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.
Latest from Matt Thurber
FBOs
New hangar at Opa Locka Airport
Miami Executive Aviation celebrated the groundbreaking for a new hangar at Opa Locka Executive Airport in Miami on May 23.
FBOs
Jet Source celebrates 10 years
After 10 years of building a large charter/management company and full-service FBO at McClellan-Palomar Airport in San Diego, Jet Source is preparing to ex
FBOs
FalconTrust plans new hangars
FalconTrust Air at Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport in Miami, is preparing to build a 34,320-sq-ft storage hangar next to its FBO.
FBOs
Encore adds two FBOs
The budding Encore FBO chain added two FBOs, with the May acquisition of Sun Western Flyers at Laughlin/Bullhead International Airport in Bullhead City, Ne
FBOs
Execujet sold to Dermot Desmond
Irish entrepreneur Dermot Desmond has acquired a majority shareholding in the entities that compose ExecuJet Aviation Group, which provides charter/managem
FBOs
Afton FBO supports Airpark
An alternative airport is now available for those flying near Jackson Hole, Wyo.
FBOs
Santa Monica neighbors want shorter runway
According to NBAA, during the last week of April, the Santa Monica, Calif., airport commission voted to adopt a proposal to create runway safety areas usin
FBOs
Macquarie's expensive expansion
The most recent Securities and Exchange Commission quarterly 10-Q report filed by publicly traded Macquarie Group revealed that the company is paying $85 m
Bizav makes a big splash at Sun 'n' Fun
The annual Sun ’n’ Fun event in Lakeland, Fla., is similar to the Experimental Aircraft Association’s AirVenture Oshkosh, with its emphasis on sport aviati
Aircraft
In The Works: Evektor EV-55
Evektor has begun prototype assembly of the EV-55 Outback, a nine- to 14-passenger unpressurized turboprop.
Aircraft
In The Works: Bell/Agusta Aerospace BA609
Early in the second quarter, Bell/Agusta Aerospace reported that the BA609 civil tiltrotor program had logged 137 flights and 159 flight hours on ship 001,
Aircraft
In The Works: Eclipse Aviation Model 500
It’s been more than seven years since Vern Raburn launched the Eclipse 500, a small, low-cost very light jet that he predicted would bring “disruptive tech
Safety
FAA turns up the heat on icing issue
Summer is almost upon us in the northern hemisphere, but the FAA is embroiled in two significant icing-related issues: a proposed new rule for when de-ice
Aircraft
PC in hand, Eclipse steps up production
As of mid-May, Eclipse Aviation had begun construction of Eclipse 500 number 62, and numbers 15 and 16 had received their certificates of airworthiness, ac
Tough times ahead for general aviation?
The light-airplane segment of the general aviation industry is showing evidence of contracting, but it is too early to determine whether this is a trend th
FBOs
Executive Beechcraft joins Signature stable
BBA Aviation, parent company of the Signature Flight Support FBO chain, has agreed to purchase Executive Beechcraft, which includes four FBOs, a charter/ma
Eclipse hits the big time in Euro sales
Eclipse Aviation’s announcement of a 180-airplane order yesterday signaled the launch of a very light jet (VLJ) air-taxi operation that will be based in Tu
Middle East bizav group is ‘still there and still growing’
The Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA) has grown to 41 members since the last EBACE show, up from 30.
Avionics
TFE731 operators can enter fault-code reporting service
Operators of jets powered by Honeywell TFE731 engines with digital electronic engine controls (DEECs) will be able to participate in the fault-code reporti
Avionics
Universal upgrades EFB trip planning
Universal Weather and Aviation is demonstrating its new electronic flight bag CD-ROM and online editions of its UVTripPlanner airport information database
Avionics
Gulfstream switches to Collins HUD
Rockwell Collins’ new HGS-5860 is the first head-up display (HUD) system with an LCD projector to be certified on a business jet–Dassault’s Falcon 7X.
Adam invades China with order for 50 A700 VLJs
Hainan Zhong Hangtai General Aviation Airlines Company, the China-based operating entity of Los Angeles, California company Ameritec, placed a firm order f
Aircraft
New King Air 90 to fly with Collins Pro Line 21
Hawker Beechcraft’s latest King Air, the model C90GTi, is joining its larger siblings with a new Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics suite.
Aircraft
In the Works: Cirrus The-Jet
Early adopters who plunked down $100,000 for a position on the Cirrus jet assembly line got to participate in a clever Cirrus marketing campaign that is dr
Industry group looks for jet-fuel alternative
As oil prices remain above the $60 per barrel mark, operators, oil companies and government regulators are showing ever more interest in alternative jet fu
Aircraft
In the Works: Excel-Jet Sport-Jet
Twelve people, including company president Bob Bornhofen, continue to work on the Sport-Jet single-engine jet program based in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Aircraft
In the Works: Embraer Phenom 100
Embraer has begun construction of its second Phenom 100 airframe and is on schedule for planned first flight in the middle of this year and entry-into-serv
Aircraft
Honda chooses suppliers for nascent jet
Honda Aircraft officials have decided to outsource manufacture of major portions of the HondaJet, including the fuselage and wings.
FBOs
FBO Survey 2007
When business aviation is booming, as it is now, nowhere is it more evident than at FBOs, the place at airports where everybody ends up hanging out, workin
