Shouldn't We Move Ahead?

I hope that my blog doesn't just become a place for me to regurgitate information from other reputable sources, but I came across a video on the 787 done by AOPA and I'm afraid I just can't help myself. Watch the AOPA video here.

Besides being a beautiful aircraft to look at, the technologies used in it's design and development are not necessarily new. The thing with aviation (especially fixed wing) is that aircraft design was so innovative and functional in its beginnings that very few changes have been made. With the exception of military aircraft development, most features that you see on jets today have been around since the 1960s. One of the banes of the air transportation industry in my opinion is the lack of research and development.

It's true that military contracts are a driving force behind aviation innovations, but as a business principle airlines and aircraft manufacturers should be looking into modernizing more than just cockpit avionics and GPS ATC solutions. The old adage "if it's not broken, don't fix it" (corrected for grammar, obviously) shouldn't apply to aviation. I don't think that a major aviation accident should drive changes in manufacturing or design but rather optimistic ideas for future applications of aviation.

I do realize that there is a cost disparity between operators and manufacturers with such development and I don't have any incredible economic strategies for overcoming it but isn't that something that can be worked out as we go along?

I really meant to only talk about the wonders of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner but it sparked my little soap box rant about pushing forward with technological developments in aviation for safety, efficiency, and an overall better flying experience.