FROM THE INSTITUTE
Leaders from JetZero, Joby Aviation, and Mach Industries urged faster pathways to field dual-use aerospace technologies at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026.
Tag: AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026
Professor Amy Pritchett Calls for “Team Autonomy” to Safeguard Global Airspace
FROM INSTITUTE
At AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026, Amy Pritchett, head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Penn State University, challenged the aerospace community to rethink how it designs autonomy for the global airspace system – shifting from a focus on “human vs. autonomy” to human-autonomy teams built on interdependence, shared responsibility, and explainable behavior.
Air Force Pushes Collaborative Combat Aircraft From Concept to Combat Readiness
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Air Force leaders and industry partners working on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Program said at the AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026 that the United States can no longer rely on long, linear acquisition timelines if it hopes to keep pace with technologically sophisticated adversaries.
Technology Is Ready, Systems Are Not: AVIATION Forum Probes Electric Aviation’s Next Hurdles
FROM THE INSTITUTE
Electric aviation may have proven it can fly, but whether it can scale is now the central question, according to industry and government experts at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026. The session explored how more electric and hybrid‑electric aircraft can transition from high‑profile demonstrations to routine service in regional markets.
Faster, Higher, Farther – Experts Chart the Next Era of High-Speed Civil Flight
FROM THE INSTITUTE
At AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026, industry and government leaders described a high-speed aviation sector that is technically close to commercial reality yet still constrained by economics, regulation, and environmental concerns. Across supersonic jets, rocket-powered point-to-point concepts and low-boom demonstrators, panelists arrived at a shared conclusion: the technology is largely ready. The questions now involve financing, markets, standards, and proof that high-speed travel can be economically viable while remaining environmentally and socially acceptable.
AI, Assurance, and the Future of Aviation Operations
FROM THE INSTITUTE
At AIAA AVIATION Forum, aviation leaders zeroed in on a practical question: how to introduce advanced analytics, automation, and autonomy into live operations, including airlines, new entrants, and future airspace, without breaking the complex system that already moves hundreds of thousands of people every day.
As Aerospace Prioritizes AI, Aviation Experts Ask, “What Problems Are We Trying to Solve?”
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The first Forum 360 panel at AIAA AVIATION Forum asked a simple question when it comes to AI’s growing role in aerospace: What problems are we trying to solve? That conversation featured several answers from experts representing major aerospace OEMs, defense primes, and the U.S. Air Force’s main research lab that set the tone for the rest of the week’s programming.
Navy Air Boss to AIAA AVIATION Attendees: Build Reliability, Safety, and Right‑to‑Repair into the Next Generation of Airpower
FROM THE INSTITUTE
When U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Doug (V8) Verissimo stepped onto the plenary stage, he wore his operational flight suit rather than a more formal Navy uniform. “This uniform is where our warfighters exercise the equipment, the technology, the advancements,” he told the room of aerospace engineers, research scientists, and executives from industry, academia and the services. “It’s the part of the job that keeps me up at night, that these systems and capabilities function as advertised.”
Performance, Productivity, and the Potential Cost of Artificial Intelligence
FROM THE INSTITUTE
As a member of the AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026 Guiding Coalition, it was clear to Tracy Elving that a nuanced discussion about artificial intelligence had to kick off the forum. When asked about the core value of AI, some on the Guiding Coalition felt that it could provide solutions to ambitious technical challenges, while others argued it could enable engineers to do higher order tasks. A lack of consensus created a provocative opportunity.
EPATS Ignites the Electric Era of Flight at AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026
FROM THE INSTITUTE
The question in the aviation industry is no longer whether electric propulsion will redefine flight, but how and when. What is arguably the most profound transformation since the jet age began – the transition toward electrification – takes center stage at AIAA AVIATION Forum in San Diego. Three full days of the forum will feature the Electric Propulsion and Advanced Technologies Symposium (EPATS) to dissect the runway map from concept to certification.