"Technological adaptation in aviation happens when one organization feel the need to copy and adapt an existing technology for its missions. In a world of competition, where winning is usually the desired goal, technological adaptation is natural and frequent. And since aviation is particularly reliant on technology, this process is even more critical in the third dimension. For both civilian and military air organizations, copying and adapting technology is necessary to remain competitive. In both cases, it can also mean surviving or disappearing. The aim of this research is to provide a better understanding of technological adaptation in aviation. To do so, the study suggests two theoretical frameworks to grasp the process. A first cognitive approach is based on John Boyd's model for competitive cognition: Observe, Orient, Decide, Act -- usually referred to as the OODA loop. Boyd's model not only provides a way to break up and analyze each step of the process, but its chronological motif also provides a reasonable platform for narrative. Then the concept of sustainable development offers a second cognitive apparatus to assess the value and limits of an instance of technological adaptation. These two different approaches represent an attempt to build a theory of technological adaptation that can then be applied to the case studies. But the theory and the case studies are iterative. On one hand, the theory should facilitate understanding and assessing most instances of technological adaptation, and on the other hand, the case studies will validate and reveal the limitations of the theory. Because the aim is to reveal some common factors in technological adaptation, the case studies are intentionally broad. The first case analyzes how the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) copied the German concept of military gliders. Although the USAAF achieved some impressive operational results, the study unveils a failure in leadership to understand the value of the glider. The second case revisits the history of the jet age in the airline industry, and how it adapted a military technology -- the jet engine -- for a civilian purpose. Lastly, the third case examines the current attempts of the French Air Force to develop a drone capability. France looks at the US remote - flying capability with envy an d seeks to adapt -- unfortunately with great difficulties -- this technology for its missions."--Abstract.