aerion

United Airlines announced this week it is locked in to purchase up to 50 supersonic commercial airliners from Boom Supersonic, in a ground-breaking multibillion-dollar deal.

In this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn and reporter Hannah Dowling discuss the details of the deal, and its significance following the recent demise of rival supersonic jet-maker Aerion.

Plus, the team shares their thoughts on a senior FAA safety official who finally stepped down from his role, after facing harsh criticism for not implementing adequate safety investigations into the 737 MAX following the first of two fatal crashes.

Also, the crew talks about the extension of ‘no alcohol onboard’ policies by a number of airlines, as instances of physical and verbal abuse against cabin crew continue to rise.

Our top story this week revolved around the state-backed ‘hijacking’ of a Ryanair flight that was forced to land in Minsk, escorted by a Soviet-era MiG-29 fighter jet no less, in order for authorities to arrest a wanted political reporter.

In this episode of the World of Aviation Podcast, host Adam Thorn and reporter Hannah Dowling discuss the global fallout of the Belarus hijacking, and what the next stages of the investigation could look like.

The crew also discuss IATA’s discreet optimism towards global air travel recovery that appeared to see the association change its forecast for recovery back to 2023 from 2024, as well as a UK-based start-up looking to see the return of the blimp in 2025.

Finally, after a very near-miss, the team delves into Boeing-backed Aerion’s exit from the race to become the first supersonic passenger jet to hit the market in over five decades, as funding dried up.

Aerion Corporation envisages a future where humanity can travel point to point on this planet within three hours. Gene Holloway, Aerion Corporation’s Chief Sustainability Officer, discusses the company’s plan to develop a supersonic aircraft that will be carbon neutral through the use of engines that are 100% biofuel driven, Aerion’s plan for a Zero Carbon Footprint, and an aircraft offering silent, boomless operations. Topics covered include:

• The regulatory hurdles that must be addressed to enable useful supersonic flight.
• How Aerion’s approach differs from others within the supersonic space.
• Synthetic fuel changes that now makes them a real possibility for aviation.
• How Aerion’s partnership with Carbon Engineering will advance synthetic fuels.
• Supersonic flight without leaving a carbon footprint.
  Preventing an aircraft’s supersonic boom from reaching the ground.
• Aerion’s timeline to bring the AS2 to the business aviation market.
• How the AS2’s Operating Costs are likely to compare with current business aircraft.
• How might supersonic flight affect the aerospace industry of the future.

Everyone likes to get the most out of their hard-earned cash, but what is a board game worth? Maybe it doesn't matter what's inside the box, maybe the real value is the friends we made along the way? Haha, just kidding, it's totally all about the miniature total. Before we count components, we also talk about Aerion, Overbooked, Dinosaur Island, and Lancaster.

03:15 - Aerion
05:40 - Overbooked
11:36 - Dinosaur Island
25:08 - Lancaster
34:37 - Value for money
36:50 - A Feast for Odin
38:16 - Scythe
41:09 - Escape Plan
41:36 - Gloomhaven
41:54 - Mechs vs. Minions
42:55 - Terraforming Mars

Letters! You love writing them, and we love reading them! This week, we look at portable and licensed games, why reviewers love social games, and give advice for your first board game convention. Before we break out the letter opener, we also talk about Fool!, Aerion, and Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar.

01:03 - Fool!
05:38 - Aerion
13:06 - Fireball Island: The Curse of Vul-Kar
22:24 - Listener Questions
22:48 - Best portable games?
23:29 - Oink Games
23:54 - Sprawlopolis
24:07 - SHH
25:01 - No Thanks!
25:10 - Skull
25:51 - Illusion
26:22 - Are reviewers biased towards more social games?
28:48 - Blood on the Clocktower
32:15 - Cosmic Encounter
33:08 - Convention tips?
34:52 - Nyctophobia
37:47 - Best licensed game?
38:02 - Dune
38:22 - XCOM: The Board Game
38:34 - The Thing: Infection at Outpost 31
39:01 - Play new games or replay old ones?
39:37 - Why does Neilan have the best voice?
41:05 - ?!?!