Matt Thurber
Editor-in-Chief

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&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.

Matt Thurber

Latest from Matt Thurber

Avionics

Leading Edge Upgrades R44s with 5G-tolerant Radalts

The radar altimeters are essential for helicopter terrain avoidance and warning systems
Leading Edge Flight Academy helicopters
Airports

FAA Picks uAvionix ADS-B System To Prevent Incursions

FlightLine offers a lower-cost alternative to airport surveillance systems
uAvionix FlightLine ADS-B surveillance and situational awareness system
Charter & Fractional

NetJets Pilot Union Votes To Ratify Tentative Agreement

The agreement includes salary increases and quality-of-life improvements
NetJets
Rotorcraft

Safran Renews U.S. Coast Guard Arriel Support Contract

The five-year contract covers 240 engines powering MH-65 helicopters
U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter
Maintenance and Modifications

WingWork Jumps into Bizav Maintenance Software Market

The software platform offers maintenance tracking and other management features
WingWork maintenance software platform
Training and Workforce

King Schools Releases New Courses, Announces Awards

The new manual E6B flight computer course is available for free
Martha King and the manual E6B flight computer
Avionics

Universal Weather Updates the Worldwide ADS-B Landscape

Better equipped and better served is still the case in many countries
Universal Weather and Aviation ADS-B
Safety

Lightspeed Offers Headset Safety Discounts for CFIs

The Delta Zulu headset with built-in CO detector adds safety when flying multiple aircraft
Lightspeed aviation headset
Cabin Interior and Electronics

CAT’s Falcon 6X Connects with Satcom Direct

Satcom systems were installed during the 6X's completion
Falcon 6X business jet
Cabin Interior and Electronics

FCC Approves Gogo Galileo Antenna Terminals

The approval marks another step toward service launch later this year
Jim MacDougall, Gogo v-p of business development
Aircraft

Icon Aircraft Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy

The restructuring process includes plans to sell the company
Icon A5 amphibious airplane
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Davinci Jets Installs SmartSky ATG in CJ4

Thousands of aircraft are candidates for installation, with many more to come
DaVinci CJ4
Aircraft

FAA Grants Production Certification for Gulfstream G700

FAA approval acknowledges the manufacturer's quality and production processes
Gulfstream G700 jet interior
Rotorcraft

Robinson Instructors Can Add Skills in Factory Class

The week-long course covers important safety topics
Robinson Helicopter instructor pilot course
Avionics

Textron Aviation To Offer CJ2 Garmin Avionics Upgrade

The Garmin suite replaces the CJ2's original Collins Pro Line 21 avionics
Garmin Cessna Citation CJ2 avionics retrofit
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Starlink Installs Move Forward at Duncan Aviation

The company's first installation in a Global XRS took three weeks
Starlink
Safety

ACSF Safety Symposium Highlights Risks, Opportunities

The annual symposium attracts a variety of operators and safety experts
ACSF Safety Symposium
Regulations and Government

International Issues Highlighted at NBAA IOC

The conference brought together more than 500 business aviation professionals
People at IOC 2024
Avionics

CMC, Hexagon Partner on GNSS Jamming, Spoofing Solution

Technology uses multi-constellation, multi-frequency solutions to mitigate jamming and spoofing
CMC GNSS jamming and spoofing solution
Aircraft

Pilot Report: Diamond DA50 RG

The diesel-powered single packs a lot of performance into a sleek-looking package
Diamond DA50-RG in flight
Rotorcraft

VR Simulators Fly into Helicopter Training Space

Even with motion bases and control loading, these devices cost a fraction of the price of full-flight simulators
Leonardo simulator at Heli-Expo 2024
Safety

Safety Talk: Flying Wisdom from King Air Pilot Ben Taber

Taber has logged more than 20,000 hours in 40 years of flying
Ben Taber, Beechcraft King Air pilot/mentor
Training and Workforce

CAE Taps Epic Games for Level-D Simulator Visuals

Plans call to upgrade full-flight simulators with the new Unreal Engine visuals
CAE 3D visuals with Epic Games Unreal Engine
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Gogo’s HDX Galileo Antenna Connects to OneWeb Network

Satcom service on the low-earth-orbit network is set to begin later this year
Gogo techs installing HDX antenna on roof for satellite commmunications testing
Cabin Interior and Electronics

STC Underway for Eutelsat OneWeb Satcom in Boeing 737

OneWeb promises system speeds of up to 195 Mbps download
Aloft AeroArchitects
Cabin Interior and Electronics

District Court Affirms Terms in SmartSky Patent Lawsuit

The Markman hearing formalized definitions of patent terms, phrases, or clauses
SmartSky antenna
Rotorcraft

Bell 412EP Gets Glass Retrofit Approval

Upgrade adds Astronautics Badger Pro+ displays and Garmin navigators
Bell 412EP helicopter with the Basix-Pro avionics upgrade
Cabin Interior and Electronics

SmartCart Simplifies SmartSky System Testing

Troubleshooting problems is much easier without having to fly the airplane
Davinci Jets Citation Latitude SmartSky installation
Maintenance and Modifications

FAA Proposes AD on Tamarack Aerospace Winglet Mod

The AD would require installation of placards and a flight manual update
Tamarack Aerospace winglet modification
Avionics

Avidyne Vantage Upgrade To Add Volume of Work to Dealers

The package includes adapters and harnesses to make installation easier
Avidyne Vantage avionics upgrade for Cirrus SR20/SR22