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.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

At the Westchester Aviation Association (WAA) Third Annual Safety Day on June 19 and 20, more than 300 attendees came together to learn from safety experts and understand the impact of technology and big data on aviation safety.

 


The first day’s events, held on the evening of June 19, saw 60 attendees including members of the Westchester Flying Club, Civil Air Patrol (CAP), and local pilots.

 


Presentations during the evening session focused on “Enhancing Safety in a Digital Age,” and featured FAA FAASTeam program manager Ben Struck; ForeFlight co-founder and CEO Tyson Weihs; Doug Ritter, board chairman and executive director of the Equipped to Survive Foundation; pilot and physician Jonathan Sackier; and round-the-world pilot Adrian Eichorn.

 


More than 240 attended the second-day sessions, which focused on corporate aircraft operators. In addition to ForeFlight’s Weihs and physician Sackier, presenters included corporate pilot and safety expert James Albright; Dann Runik, FlightSafety International executive director of Advanced Training Programs; The Weather Company’s Alex Huang, data science manager and lead data scientist in aviation; and Kurt Edwards, director general of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC). During the afternoon, attendees split up into breakout sessions focused on their particular job categories.

 


The WAA awarded two scholarships at the event, one for $7,000 to pilot Luc Piderman, airport operations supervisor at Westchester County Airport, who plans to become an airline pilot. A $3,000 scholarship was awarded to Adam Delitta, a junior at Rye Neck High School and CAP cadet commander. Delitta plans to put the money towards earning his private pilot license and hopes to become a flight instructor so he can teach fellow CAP cadets.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Big Data and Tech Featured at WAA Safety Day

The Westchester Aviation Association held its Third Annual Safety Day events on June 19, 20

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