What does automation and autonomy feel like from the pilot’s seat?

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, our host Adam Kress sits down with seasoned pilots Alyssa Silva, First Officer and Pilot for Republic Airlines, and Pete Zaccagnino, CEO and Owner of PC Aviators, to explore how these evolving technologies are reshaping responsibilities in the cockpit and what it means for the future of flight.

Episode Highlights:

• Pilots’ Experience with Autonomy’s Evolution in Aviation: Learn about our guests’ aviation journeys and how they’ve encountered autonomy’s impact in aviation. 

• Real-World Applications: From advanced weather radar to terrain-following technology, hear how autonomy actively enhances flight safety.

• Balancing Technology and Human Skill: Why pilots believe automation should support, not replace, critical decision-making.

• What’s Next: What rigorous simulation and real-world testing will look like as AI and autonomy expand and how the role of pilots will evolve.

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Download our Autonomy Whitepaper to discover the latest expert insights on the current state of aviation, autonomy and more.

Autonomy is unfolding through a series of deliberate steps across defense, cargo and eventually passenger travel – each one building toward a safer, smarter future.

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, our host Adam Kress talks with Sapan Shah, Senior Director of Product Management for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, about how autonomy and automation differ, where Honeywell is leading and why trust is key to adoption.

You’ll hear how we’re helping partners retrofit existing airframes, simplify complex systems and build new solutions that support safety, scale and readiness.

Episode Highlights:

• Difference Between Automation and Autonomy: Why the distinction matters in real-world aviation applications and how each has evolved over the years.

• Autonomy and Automation’s Role in Aviation: How they each contribute to enhancing safety and reduce pilot workload.

• Misconceptions About Autonomy: What it is (and isn’t), and how it’s key to advancing the future of aviation across applications 

• The Future of Autonomy: Where the technology is headed and how Honeywell is leading the way 

Get More Insights Now

Download our Autonomy Whitepaper to discover the latest expert insights on the current state of aviation, autonomy and more.

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we dive into the fascinating history and evolution of black boxes in aviation. We discuss why they were developed, their role in ensuring flight safety, and their importance in accident investigations. 

Our host, Adam Kress, is joined by Borka Vlacic, a Director of Product Management for SATCOM at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, and Stephen Leaper, the Recorder Product Line Manager for our partner Curtiss Wright Avionics, Video and System. 

From discussing how black boxes have transformed over the years to exploring the groundbreaking advancements driving aviation safety into the future, don’t miss out on this insightful conversation.

Episode Highlights:

• Historical Content and Impact: Discover why black boxes were developed and what challenges they were designed to address in the aviation industry.
• Technological Evolution: Learn how the technology advancements have transformed the early flight records to today’s advanced devices.
• Connected Recorders Improving Aviation Safety: Dive into the critical role connected recorders play in improving accident prevention.
• Future Prospects and Operator Feedback: Learn about operators’ perspectives on the latest connected recorder technologies and what the future holds for the evolution of black boxes.
  
  

Want to dive deeper?
Explore more about our Honeywell Connected Recorders.

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, host Adam Kress sits down with Thea Feyereisen, a Distinguished Fellow at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies and one of the world’s leading experts in the study of human factors and their critical role in aviation safety. 

Join them as they explore how understanding human behavior can drive innovation in cockpit design, enhance safety measures and reduce pilot errors. 

From the latest advancements in technology to the fascinating intersection of engineering and psychology, Feyereisen shares insights that are transforming the future of aviation and beyond. 

Episode Highlights:

• Human Factors in Aviation: Discover how analyzing human behavior is revolutionizing cockpit design and improving safety in flight.
• Automation & Human Control: Explore the challenges of balancing automation with pilot engagement in engineering new technologies. 
• Improving Runway Safety: Get the inside scoop on the human factors behind the cutting-edge Surface Alerts (SURF-A) cockpit alerting software.

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we take a break from deep dives on the latest aviation technologies and trends to focus on people shaping the future of aerospace.

Host Adam Kress is joined by four inspiring women from Honeywell Aerospace Technologies—leaders in business and engineering—who share their insights and career journeys in a field still largely dominated by men.

From these women finding mentorship to overcoming challenges, this is an episode you don’t want to miss. 

Episode Highlights:

• Career Paths & Passion for Aviation: How each guest discovered their path to aerospace and carved out their career.
• Challenges & Triumphs: Learn about their personal experiences navigating the industry, overcoming obstacles, and finding confidence.
• Lessons Learned & Future Outlook: Hear key takeaways and advice from their career journeys plus, what excites them about the future of aviation.

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we tackle 2025's top aviation safety issues: rising close calls on runways and the growing threat of GPS jamming and spoofing.

Our host, Adam Kress chats with Priya Poyil, a Director of Offering Management at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, about aviation safety and industry efforts to tackle key challenges in this insightful discussion.

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we dive into the vision of one of our partner’s, Piasecki Aircraft Corporation (PiAC). We discuss the missions and innovative ideas driving their programs forward, including how they aim to power their aircraft with the help of hydrogen.  

Our host, Adam Kress, is joined by John Piasecki, the Chief Executive Officer of PiAC, and Dan Newman, the Chief Technology Officer for Advanced Air Mobility at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. From discussing the challenges of hydrogen as a propulsion method and its opportunity as a clean and renewable energy source, to insights of what the future may hold for this industry, this is a discussion you don’t want to miss.

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we dive into the key discussions and insights from the 2024 Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Summit held in Washington, DC. Now in its third year, the summit brought together industry leaders, regulators, and lawmakers for a day of programming and conversations focused on advancing the AAM industry.

Our host, Adam Kress, is joined by Sapan Shah, Senior Director of Product Management for Advanced Air Mobility at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, and Sean Deverey, Senior Director of Government Relations at Honeywell. Together, they discuss takeaways from the event and share key insights from the summit’s expert industry panelists.

Gaining public acceptance is crucial in the rapidly evolving world of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM). Without the public's trust and confidence, adopting innovative technologies like autonomous aircraft and urban air taxis could face significant hurdles. 

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, our host, Adam Kress, is joined by Alison Wyrick, Senior Director of Innovation at Honeywell. Alison recently moderated a session at the 3rd Annual Honeywell Advanced Air Mobility Summit, where she and her distinguished panelists delved into the critical factors influencing societal acceptance of AAM. Listen for key takeaways from this insightful session and get Alison's perspective on driving public adoption of AAM through effective communication, strategic framing, community involvement, and more.

Together they will talk through how different satellite systems work in harmony to deliver seamless communication, ensuring a flight path is as connected as is it comfortable. Join us for this deep dive episode into the heart of aerospace communication technology.

In this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we dive into the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024, exploring its significance and the critical provisions around runway safety and cockpit alerting. With a recent increase in close calls on U.S. runways, these measures are more important than ever. Join us as we discuss what the FAA Reauthorization bill entails, its impact on aviation safety, and why the inclusion of runway safety protocols is essential. Our special guest, Honeywell Senior Director of Government Relations Sean Deverey, shares expert insights and sheds light on the future of aviation safety.

In this episode, we delve into the critical role of Flight Management Systems (FMS) and how guided visuals enhance their functionality. Join us as we explore the integration of advanced visual aids in FMS, improving pilot situational awareness and flight safety. Our experts discuss the latest innovations, real-world applications, and the future of FMS technology in the aerospace industry. Tune in to gain insights into how these systems are revolutionizing modern aviation.

Learn more: https://aerospace.honeywell.com/us/en/about-us/blogs/make-landing-in-the-windy-city-a-breeze

On this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we speak with Andrew Barker, Honeywell's Vide President of Integrated Avionics, as he comes to us form the ground of EAA AirVenture to discuss what he's looking forward to and what you shouldn't miss at the show. 

Vertical Aerospace, with its VX4 electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) aircraft, is at the cusp of a new chapter in aviation history. The company's successful untethered free flight of the VX4, piloted by Chief Test Pilot Justin "Jif" Paines, has paved the way for the upcoming first flights. These flights are crucial for the type certification process and represent a significant leap forward for Vertical Aerospace and the broader urban air mobility sector.

Listen in for a high-flying conversation about pioneering the skies of tomorrow.

This episode of Aerospace Unplugged features Dan Newman, Chief Technology Officer of Honeywell's Advanced Air Mobility team. With his extensive experience at Boeing, the US Department of Defense, and DARPA, Dan will shed light on the pivotal role of autonomy in aviation. We delve into the future prospects, key milestones, and the hurdles we must overcome on the path to fully autonomous aircraft. Reflecting on the historical significance of automation in aviation, such as the 1912 invention of the Sperry Autopilot, we discuss how incremental advancements have led to today's innovative technologies. Tune in to navigate the skies of innovation with Dan Newman guiding the way.

Position and timing signals from global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) have become the primary source of navigation for vehicles across air, land and sea. But how do pilots or unmanned systems navigate when GNSS signals aren’t available?

GNSS has seen a significant increase in intentional and unintentional disruptions including jamming and spoofing. In this podcast navigation experts Ben Mohr and Mohan Jacob discussing two suites of Honeywell offerings Alternative Navigation and Resilient Navigation aimed to help manned and unmanned aircraft operate when navigation is denied or unavailable. 

They answer questions like “what are the most common types of denied environments” and “Why, how we stay ahead of this.”

Building on decades of leadership in inertial navigation systems for all kinds of aircraft and spacecraft, Honeywell engineers have made enormous progress in alternative navigation, aided by evolutionary advancements in sensors and other enabling technologies. Honeywell was one of the first companies to successfully demonstrate alternative navigation technologies in a GPS-denied environments.

In this podcast we touch on the issue and how best to tackle it.

The number of serious runway safety incidents at U.S. airports has increased over the past year – putting thousands of lives at risk. There were more than 50 serious runway incidents in 2023, clearly demonstrating that America's approach to runway safety is insufficient and under enormous stress.

In the latest episode of Aerospace Unplugged, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies President & CEO Jim Currier discusses new technology to address runway safety and why the flying public is calling on Congress, the FAA, and the aviation industry to address this alarming trend.

This is a timely podcast episode you won't want to miss.

Also check out the Honeywell feature article on runway safety at https://aerospace.honeywell.com/runwaysafety

On this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we'll dive into sustainability in aviation. The industry is all in, but there's also a lot of work to do. Our special guest is aerospace industry veteran and President and CEO of Honeywell Aerospace, Jim Currier. With nearly two decades of experience at Honeywell holding a wide range of positions, he's no stranger to leading teams that solve complex problems and develop revolutionary solutions for aviation. We'll talk about what Honeywell is doing right now to help the industry become more sustainable, discuss some recent achievements, and get his perspective on what's needed to shrink flying's environmental footprint and make carbon-neutral air travel a reality.

Learn more about our ready-now solutions to help shrink aviation's environmental footprint. Click here

Dive deep into the world of space junk. Journey from the space age's dawn to today's challenges, featuring experts from Honeywell Aerospace and Astroscale. Explore the history, science, & future of cosmic pollution.

In this podcast, we will dive into the visionary leadership steering Honeywell’s Defense & Space initiatives.

On this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we will be taking a dive into BendixKing Honeywell product line and two pilots who frequently use these products. You will hear what two different generations have to say about these avionics, and how BendixKing is thinking of the future. Join us as this conversation is sure to deliver a riveting adventure over the Brazilian forest. 

On this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we'll be talking about the future of aviation propulsion. Now it's no secret that the aviation sector has a reputation for its carbon emissions, but what few realize is that there are some amazing technologies on the horizon that will make a big impact in lowering those emissions. Our guests on this episode are Phil Robinson and Taylor Alberstadt. Phil works closely with hydrogen fuel cells, and Taylor is focused on electric and hybrid-electric propulsion.

On this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we'll be talking to an orthopedic surgeon who found his way into aviation in the most unusual way. It's a fascinating story that was brought to light during the early stages of the pandemic, but the work of our guest, Dr. Arthur Kreitenberg dates back much further than that. Dr. K is the inventor of what is now called the Honeywell UV Treatment System. It's a device designed to roll up and down in an aircraft aisle and use UV light to treat surfaces on an airplane on the light that's emitted from that device is highly effective in eliminating pathogens and viruses. Dr. Kreitenberg, who is both an orthopedic surgeon and an engineer originally called this product, the Germ Falcon before his company Dimer, partnered up with Honeywell in 2020 to take his vision to a wider audience. This technology is now being used by airlines and aircraft operators around the world, but it was a heck of a journey for Arthur to get to this point.

On this episode of Aerospace Unplugged, we're going to talk to the editor-in-chief of Aviation Consumer magazine, Larry Anglisano and the product line director for Honeywell Anthem, Jason Bialek. Larry has worked as an avionics technician and a test flight pilot and writes for several top aviation publications. He's going to tell us his views on the new Honeywell Anthem integrated flight deck. Jason has put in a lot of time working on the development of this integrated cockpit system over the past few years and especially over the past few months as this has gone out into the world.