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

Checklists, Glide Advisor, Map Shapes Released in ForeFlight 9

ForeFlight's new version 9 includes customizable checklists in the Basic Plus and Pro Plus packages.
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Avionics

Garmin Visual Approach Now Available on GTN 650/750

A free software upgrade for the Garmin GTN 650/750 navigators adds a number of new features, including visual approach guidance.
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Avionics

New Digital Garmin Audio Panels Are Easy Upgrade

Garmin's new all-digital GMA 345/342 audio panels will be available in April and offer new sound quality, 3-D audio, split-com, and other features.
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Avionics

TeamX Adds 7-inch Portrait Display To G3X Touch Family

Up to four G3X Touch displays of various sizes can be installed in a single aircraft, and prices start at $2,995.
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Avionics

Garmin G5 DG/HSI Approved for Certified Airplanes

Garmin's G5 electronic flight instruments are now eligible for installation in more than 600 fixed-wing general aviation aircraft.
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Avionics

Send Solutions STCs Iridium Satcom in Citation X

The satcom system provides text and voice capability.
Avionics

EASA Approves Garmin ADS-B Transponders

The European approval covers panel- and remote-mount transponders.
ATC

AIN Blog: Privatizing ATC: Wasting a Century of Aviation Development

The debate about privatizing the air traffic control system in the U.S. should be over: it's a bad idea.
Airports

American Flyers Closing Santa Monica Flight School

The flight academy is leaving southern California but still has bases in New York, Florida, Texas and Arizona.
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Avionics

CloudAhoy 5.0 Adds SkyVector Worldwide Charts

Version 5.0 of the CloudAhoy postflight briefing app has added new features, including SkyVector worldwide charts and new instrument approach graphs.
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Airports

Lawmaker Seeks FAA Explanation for SMO Settlement

Rep. Ralph Abraham wants to know why the FAA agreed to allow Santa Monica to close its long-embattled airport in 2028.
Maintenance and Modifications

Robotic Skies and uAvionix Sign Mx Partnership

Members of the Robotic Skies drone service network will provide maintenance services to uAvionix customers.
Avionics

AEA 60th Convention Opens in New Orleans

The AEA show this year features more than 135 exhibitors showing their avionics products.
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Cabin Interior and Electronics

Satcom Direct, Astronics AeroSat Ink FliteStream Deal

Satcom Direct dealers will be able to sell Astronics AeroSat's Flitestream T-Series satcom system under a new agreement.
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Avionics

Cockpit Display Upgrade Offered by L3 Aviation

L3 Aviation's new EFI-650 LCD cockpit display has a mean-time-between-failure of more than 25,000 hours.
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Avionics

Latitude Technologies Adds Voice Safety Services Satcom

Latitude's new Iridium S200-012 satcom is designed for secure voice safety services communications.
Avionics

Avidyne IFD550 Certified, 10.2 Software Upgrade Released

The new software upgrade from Avidyne adds synthetic vision capability to the IFD 540/440, including an exocentric view.
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Cabin Interior and Electronics

FDS Glass Cabin Shows Window to Outside World

Passengers can "look" out of the cockpit on their mobile devices using the new FDS Avionics Glass Cabin.
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Avionics

JetTech Avionics Package Picked for FlightSafety Simulator

FlightSafety clients will soon be able to train like they fly in a Citation 550 simulator equipped with a JetTech Garmin GTN 650/750 upgrade.
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Aircraft

Training in the Icon A5 Amphibious LSA

Does the pilot training program match Icon Aircraft’s ambitious goals? AIN’s Matt Thurber travels to Vacaville to find the answer.
Avionics

Honeywell ADS-B Upgrade Released for Citations, Hawkers

Promotional pricing is available for Honeywell's new Citation and Hawker ADS-B OUT upgrades.
Avionics

Genesys Giving Free ADS-B Transponder to Autopilot Buyers

Buyers who purchase a new Genesys Aerosystems S-Tec 2100 autopilot through June 30, 2017, will receive a free Lynx NGT-9000 ADS-B transponder.
Avionics

Esterline ADS-B Annunciators Released

New 389 series LED cockpit annunciators are designed for ADS-B installations.
Avionics

Gogo Business Aviation Achieves 4G STC

Gogo Business Aviation's Challenger 600 was used to certify the the 4G system installation in a business jet.
Rotorcraft

Concorde Battery Celebrates 40th Anniversary

The battery manufacturer recently opened a new plant in Austell, Georgia.
Rotorcraft

Leonardo TeamUp Brings Support and Training Together

The new TeamUp brand unifies Leonardo's customer support and training efforts.
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Avionics

Universal Avionics Completes InSight System Engineering

The Universal Avionics InSight flight deck will help upgrade aircraft meet modern avionics mandates.
Rotorcraft

Astronautics, Jagid Team on Portable SmartCopter System

The portable ISR system weighs about 80 pounds and can be installed in helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes.
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Rotorcraft

Bell Delivers First 505 Jet Ranger X at Heli-Expo 2017

The buyer of the first customer-delivered Bell 505 Jet Ranger X is Scott Urschel, owner of Pylon Aviation, Chandler, Arizona.
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Rotorcraft

Genesys Wins Flight Deck Upgrade for MD Explorer

Genesys Aerosystems is demonstrating its helicopter flight deck equipped with four IDU-680 displays.
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