Aviation technology analysis with Vector. Electric aircraft, avionics advances, eVTOL certification, satellite connectivity, and the engineering innovations shaping the future of flight.
Joby Aviation's S4 eVTOL is closer to FAA certification than most realize - and still further away than the company's early press releases suggested.
ADS-B broadcasts your aircraft's position to anyone listening - here's what LADD and the Privacy ICAO Address program actually protect, and where they fall short.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro became the world's first type-certificated electric aircraft in June 2020, and it's actively training students at flight schools across Europe and the US.
The Dream Chaser is the first spacecraft since the 2011 Space Shuttle retirement designed to land on a conventional airport runway using a 60-year lifting body lineage.
Wisk Aero's pilotless Generation Six air taxi is the first autonomous passenger aircraft to receive FAA special class airworthiness criteria, targeting commercial service by 2030.
ZeroAvia has flown a 19-seat Dornier 228 on hydrogen fuel cell power, making the strongest case yet that regional aviation can decarbonize beyond what batteries allow.
Boom Supersonic's XB-1 broke Mach 1 in January 2024, validating key aerodynamics - but the uncertified Symphony engine remains the single open variable in Overture's commercial viability.
GPS spoofing over conflict zones is injecting false position data into ADS-B, creating phantom traffic on cockpit displays and generating false TCAS resolution advisories.
The 2017 FAA Part 23 rewrite made AoA indicators financially viable for GA aircraft, directly addressing one of aviation's most persistent fatal accident categories.
The Daher TBM 960 is the first single-engine turboprop certified with an autothrottle, paired with FADEC engine control - a combination that fundamentally changes what one pilot can manage in demanding IFR conditions.
Electra's nine-seat hybrid electric eSTOL uses NASA-proven blown lift and eight electric motors to target a 150-foot ground roll, opening thousands of airstrips to fixed-wing service.
Reliable Robotics is flying autonomous Cessna Caravans on real cargo routes under FAA oversight - and most pilots don't know it's happening.
The Garmin GFC 500 brings digital autopilot technology and a one-button Level function to aging piston aircraft, directly targeting GA's leading cause of fatal accidents.
The ICON A5 debuted at $139,000 in 2008 and delivered at nearly $389,000 a decade later - a cautionary tale the aviation industry needs to hear again in 2026.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro became the world's first fully type-certified electric aircraft in June 2020, establishing the battery safety standards now used across the entire electric aviation industry.
The X-37B spaceplane has executed fully autonomous runway landings from orbital velocity across seven missions, building the most demanding autonomous landing dataset in aerospace history.
Your ADS-B traffic display is not showing you everything - here's exactly how TIS-B works, where its coverage fails, and what your screen cannot show.
ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen-electric powertrains targeting zero-emission regional flights up to 500 miles, with commercial operations projected for 2028–2029.
ACAS X replaces TCAS's fixed logic tables with probabilistic algorithms, cutting nuisance advisories by 40–50% while handling drones and eVTOLs alongside manned traffic.
Beta Technologies is flying real cargo missions and building the CONNECT charging network while most eVTOL companies are still issuing press releases.