Matt Thurber, editor-in-chief at AIN Media Group, has been flying since 1975 and writing about aviation since 1978 and now has the best job in the world, running editorial operations for Aviation International News, Business Jet Traveler, and FutureFlight.aero. In addition to working as an A&amp;P mechanic on everything from Piper Cubs to turboprops, Matt taught flying at his father’s flight school in Plymouth, Mass., in the early 1980s, flew for an aircraft owner/pilot, and for two summer seasons hunted swordfish near the George’s Banks off the East Coast from a Piper Super Cub. An ATP certificated fixed-wing pilot and CFII and commercial helicopter pilot, Matt is type-rated in the Citation 500 and Gulfstream V/550. Based in the Pacific Northwest, Matt and his team cover the entire aviation scene including business aircraft, helicopters, avionics, safety, manufacturing, charter, fractionals, technology, air transport, advanced air mobility, defense, and other subjects of interest to AIN, BJT, and FutureFlight readers.

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As Piper Aircraft celebrates its 90th anniversary, president and CEO John Calcagno announced at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh the expansion of the company’s Vero Beach headquarters with a new service center. Meanwhile, Piper Industrial Manufacturing Co. (PIMCO) will help Robinson Helicopter with sheetmetal manufacturing for the in-development R88 helicopter, as well as partner with Aura Aero on its ERA 19-seat hybrid-electric regional airliner.
“This collaboration leverages Piper’s more than 90 years of aerostructures design and certification expertise to advance sustainable aviation,” said Calcagno. “Both Piper Aircraft and PIMCO are aligning ourselves with a leader in the advancing air mobility sector.”
The new 33,000-sq-ft service center will add dedicated maintenance space but will also be used for new and preowned airplane deliveries and will have customer and administrative offices. Along with seven indoor airplane bays, an 11,000-sq-ft outdoor service area will have four bays. Piper Aircraft plans to break ground on the new facility later this year, and it will open for business in the fourth quarter of 2027.&nbsp;
“As we approach 90 years of aviation history, this expansion reflects our unwavering commitment to our customers and our home in Vero Beach,” said Calcagno. “Vero Beach is an excellent location for a state-of-the-art general aviation service center because it sits on a high-quality regional airport with heavy-jet capability and a strong existing aviation infrastructure, allowing us to provide top-tier service while avoiding the congestion and costs of South Florida’s major hubs.”
In its collaboration with Robinson Helicopter, PIMCO is helping the helicopter manufacturer with sheetmetal forming, tooling design, and assembly processes. Both companies are also sharing best practices in aircraft design, manufacturing processes, and quality control systems, according to Piper Aircraft.&nbsp;
“Collaborating with PIMCO to advance American manufacturing is an important step for Robinson Helicopter,” said Robinson president and CEO David Smith. “Their advanced and optimized metal-forming processes are dramatically shortening the development cycle for the R88, our largest workhorse aircraft. Working alongside fellow OEMs will help us transition seamlessly from design to production and rapidly meet the massive global demand for our products.”
“This is more than a tooling contract; it is a strategic alignment of manufacturing excellence,” Calcagno said. “It proves that PIMCO can support complex aerospace programs with the agility, technical rigor, and quality assurance demanded by top-tier OEMs and government procurement standards.”&nbsp;
Piper delivered 291 airplanes in 2025 and expects to achieve 300 for 2026, helped by international sales reaching 35% last year. Recent sales include ATP Flight School ordering six airplanes—three Archer TXs and three Seminole twins—with options for 25 more airplanes. Europe’s Leading Edge Aviation has joined the Piper Flight School Alliance and ordered 10 diesel-powered Archer DXs. Piper delivered two Pilot 100i trainers to Puerto Rico’s Inter American University. And Eastern Kentucky University is replacing its fleet of Cessna 172s with Piper Pilot 100i trainers, starting with two airplanes, with deliveries beginning later this year.

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