platform To Add EHang's Autonomous eVTOLs to Network
AirX—which offers charter and sightseeing flights in helicopters flown by commercial aircraft operators in Japan—expects to provide eVTOL flights by 2025.
FutureFlight
Skyports Buys London's Falcon Heliport for eVTOL Operations
The advanced air mobility ground infrastructure group will use the facility in the heart of the UK capital to develop operating procedures and technologies for eVTOL vertiports.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Leasing Group Explains Why It's Betting Big on eVTOLs To Transform Air Transport
Avolon has set up a dedicated business unit to focus on what it views as massive opportunities with new eVTOL aircraft, which it plans to lease to major airlines and other air taxi operators.
FutureFlight On The Radar
EASA's New Aviation Safety Plan Covers eVTOL Technology and Operations
The latest edition of EASA's European Plan for Aviation Safety covers the regulator's key strategic objectives over the period 2022-2026, when the first eVTOL aircraft are due to enter service.
FutureFlight
China's AutoFlight Establishes European Subsidiary To Advance eVTOL Plans
AutoFlight Europe is based in the southern German city of Augsburg, which has a rich aerospace heritage. The company is to be led by former Airbus executive Mark Henning.
FutureFlight
Blainjett Says Its Variable Pitch System Gives eVTOL Developers New Propulsion Options
The Delaware-based start-up's Dynamic Variable Pitch technology is being evaluated for Horizon Aeronautics' Hoverbike and for a drone being developed by Praxis Aerospace Concepts.
FutureFlight
Lockheed Martin Backs Hybrid-electric eSTOL Aircraft Developer Electra
The U.S. defense and aerospace group has not disclosed how much it invested in the start-up during a Series A funding round.
Aircraft
Falko, Embraer Eve To Develop eVTOL Operator Network
Leasing group Falko Regional Aircraft plans to add up to 200 four-passenger Embraer Eve eVTOLs and also develop an operator network for the aircraft.
Aircraft
New Fuel Cell Venture Launched For 90-Seat Hydrogen Airliner
The UK's Electric Aircraft Group says its hydrogen-powered airliner will be able to carry 90 passengers on sectors of up to around 1,200 nm from 2030.
FutureFlight
EAG Establishes Fuel Cell Developer for 90-seat Hydrogen Airliner
UK-based Electric Aviation Group now says its planned hydrogen hybrid-electric aircraft will be able to carry 90 passengers, thanks to a larger design than the one it announced in July 2020.
Aircraft
Embraer Seeks Trademarks for Energia Aircraft Family
Recent trademark applications confirm that Embraer is pressing ahead with its plans to bring a family of nine to 50-seat aircraft to market.
FutureFlight
Embraer Seeks Trademarks For Energia Aircraft Family
Newly published trademark and patent applications confirm plans for new aircraft from both Embraer and rival business aircraft manufacturer Gulfstream.
FutureFlight
Agreement with Parking Lot Group Offers 400 Australian Vertiport Sites
Skyportz says demand for car parking may not return to pre-pandemic levels, freeing up space for eVTOL air taxi services to use existing infrastructure.
FutureFlight
How Electric Propulsion and Blown-wing Technology Have Liberated Aircraft Design
Distributed electric propulsion can give aircraft designers greater flexibility over configurations that can make performance more efficient, and Airflow believes blown wing technology unlocks this potential.
