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
Surf Air Plans Hybrid-Electric Cessna Grand Caravan Private Flight Fleet
Private air transportation group Surf Air Mobility says it will buy 150 Cessna Grand Caravan aircraft and replace their Pratt & Whitney PT6 turbine engines with an as-yet unspecified hybrid-electric powertrain in 2024.
FutureFlight
Archer Attorneys File New Brief Rebutting Wisk Trade Secret Theft Allegations
The federal court for the Northern District of California is due to hear Wisk's motion for a preliminary injunction against its eVTOL aircraft rival Archer on July 21.
FutureFlight
New eVTOL Promises 'Fly by Intent' Simplicity for Personal Air Mobility Customers
Israeli start-up Air this week came out of stealth mode, while declining to reveal more than a few bare details about its planned eVTOL aircraft for the personal air mobility sector.
FutureFlight
Kit-built Helicopter Maker Rotor X Advances Plans For Six-Seat eVTOL Multicopter
RotorX is working on plans to offer eVTOL multicopters powered by piston engines or electric motors for a variety of applications including passenger transportation.
Aircraft
FAA Calls For Boeing 737 Cabin Pressure Switch Inspections
An FAA airworthiness directive was issued to assess the risk of dual-switch failures in 737 airliner cabin pressure systems.
FutureFlight
Eve and Energy Group EDP Will Develop Electrical Charging Infrastructure
Embraer's Eve Urban Air Air Mobility Solutions division and energy group EDP will work together to develop electrical charging infrastructure to support eVTOL aircraft operations.
FutureFlight
Porsche Study Tempers Urban Air Mobility Hype With Sober Assessment of Demand and Challenges
Three years on from its 2018 report, Porsche Consulting's new study on the urban air mobility market sees strong potential for eVTOL air taxi services, but with big investments required.
FutureFlight
JetPack Starts Taking Preorders for Speeder VTOL Vehicle
JetPack completed flight testing of its first Speeder prototype in May, and is now producing more developed prototypes to test in the coming months.
FutureFlight On The Radar
New Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index Shows Shifts in eVTOL Rankings and Two New eSTOLs
SMG Consulting regularly updates its Advanced Air Mobility Reality Index, providing what it says is a data-driven assessment of companies trying to bring aircraft to market.
FutureFlight
Wisk Files New Brief in Case Against eVTOL Rival Archer Regarding Alleged Theft of Trade Secrets
Wisk's lawyers presented new evidence in support of their motion for a preliminary injunction that they say is based on documents obtained and deposed testimony during the discovery phase of the trial being heard by a federal court in San Francisco.
Aircraft
Global Flight Data Highlights Harsh Realities of Covid Impact
Airlines continue to face uncertainty over possible longer-term changes to the air transport market, partly due to different rates of Covid vaccination.
FutureFlight
Whisper Aero Raises Funds for Planned Ultra-quiet Electric Propulsion Units
The Tennessee-based start-up has raised $7.5 million from venture capitalists and aims to bring the first of its electric thruster propulsion units to market by 2023.
FutureFlight
Trio of Carriers Commit To Converting Regional Airliners to Hydrogen Power
Icelandair, Air Nostrum, and Ravn Air have signed letters of intent with Universal Hydrogen to convert 21 regional airliners to replace Pratt & Whitney turboprop engines with its hydrogen powertrain.
FutureFlight
GKN Aerospace Launches H2Jet Hydrogen Fuel Cell Project In Sweden
The aircraft systems and components group is leading a two-year research and development program involving multiple Swedish partners to find new ways to generate electrical power for aircraft from hydrogen fuel cells.
Environment
Joby Teams with JetBlue, Signature on Carbon Credits
Joby Aviation is joining forces with JetBlue and Signature Flight Support to establish carbon credits for flights using green electric and hydrogen.
Aircraft
Additive Manufacturing Gains Altitude as Technology Matures
More aerospace companies are looking to exploit the design flexibility, cost efficiency, and greater sustainability delivered by additive manufacturing.
FutureFlight
United Airlines Backs Heart's Electric Regional Airliner With Investment and Provisional Order
United Airlines Ventures is making an unspecified investment in Heart Aerospace's plans to develop a 19-seat electric regional airliner and says that United partner operator Mesa Airlines will add some to its fleet.
FutureFlight
Joby Teams with JetBlue and Signature To Establish Electric and Hydrogen Carbon Credits
Joby, the eVTOL aircraft developer, is working with U.S. airline JetBlue and business aviation services group Signature Flight Support to establish a basis for marketing carbon credits associated with flights in electric- and hydrogen-powered aircraft.
FutureFlight
NASA Adds New Partners for Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign Testing
Autonomous flight specialist Reliable Robotics and communications technology group Aura Network Solutions have been added as partners for the first full phase of testing in NASA's National Campaign.
FutureFlight
Appointment of Agility Prime Founder Roper Boosts Beta's Leadership Team
Former U.S. Air Force Assistant Secretary Will Roper, who launched the Agility Prime program to advance joint military and civil applications for eVTOL aircraft, is joining the board of Beta Technologies.
Aircraft
Generous State Support Boosts French Supplier amid Covid
JPB Système reinvents itself with the help of the French government.
FutureFlight
VoltAero Choses Final Assembly Site for Cassio Hybrid-Electric Aircraft
VoltAero will build the Cassio aircraft at a new purpose-built factory at Rochefort Airport in the southwest of France, with the support of program partners including Safran, Sonaca, and Aero Composites Saintonge.
FutureFlight On The Radar
UK's Future Flight Challenge Publish Advanced Air Mobility Safety Study and Action Plan
The UK government-funded Future Flight Challenge commissioned Egris and the University of Sheffield to provide a detailed analysis of safety factors that need to be addressed for eVTOL aircraft manufacturers and operators.
FutureFlight
Military Approval for Kitty Hawk's Heaviside eVTOL Clears the Way for Agility Prime Contract
Kitty Hawk will now be able to generate revenues from flight trials using its Heaviside eVTOL aircraft for research and development work under the U.S. Air Force's Agility Prime program.
FutureFlight
Urban Aeronautics Switches to Redesigned Hydrogen-powered CityHawk eVTOL Aircraft
The Israeli company plans to produce a new CityHawk technology demonstrator by early 2022 that features a significantly revised fuselage design and a hydrogen-electric propulsion system.
Rotorcraft
CAE, Volocopter Collaborate on eVTOL Pilot Training
Volocopter and aviation training group CAE are partnering to develop, certify, and deploy a pilot training program to support commercial eVTOL ops.
FutureFlight
CAE and Volocopter Launch Collaboration To Train eVTOL Aircraft Pilots
Aviation training group CAE will help eVTOL developer Volocopter prepare a training program to operate its aircraft in commercial services, which are scheduled to start in 2024.
FutureFlight On The Radar
It's Never Too Early To Start Planning To Train eVTOL Aircraft Pilots
Aviation training group CAE is urging eVTOL aircraft manufacturers and operators to urgently develop plans and infrastructure to train eVTOL aircraft flight crew.
Accidents
No Survivors Found from Russian An-26 Crash in Kamchatka
An Antonov An-26 twin turboprop operated by Kamchatka Aviation Enterprise crashed in the sea while on approach to Palana Airport on Russia's Pacific coast.
FutureFlight
Archer Recruits Chief Test Pilot To Define eVTOL Flight-deck Systems
Former Bell and U.S. Marine Corps test pilot Jeff Greenwood is joining eVTOL aircraft developer Archer, and Dave Dennison is coming aboard as the company's vice president of engineering.
