
Aviation Week's Check 6 Podcast
Aviation Week & Space Technology editors take a look at some of the bigger-picture issues in the world of aerospace and defense
Latest episodes

Jul 8, 2025 • 20min
Aerospace’s Achilles Heel: Obsolescence | Sponsored By ACS
An industry known for its cutting-edge products is also saddled with old factories and out-of-date software. Listen in as two experts discuss the challenge in this podcast sponsored by ACS. Find out more about ACS

Jul 2, 2025 • 1h 4min
Check 6 Revisits: A Grand Canyon Crash And Its Impact On Aviation Safety
With air traffic control (ATC) modernization in sharp focus, Aviation Week editors and former FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt dig back through our archives to June 1956. A midair collision above the Grand Canyon would spur the formation of FAA and spark much-needed change to an aging ATC system that could no longer keep up with the demands of the day. Check 6 Revisits delves into Aviation Week's more than 100-year archive. Subscribers can explore our archive here and read key Aviation Week articles related to this episode here: The Air Traffic Control Problem (Hotz editorial, August 1955) One Step Toward Better Air Traffic Control (Hotz editorial, December 1955) Toward Better Air Traffic Control (Hotz editorial, April 1958)

Jun 25, 2025 • 26min
B-2s, Penetrator Bombs And Destroyed F-14s
The U.S. followed Israel in striking Iranian nuclear infrastructure, launching the largest B-2 raid ever and dropping its biggest conventional bombs. Listen as Aviation Week's Robert Wall, Brian Everstine, Steve Trimble and Tony Osborne assess the operation and landscape in Iran after almost two weeks of fighting.

Jun 19, 2025 • 21min
Boeing Absence Keeps Orders Subdued At An Unusual Paris Air Show
For commercial aviation the Paris Air Show opened in somber mood following the AI 171 crash but there was still plenty for our editors to discuss. Listen in as Joe Anselmo, Thierry Dubois Jens Flottau, Guy Norris and Mark Pilling share their highlights.

Jun 18, 2025 • 23min
The Israel-Iran War And Defense At Le Bourget
Listen in as Aviation Week's Robert Wall, Tony Osborne and Steve Trimble break down Israel's latest offensive and how that country's defense companies have been walled off here at the Paris Air Show.

Jun 15, 2025 • 12min
Boeing 787 Crash Casts A Shadow Over Le Bourget
The Paris Air Show is opening under a cloud following the tragic crash of an Air India Boeing 787 just days ago. Editors discuss what investigators will be focusing on and what the accident means for the industry.

8 snips
Jun 9, 2025 • 22min
Check 6 With Accenture: Europe’s Defense Market Has Arrived
Join John Schmidt, leader of Accenture's global aerospace and defense practice, and Joyce Kline, the global data and AI leader for aerospace and defense, as they dissect the shifting dynamics of the European defense market. They discuss the surge in defense spending and the intricate challenges of unified procurement strategies among European nations. The conversation touches on aerospace supply chain hurdles, the push for hyper-automation in manufacturing, and anticipations for groundbreaking technologies at the upcoming Paris Air Show.

Jun 6, 2025 • 26min
The End Of NASA As We Know It?
As the White House pulls Jared Isaacman’s nomination, it wants to cut the space agency’s budget back to pre-Apollo levels. Aviation Week's Joe Anselmo, Irene Klotz and Graham Warwick discuss what it means.

May 29, 2025 • 29min
Behind The Curtain With Boeing’s CEO
Editors share their impressions of an in-depth conversation with Kelly Ortberg after the Boeing CEO spoke exclusively with Aviation Week. Read the full interview Thank you to our sponsor GE Aerospace. Learn how the company and its partners are defining flight for today and the future here

May 23, 2025 • 25min
What's In, What's Out At The Pentagon
Aviation Week's Robert Wall, Brian Everstine and Steve Trimble discuss the pricey Golden Dome program and how the DOD is rebalancing its spending, cutting back in other areas like Army aviation modernization.