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
Archer Teams with Reef To Repurpose Parking Garage Rooftops as eVTOL Landing Sites
The partners say that thousands of inner-city parking garages are underutilized and can be readily converted into vertiports for eVTOL aircraft.
FutureFlight
HyPoint Teams with Helicopter Maker Piasecki To Market Hydrogen Fuel Cells
The companies will offer air-cooled hydrogen fuel cells to eVTOL aircraft developers, promising significant improvements in power performance.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Study Says Electric Aircraft May Need Subsidies to Be Cost Competitive
A study by Roland Berger and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre evaluates the business case for a hypothetical hybrid-electric 19-seat regional aircraft in real-world competition against existing airliners from Embraer, ATR, and Airbus.
FutureFlight
RED Aircraft Positions Its High-Performance Piston Engine for Hybrid-Electric Propulsion
The German company's 500-hp A03 is the most powerful piston aircraft certified to date and could act as a turbogenerator to power electric motors and recharge batteries.
FutureFlight
Eve Teams with Ascent To Market eVTOL Flights across Asia Pacific Region
Embraer subsidiary Eve Urban Air Mobility is expanding its partnership with flight booking platform Ascent, which is looking to develop a network of urban air mobility services across the Asia Pacific region.
FutureFlight
Jaunt Competes in U.S. Military High-Speed VTOL Challenge with New MAV55 Vehicle
Like its hybrid-electric civil VTOL design, the company's MAV55 Multi-Mission Air Vehicle uses a fixed wing and its slowed rotor compound technology.
FutureFlight
Indian Start-up Prepares To Unveil Hybrid-Electric eVTOL Aircraft
Vinata Aeromobility is raising funds to bring a two-seat vehicle to market by the end of 2023 and expects to unveil a scale model at London's Helitech show in October.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Lufthansa Research Shows How Advanced Air Mobility Startups Hogged Available Capital
So far in 2021, aviation companies drew as much as 65 percent of investments made in the wider travel and mobility tech sector, according to a report from the Lufthansa Innovation Hub.
FutureFlight
Electra Begins FAA Type Certification Process for eSTOL Aircraft
The company has recruited an experienced director of certification and is now working with the FAA's Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovations unit, as well as the agency's Atlanta Aircraft Certification Office.
FutureFlight
Samad Boosts Engineering and Commercial Teams for eStarling Program
The UK-based start-up has added six specialists to its team, which has moved into a larger headquarters as it works to bring the eStarling eVTOL and eSTOL models to market.
FutureFlight
Airflow Says Order Book for eSTOL Aircraft Has Tripled in Two Months
The California-based start-up now says it holds letters of intent from 11 prospective operators with a combined value of more than $600 million.
FutureFlight
Varon Selects Software Partner for Its Urban Air Mobility Network
Real-Time Innovations is to support Varon Vehicles' plans to develop UAM networks by providing its Connext data distribution software to connect vehicles and supporting infrastructure.
Regulations and Government
Soccer Star's Private Jet Transfer Flags Privacy Issues
Almost 120,000 soccer fans tracked Lionel Messi's Global 7500 flight with VistaJet from his former club Barcelona to his new job with Paris Saint-Germain.
FutureFlight
Dufour Reveals Updated Design for Aero3 Tiltwing eVTOL Aircraft
The new version of the Aero3 features six propellers on a tilting wing, plus two more installed on a new-look tail. Dufour is developing the aircraft in tandem with a smaller unmanned model called the Aero2.
Aircraft
Transcend Air Taps Kaman To Make High-speed VTOL
Transcend Air announced today that it has selected Kaman Aerospace Group to build its planned Vy 400 tiltwing, which is slated to enter service by 2025.
FutureFlight
Transcend Air Selects Kaman To Make Its High-speed Tiltwing
The helicopter specialist will manufacture Transcend's five-passenger turbine-powered Vy 400 at its plant in Florida to support efforts to bring it to market by 2025.
FutureFlight
Tetra Personal eVTOL Prototype Starts Test Flights As Customers Commit
The Japanese start-up unveiled its Mk 5 eVTOL aircraft at July's EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and has stayed in the U.S. for flight testing.
FutureFlight
Embraer Commits to Hydrogen Propulsion Trials, As Electric Flight Testing Begins
As part of its new commitment to environmental sustainability, the Brazilian airframer is increasing research and development investment in green technologies, and plans to fly a hydrogen technology demonstrator by 2025.
Airlines
JetBlue Launches A321LR Narrowbody Transatlantic Service
The launch of JetBlue's new transatlantic services between the U.S. and Britain has boosted hopes for recovery as Covid travel restrictions start to ease.
FutureFlight
Ampaire Starts UK Hybrid-electric Flight Trials in Scotland
The company's Electric EEL technology demonstrator flew from Kirkwall in the Orkney Islands to Wick on the Scottish mainland to demonstrate the potential for hybrid-electric aircraft to connect remote communities.
FutureFlight
Overair Lifts the Veil to Reveal Its Butterfly eVTOL Aircraft Design
The company says it will have a prototype flying in 2022, as it heads for FAA Part 23 type certification in 2025, and the start of commercial advanced air mobility services in 2026.
Aircraft
Joby Powers Up eVTOL Program with $2B IPO
Joby Aviation today became the first U.S.-based eVTOL developer to go public with a flotation on the New York Stock Exchange.
FutureFlight
JetPack's Speeder Joins Jetoptera and Other HSVTOL Contenders in Pentagon Challenge
JetPack's Speeder VTOL vehicle is one of 35 selected for evaluation by the U.S. Air Force and Special Forces in a challenge event organized by the Afwerx division of the Air Force Research Laboratory.
FutureFlight
ZeroAvia Enlists Military Truck For Hydrogen Propulsion Ground Tests
The start-up's HyperTruck has been fitted with the 600 kW powertrain that it intends to use to convert 19-seat aircraft to hydrogen-electric propulsion.
FutureFlight
Archer Seeks $1B Damages over Wisk's Trade Secrets Lawsuit
The intellectual property lawsuit between rival eVTOL aircraft developers has become increasingly hostile, with defendant Archer now seeking substantial damages from plaintiff Wisk.
FutureFlight
Russian Government Backs Hybrid-electric Aircraft Developments
President Vladimir Putin viewed several of the new eSTOL aircraft programs being advanced by state-backed scientific research institutes and aerospace companies.
FutureFlight
Joby Claims Lead in eVTOL Gold Rush With Wall Street Flotation
The California-based company is the first of several leading advanced air mobility start-ups going public via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company.
FutureFlight
Vertiport Offers a Warm Welcome to Chicago for eVTOL Aircraft Operators
The vertiport facility, which opened in 2015, was designed mainly with helicopters in mind, but the 10-acre site has space to accommodate eVTOL aircraft, too.
FutureFlight
SkyDrive Evaluates Flying Car Rotors in Wind Tunnel
The Tokyo-based start-up has been approved to use the wind tunnel facilities of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.
Aircraft
Boeing 737 Max Arrives in China Seeking To End Grounding
The airliner made a three-sector 7,567-nm trip from Seattle to Shanghai to start validation flight trials with Chinese aviation safety officials.
