Aviation technology analysis with Vector. Electric aircraft, avionics advances, eVTOL certification, satellite connectivity, and the engineering innovations shaping the future of flight.
The GE Catalyst is the first clean-sheet turboprop engine design in 60 years, pairing with the Cessna Denali to challenge the PT6's dominance with additive manufacturing and FADEC.
NASA's X-57 Maxwell proved distributed electric propulsion works aerodynamically - but closed in 2023 when battery technology couldn't keep pace.
NASA's X-59 QueSST is testing whether reshaped sonic boom technology could end the 50-year ban on supersonic commercial flight over US soil.
The FAA created two ADS-B frequencies for good engineering reasons - but only one of them works outside US airspace, and the choice affects every international flight you plan.
The 2009 crash of Air France Flight 447 exposed a critical gap between automation proficiency and manual flying skill - and permanently changed how pilots are trained.
GOES-16's Geostationary Lightning Mapper and Advanced Baseline Imager feed the satellite overlay on your EFB - understanding the system makes you a better weather decision-maker.
Lilium's 36-fan electric jet survived insolvency in 2023 and continues toward EASA certification with an architecture built for regional speed and range.
The icing forecast probability number doesn't mean what most pilots think - here's how to correctly read CIP, FIP, and the critical SLD layer.
Your EFB traffic display combines two data streams with very different latencies - understanding the difference is critical to using it safely.
Joby Aviation holds an FAA Part 135 Air Carrier Certificate, but the harder regulatory milestone - type certification for the S4 - is still in progress.
ZeroAvia is developing hydrogen fuel cell powertrains designed to retrofit into existing regional aircraft, targeting 2026 certification for a market battery-electric cannot reach.
Space-based ADS-B from Aireon gives oceanic controllers a real-time surveillance picture for the first time, shrinking separation standards and transforming transoceanic control.
Beta Technologies built a charging network before their aircraft was certified - and that infrastructure-first strategy makes them one of electric aviation's most credible bets.
Virginia startup Electra.aero is developing a hybrid-electric eSTOL commuter using blown lift technology that could restore scheduled service to thousands of short-runway airports.
CFM International's RISE open fan engine promises more than 20% better fuel burn than the LEAP, targeting commercial service in the mid-2030s with a design that breaks from 50 years of turbofan architecture.
The Garmin GFC 500 brings transport-category autopilot capability - MEMS sensors, VNAV, LPV coupling, and a one-button Level mode - to legacy GA aircraft via over 100 FAA-approved STCs.
NOAA's Graphical Turbulence Guidance uses numerical weather models and real-time aircraft data to forecast turbulence - here's how it works and where its limits lie.
The ADS-B mandate turned every equipped aircraft into a publicly trackable object - here's what pilots need to know about LADD, PIA, and who's watching.
Archer Aviation's Midnight eVTOL is navigating an FAA certification path that has no precedent, targeting a $40 urban air commute with 60-mile range.
Boom Supersonic's XB-1 demonstrator reached Mach 1.122 in 2024 - but the gap between that milestone and a certified Mach 1.7 commercial airliner is enormous.