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
Airlines Place Biggest eVTOL Orders To Date As Vertical Goes Public
Vertical Aerospace is merging with special purpose acquisition company Broadstone, boosted by pre-orders for up to 1,000 of its VA-X4 eVTOL aircraft from American, Virgin and Avolon.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Blog Takes Readers Behind the Curtain to See the eVTOL Aircraft Certification Process for What It is
Lilium's chief program officer and head of airworthiness have co-authored a guide to how the company is navigating the path towards type certification for its seven-seater eVTOL aircraft.
Airlines
European Airlines Plead For Covid Relief and Lasting Reforms
Leaders of Airlines For Europe member carriers called for Covid-19 travel restrictions to lift from July 1 and an end to punitive ATC charges.
FutureFlight
Archer Unveils Maker eVTOL Technology Demonstrator
Archer says it expects to start test flights in the fourth quarter of 2021 with the two-seat Maker technology demonstrator, which will pave the way for the eVTOL aircraft it plans to bring to market in 2024.
FutureFlight
Electra Confirms Design for Hybrid-Electric STOL Regional Aircraft
The U.S. company now intends to show the design for a seven-passenger short takeoff and landing aircraft to prospective customers as it prepares to bring it to market by 2026.
FutureFlight
Lilium Selects Honeywell To Supply Fly-by-wire Flight Controls and Avionics for eVTOL
The German startup agreed the partnership with Honeywell after a two-year competitive bidding process and the U.S. company is making an undisclosed direct investment in Lilium.
FutureFlight
Electric Aircraft Developers Now Have Battery Options With Epic Family Rollout
Electric Power Systems has launched its new Epic family of batteries which can support a wide array of all-electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Indians and Brazilians Identified as Most Likely Advanced Air Mobility Early Adopters
McKinsey surveyed 4,800 consumers in the U.S., China, Brazil, India, Germany, and Poland about their attitudes toward riding in eVTOL aircraft and receiving cargo deliveries that way.
FutureFlight
JetPack Commits to Running Speeder Utility VTOL Vehicle on "Fuel from Air"
JetPack Aviation is partnering with Prometheus Fuels to make fuel produced by reclaiming atmospheric carbon available for its Speeder VTOL aircraft and also its "personal turbine" JetPacks.
FutureFlight
Alaskan Regional Airline Signs Launch Commitment for Airflow's Hybrid-electric STOL Aircraft
Ravn Alaska has signed a letter of intent under which it would add 50 of Airflow's new eSTOL aircraft to its Anchorage-based fleet from 2025.
Aircraft
Airship Maker: Passengers Will Choose Comfort over Speed
Hybrid Air Vehicles has unveiled cabin concepts for its Airlander 10 hybrid-electric airship carrying up to 100 passengers on regional airline routes.
Aircraft
Eve Lands 50-ship eVTOL Order from Helisul
Brazilian helicopter operator Helisul Aviation today placed an order for up to 50 of the four-passenger eVTOLs from Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions.
FutureFlight
Eve Lands Another eVTOL Launch Order, This Time from Helicopter Operator Helisul
Brazilian helicopter operator Helisul Aviation has made a commitment to buy up to 50 of the four-passenger eVTOL aircraft being developed by Embraer subsidiary Eve Urban Air Mobility Solutions.
FutureFlight
Rolls-Royce Steps Up Hybrid-Electric Propulsion Tests
The aircraft engine manufacturer says it is now testing what it claims to be the most powerful hybrid-electric propulsion system built to date of aerospace applications..
FutureFlight
EHang Conducts EH216 Trial Flights in Japan with Official Support
China's EHang this week conducted demonstration flights with its two-seat EH216 eVTOL aircraft during an event at the Kasaoka Air Station in Okayama prefecture in the west of Japan.
FutureFlight
Archer to Unveil Maker Technology Demonstrator Next Week
Archer Aviation will unveil the two-seat technology demonstrator for its planned four-passenger eVTOL aircraft during an event in Los Angeles at 6 p.m. local time on June 10.
FutureFlight
Astro Aerospace Completes Acquisition of Horizon Aircraft
Under a new leadership team headed by former GE Capital CFO Patricia Trompeter and Horizon co-founder Brandon Robinson, the combined venture will pursue the development of three eVTOL aircraft.
FutureFlight
GKN Supplies First Wings, Empennage and Wiring For Eviation Alice Aircraft
GKN Aerospace completed final assembly and integration of these major components for Eviation's all-electric aircraft at its new Global Technology Centre at Bristol in the UK.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Sustainable Aviation Stands to Benefit From New Green Goals in NASA's Budget
NASA's budget request for 2022 would see funding for aeronautics research and development rise 10.4 percent, with more money for programs like the X-57 Maxwell aircraft, advanced air vehicles, and a new single-aisle airliner.
FutureFlight On The Radar
Archer Says It Has No Case to Answer In Trade Secret Theft Case Launched by Bitter Rival Wisk
Archer's response to Wisk's U.S. District Court lawsuit sheds new light on its early stealth mode work on a eVTOL aircraft design to dispel Wisk's accusation that its rapid progress could only be based on foul play.
FutureFlight
Archer Hits Back at Wisk with Counterclaims of Interference and Unfair Competition
Archer has asked a U.S. District Court to dismiss Wisk's intellectual property lawsuit, arguing that Wisk's eVTOL aircraft is based on a patented design.
Charter & Fractional
Directional Aviation Division Halo To Buy 200 Eve eVTOLs for UAM Network
Halo, the new urban air mobility operational launched by business aviation group OneSky Flight, has placed an order for 200 eVTOLs from Embraer Eve.
FutureFlight
Halo Agrees to Buy 200 Eve eVTOL Aircraft For Urban Air Mobility Network
The deal with Embraer is the biggest placed so far in the urban air mobility sector and represents the launch order for the Brazilian manufacturer's four-passenger eVTOL aircraft.
Avionics
Merlin Developing Drop-in Autonomy Kit for King Airs
Merlin Labs will convert up to 55 Beechcraft King Air twin turboprops operated by Dynamic Aviation for autonomous flight
Airlines
ICAO Council Agrees to Investigation Into Belarus Incident
The ICAO Council ordered an investigation into allegations that Belarus unlawfully forced a Ryanair flight to land in Minsk to arrest a political opponent.
FutureFlight
Vertical Flight Society Recognizes University Students for eVTOL Aircraft Designs
An eVTOL unmanned aircraft developed by students from the University of Michigan won the top prize in this year's Design-Build-Vertical-Flight competition.
FutureFlight
New York Operator Lima Signs Up For MagniX Caravan Conversion
Lima NY, which operates charter flights as part of the Blade Urban Air Mobility network, is to convert its Cessna Caravan seaplanes to electric propulsion under an agreement with electric motor developer MagniX.
FutureFlight
Ireland's Shannon Airport Set to Become Advanced Air Mobility Hub
Skyports is teaming with several local organizations on the west coast of Ireland to develop a vertiport at Shannon Airport to support eVTOL aircraft passenger and cargo services.
FutureFlight
Patents for Sale as Battery Specialist Oxis Collapses
The UK-based battery technology specialist Oxis Energy has gone into administration after failing to secure fresh investment despite breakthroughs in areas such as lithium-sulfur batteries.
FutureFlight
Volocopter and Near Earth Join Forces to Develop Autonomous System For VoloDrone
Near Earth Autonomy will combine its hardware with Volocopter's software to develop the autonomous flight system for the unmanned VoloDrone's freight operations.
