Gregory Polek has spent his entire career in aviation journalism with AIN, starting as a proofreader and assistant to then-managing editor Mary Mahoney in 1995 after serving an internship with&nbsp;New Jersey Monthly&nbsp;magazine and completing his B.A. degree in English/Writing at New Jersey’s William Paterson College. By 1997 Polek accepted a position as an associate editor, covering the regional airline beat for&nbsp;Aviation International News&nbsp;in place of retiring industry veteran Don Anderson. The assignment took Polek across North America and Europe to profile regional airlines varying in size and mission from the likes of floatplane operators Kenmore Air and Chalk’s Ocean Airways to regional jet operators such as SkyWest and American Eagle. Today, in his dual role as Air Transport Editor and International Airshow Editor, Polek writes, edits, and manages AIN’s commercial aviation content while overseeing each of the company’s daily international air show publications in Paris, Farnborough, Singapore, and Dubai. Most recently Polek has assumed oversight of daily coverage of the Helicopter Association International’s annual Heli-Expo convention.

Senior Editor

Gregory Polek

The FAA and Boeing flew the last of a series of certification flights with the 737 Max Wednesday, marking the completion of three days of tests to aid the evaluation of software changes to the airplane’s flight control system. While the completion of test flights marks a key milestone in the recertification process, a number of vital tasks remain, said the FAA, including evaluating the data the team of agency and Boeing engineers gathered.

 


“The agency is following a deliberate process and will take the time it needs to thoroughly review Boeing’s work,” said the FAA in a written statement. “We will lift the grounding order only after FAA safety experts are satisfied that the aircraft meets certification standards.”

 


Next, the FAA’s Flight Standardization Board (FSB) and the Joint Operations Evaluation Board (JOEB)—which includes international partners from Canada, Europe, and Brazil—will evaluate minimum pilot training requirements.&nbsp;The FSB will issue a draft report for public comment addressing the findings of the FSB and JOEB before the FAA publishes a final FSB report.

 


Other tasks include an FAA review of Boeing’s final design documentation to evaluate compliance with all agency regulations.&nbsp;The multi-agency Technical Advisory Board (TAB) will also review the final Boeing submission and issue a final report before the FAA determines compliance. The FAA then must issue a Continued Airworthiness Notification to the International Community (CANIC) of pending safety actions and publish an airworthiness directive (AD) that addresses the known problems that led to the grounding. The AD will advise operators of needed corrective actions before aircraft may re-enter commercial service.

 


Once it rescinds its grounding order, the FAA will retain its authority to issue airworthiness certificates and export certificates for all new 737 Max airplanes manufactured since the grounding and perform in-person, individual reviews of each aircraft. Finally, the FAA will review and approve training programs for all part 121 operators.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

FAA and Boeing Complete 737 Max Certification Flights

Following three days of flight testing the 737 Max, the FAA must now evaluate data on changes to the airplane’s flight control system. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Public flight took place on November 2 against the backdrop of Mount Fuji in Japan

Joby Demonstrates Its eVTOL Aircraft For the First Time Outside the U.S.

Matt Thurber

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Certified in 2019, the GB1 is an aerobatic airplane that is comfortable for flying longer distances

Game Composites Delivers 100th Aerobatic GameBird

Charles Alcock

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Thales joins a group of suppliers including BAE Systems, Safran, Moog, and Woodward

JetZero Picks Suppliers for Airliner's Flight Controls

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Contract calls for 19 helicopters, with deliveries beginning in 2026

SkyAlyne Contract To Deliver Airbus H135 Helos to RCAF

David Donald

Various versions of the jet were produced for more than 50 years

De Havilland's DH.125—Britain’s Long-lived Bizjet

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Public flight took place on November 2 against the backdrop of Mount Fuji

Joby and Toyota Demonstrate eVTOL Aircraft in Japan

Jessica Reed

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

More In Aircraft

Joby Demonstrates Its eVTOL Aircraft For the First Time Outside the U.S.

Public flight took place on November 2 against the backdrop of Mount Fuji in Japan

Game Composites Delivers 100th Aerobatic GameBird

Certified in 2019, the GB1 is an aerobatic airplane that is comfortable for flying longer distances

JetZero Picks Suppliers for Airliner's Flight Controls

Thales joins a group of suppliers including BAE Systems, Safran, Moog, and Woodward

SkyAlyne Contract To Deliver Airbus H135 Helos to RCAF

Contract calls for 19 helicopters, with deliveries beginning in 2026

De Havilland's DH.125—Britain’s Long-lived Bizjet

Various versions of the jet were produced for more than 50 years

Joby and Toyota Demonstrate eVTOL Aircraft in Japan

Public flight took place on November 2 against the backdrop of Mount Fuji

People In Aviation

People in Aviation

Bombardier's USAF BACN Global Jet Deliveries Reach Eight

Next delivery for BACN program slated for 2025

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN