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

Finance, Taxes, Insurance

Bombardier To Retire Senior Notes and Issue New Notes

Plans to issue new notes come after strong projections for 2023
Article image
Maintenance and Modifications

Eagle Program Keeps Citation Excels Flying

Making Excels like-new adds value to older airframes
Citation Excel Eagle business jet modification
Avionics

Flying Firefighters Upgrading to Universal Avionics

The upgrade adds Universal's modern InSight avionics
De Havilland Canada CL-415 firefighting aircraft
Avionics

Garmin Releases Biggest-ever Pilot Watch

The new watch adds a flashlight and ECG capability
Garmin D2 Mach 1 Pro watch
Engines

GE Honda Aero Continues Neat SAF Tests

This second test was conducted in Japan
GE Honda Aero Engines HF120
Maintenance and Modifications

Honda Aircraft Simplifies Ownership Tasks

The Aircraft Management Services program helps with maintenance management
Honda Aircraft Aircraft Management Services
Training and Workforce

CAE, Sun Air Boosting Bizav Pilot Capabilities

The pilot development program will help train new pilots
CAE and Sun Air Jets collaborate on new pilot development program
Maintenance and Modifications

PJM Expands Northeast U.S. MRO Services

Resources are available for owners of classic business aircraft
King Air 350ER
Avionics

ForeFlight’s Portfolio Gains New Features

Simpler purchasing and oceanic plotting have been added
ForeFlight 3D engine-out procedure
Charter & Fractional

Broker Sees Easing of Charter Trip Availability

More aircraft are becoming available for charter
Planet 9 charter business jet
Safety

Aerox Solves Eclipse O2 Cylinder Shortage

The new kevlar oxygen cylinders are available now
Avionics

More Honeywell Guided Visual Approaches Now Available

Pilots can fly guided visual approaches by hand or coupled to the autopilot
TEB Jeppesen chart
Maintenance and Modifications

Gama Aviation Selling Jet East to West Star for $131M

Deal expected to close in November
Jet East Booth NBAA-BACE 2023 (Photo: Mariano Rosales/AIN)
Rotorcraft

FlightAware Adds Helicopters to Global Tracking Service

New technology enables tracking of hard-to-find helicopters
FlightAware Global for Helicopters
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Heads Up Technologies Buys Alto Aviation

Alto Aviation was founded in 1997
ALTO product line
Cabin Interior and Electronics

SpaceX Logs Sale of Starlink for Trans-Exec Fleet

The Starlink satcom system costs $150,000, and service is $25,000 a month
SpaceX Starlink Aviation airborne hardware
Aircraft

Echelon Is Bigger, Faster Honda Light Jet

Timeline calls for certification and entry into service in 2028
HondaJet Echelon Mock Up Interior NBAA2023
Maintenance and Modifications

Jet East Expanding, Adds Mobile Engine Teams

Jet East has grown rapidly since it was acquired by Gama Aviation
Jet East West Palm Beach team members
Avionics

Genesys Aerosystems Makes Moog Transition

While pursuing special-missions work, Genesys still supports its GA products
Genesys’s integrated avionics and autopilots
Regulations and Government

Flight Pro Releases Trip-planning Tablet App

Flight Pro Connect app consolidates trip planning information
Flight Pro Connect
Avionics

Cirrus Adds Auto Radar to Vision Jet G2+

Radar upgrade simplifies building a picture of thunderstorm activity
Auto Radar help pilots see what's happening in thunderstorms
Cabin Interior and Electronics

SmartSky Lite Is Latest Addition to Connectivity Lineup

NBAA-BACE attendees can try out the Lite system at the static display
Article image
Cabin Interior and Electronics

FAA Approves Viasat Satcom in Falcon 900EX

Installation of the Viasat system in the 900EX is available immediately
Dassault Falcon 900EX business jet
Aircraft

Joe Benson Takes the Controls at Boeing Business Jets

Upcoming models include the BBJ Max 7 and 777X
Boeing Business Jets
Avionics

Bose Demos In-ear and Over-the-ear Headsets

The A30 is Bose's latest aviation headset
Bose A30 headset
Safety

Scott IPC Brings More Tech to Int’l Plotting App

App continues improving since it was introduced three years ago
Scott IPC Plot app
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Rosen's 97-inch 4K OLED for VIP Jets Is Largest Yet

Certification of the 97-inch display installation is expected this year
Rosen 97-inch 4K OLED display
Aircraft

First Air Force One Connie Relives Presidential History

Eisenhower's Columbine II Constellation aircraft to be a flying museum
First Air Force One
Training and Workforce

Universal Avionics Taps AI for Second Grand Challenge

Goal is to develop new AI-based solutions and products
Universal Avionics artificial intelligence tools
Maintenance and Modifications

Scheme Designers, Architects of Unique Paint Patterns

The paint designer seeks to emulate airflow and 'speak to speed' with a flowing design approach.
Scheme Designers aircraft paint scheme