Flight International
AnalysisUAE, Finnish orders intensify fighter rivalry
A late flurry of fighter competition activity as 2021 drew to a close saw the United Arab Emirates (UAE) sign a surprise deal to acquire 80 Dassault Rafales and Lockheed Martin triumph in Finland’s 64-aircraft HX process.
OpinionWhy UAE F-35 deal makes sense to Washington - and Israel
The UAE’s unexpected approval for an F-35 buy can be seen as just part of a US strategy to strenghten all of its allies in the Middle East region.
OpinionAirbus has shown its green vision, but can Boeing follow suit?
While the European airframer is betting on hydrogen to deliver cleaner air travel, its rival in Seattle has yet to reveal its strategy for a sustainable future.
In depthFrom the archive: Boeing 747 flight test
As the new Boeing 747 was making its debut in early 1970, Flight International’s test pilot, Captain R E Gillman, was given the opportunity to try out the behemoth in the air. This is an edited version of that article, originally published on 12 March 1970
OpinionWhy Virgin Galactic is still attracting investment despite continued losses
Having taken 15 years and counting to get its rocketplanes in service, Virgin Galactic is now talking about supersonic jet travel; don’t book a flight just yet, but keep an eye on the share price
OpinionSafety must not be allowed to slip during the ‘new normal’
Aviation safety depends in part on a stable operating environment, but a pandemic and growing geopolitical tension will undermine some longstanding assumptions
OpinionLogic behind bad decisions underpins Smartwings 737 incident
Although an airline captain’s decision to proceed on a flight from Greece to Prague with just one engine may seem incomprehensible from the outside, his reasoning is likely to be all-too familiar
OpinionScale of Covid collapse raises questions about what comes next
Consider this: On a Friday in July 2019, 11 airlines operated 66 flights from Washington DC to New York City-area airports. Fast forward: on Friday 17 July, carriers operated just 15 flights on those routes.
OpinionFIA Connect was innovative move, but real air show is missed
Although virtual Farnborough event brought industry together, summer is not the same without seeing old friends and new aircraft up close
OpinionBidding goodbye to BA’s ‘Queen of the Skies’
While BA’s move to retire its fleet of 747s because of coronavirus makes perfect sense, the business of aviation runs on romance as well as jet fuel
OpinionWhy aviation should burn hydrogen, not time, to repair reputation
While aviation deals with the immediate fall-out of the coronavirus pandemic, longer term it must also face up to its environmental responsibilities; hydrogen power could help it meet those challenging targets
OpinionHow Boeing’s F-15EX contract win was dogfighting masterstroke
Boeing’s defence unit is celebrating a modern-day dogfighting masterstroke, after securing its first US Air Force (USAF) orders for the venerable F-15 in more than two decades.
OpinionWhy piston pilots should have a modern cockpit canary
Some safety issues are only solvable with sophisticated solutions, but the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in general aviation are easily abated
OpinionWhy Comac is playing long game with ARJ21
Measuring the success of China’s first domestically developed regional jet is not as easy as it seems.
OpinionBoeing takes one step forward and two back on 737 Max rehabilitation journey
Airframer’s recertification flights are positive, but critical US government report and order cancellations show there is still much to do
OpinionCan Tempest and FCAS projects both succeed in Europe?
Can Europe afford to support two next-generation air combat projects amid the downturn – or would joining forces merely clip a future fighter’s wings?
OpinionWhy USAF pilot recruitment drive might just fly
You can tell the deep impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on the aviation industry when one of its traditional career paths is turned entirely on its head.
OpinionHas a golden age of travel passed?
As the airline industry makes its way through a period of historic losses and begins the process of restarting operations following coronavirus groundings, the longer-term prospects for recovery look decidedly mixed.
OpinionCan fighter designers keep delivering the right stuff?
In the realm of aerial combat, the ability to see further and strike faster than an adversary is in most cases the difference between death or glory.