FROM THE INSTITUTE
Over the summer, AIAA launched a Digital Thread Working Group to respond to current priorities and challenges identified by Corporate Member Chief Technology Officers during the 2025 CTO Summit. For Aaron Comis, Senior Digital Transformation Architect at The Aerospace Corporation and chair of the Digital Thread Working Group, navigating different definitions of digital thread has been a key aspect of his evolving career in public service.
Tag: Aeronautics
PAL-V Reaches Key EASA Certification Milestone for Flying Car
Aerotime reports Dutch flying car developer PAL-V has moved another step closer to bringing its aircraft to market after receiving European Production Organization Approval (POA) from EASA. PAL-V called the certification a “significant step toward bringing certified FlyDrive mobility solutions to market” and says it is the first FlyDrive developer within Advanced Air Mobility to secure the approval, placing it “well ahead of both American and Chinese initiatives within the sector.”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Navy Details Plans for Carrier-Based Collaborative Combat Aircraft
Defense Daily reports the U.S. Navy is offering new insight into its plans for a future carrier-based Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA). A notice published this week “revealed several details of what the service is seeking,” including plans to test two fully functional unmanned autonomous prototype air vehicles.
Full Story (Defense Daily)
Airbus Flexrotor Begins European Maritime Surveillance Missions
Aviation News Daily reports Airbus Helicopters has “commenced operational maritime surveillance missions” using its U030 Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system on behalf of the European Maritime Safety Agency. The long-endurance VTOL aircraft operates from naval patrol vessels, providing real-time intelligence to national coast guards and border authorities.
Full Story (Aviation News Daily)
FAA Marks Milestone with Remotely Piloted Hybrid-Electric Cargo Aircraft
Aerospace Global News reports, “The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced a significant milestone” in next-generation aviation with demonstrations of a remotely piloted hybrid-electric aircraft designed for cargo operations, advancing efforts to integrate new propulsion and autonomous technologies into the National Airspace System.
Full Story (Aerospace Global News)
FAA-Backed LIFTOff Louisiana to Test Electric, Autonomous Aircraft
Flying Magazine reports, “The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) said Thursday that it and its partners officially launched LIFTOff Louisiana—one of eight projects comprising demonstrations of electric, autonomous, and other novel, precertified aircraft being overseen by the FAA.”
Full Story (Flying Magazine)
FAA Mandates 787 Inspections After Wing Shim Issue Raises Fatigue Concerns
Aerospace Global News reports the FAA has ordered inspections of 77 Boeing 787 Dreamliners worldwide after identifying improperly installed shims in the wing structure that could contribute to fatigue-related damage over time.
Full Story (Aerospace Global News)
Roman Space Telescope Set for Aug. 30 Launch After 16-Year Journey
Space News reports, “A NASA space telescope that promises to revolutionize cosmology and exoplanet science is ready for launch after a 16-year journey.”
Full Story (Space News)
Heart Aerospace X1 Takes Flight in Major Step Toward Electric Regional Aviation
Aerotime reports, “Heart Aerospace has announced that it has completed the successful first flight of its X1 full scale hybrid-electric demonstrator. The aircraft took off from Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) in upstate New York, for an initial flight that lasted 27 minutes. During the flight, it reached an altitude of 1,100 feet (335 meters).”
Full Story (Aerotime)
Lockheed Martin Eyes 2027 Rollout for Commercial Drone Tracking System
Defense Daily reports, “Lockheed Martin [LMT] and commercial partners recently demonstrated a commercially-developed system for detecting and tracking drones in local areas using existing wireless infrastructure and plans to offer the solution on subscription basis in 2027.”
Full Story (Defense Daily)