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
Safety
P-FOQA Offers Lower-cost Safety Analysis
CloudAhoy's pilot-focused FOQA program enables almost any aircraft to access vital safety information.
Rotorcraft
Electric R44 Completes First Airport-to-airport Flight
An electric-powered R44 helicopter modified by Tier 1 Engineering and Lung Biotechnology showed a new way to transport transplantable organs.
Safety
Citation Jet Pilots Convention Serves Up Aviation Safety
Members of the Citation Jet Pilots Association have had two years of no incidents or accidents.
Airports
Injunction Keeps East Hampton Airport Available to Public
Long Island's East Hampton Airport will remain open without planned restrictions under a ruling by the State Supreme Court.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
SpaceX Unveils Details on Airborne Starlink
Starlink Aviation will cost $12,500 to $25,000 per month and provide global airborne connectivity at speeds up to 350 Mbps.
Avionics
Textron Aviation Picks Skytrac for FANS Upgrade
The Citation Sovereign and Hawker 4000 will be able to take advantage of FANS safety services with an STC under development by Textron Aviation.
Avionics
Major OEM Selects Universal’s Aperture Visual System
Universal Avionics' Aperture will enable pilots to use augmented reality to enhance flight deck visual imagery.
Avionics
Avidyne Upgrading Learjet 55C with Dual Atlas FMS
Flying fully-coupled LPV approaches is now possible in the Learjet 55C after installation of Avidyne Atlas FMSs.
Avionics
Garmin Certifies GI 275 as Backup Instrument in Falcon 7X
Falcon 7X operators now have the option of installing Garmin's GI 275 as a replacement backup electronic flight instrument.
Legislators Worried About FAA Workforce, Experience
Legislators with aviation backgrounds brought up some critical issues that could drive next year's FAA reauthorization bill.
FlightAware Offering API Access to Historical Data
FlightAware's new AeroAPI will give access to its historical data of more than 713 million flights.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
Inmarsat Rolling Out Evolution Satcom Upgrades
Inmarsat's JX Evolution satcom brings faster speeds to airborne connectivity customers with no change to service plans.
Aircraft
HondaJet Elite II Adds Range and Automation
The newest version of the HondaJet flies 110 nm farther and will be equipped with an autothrottle and Autoland system.
Security
Flight Pro Passes Ethical Hacking Testing
Penetration testing of Flight Pro Connect technology will help show customers that they can trust the company's services.
Avionics
ForeFlight Grows Business Aviation Services
ForeFlight is demonstrating its Dispatch and ForeFlight Mobile software at the NBAA convention in Orlando.
Maintenance and Modifications
Nuvite Wash Applies to All Types of Paint Finishes
Nuvite's new SS9-3 wet-wash helps keep matte and glossy paint finishes clean and attractive.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
Satcom Direct Advances Satcom Antenna Technology
Satcom Direct's Plane Simple antenna and hardware offer satellite connectivity to a variety of business aircraft.
Maintenance and Modifications
Sherwin-Williams Lets Customers Try Out Colors
Paint color choices are nearly endless, and Sherwin-Williams wants to help customers try out different colors before making a final selection.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
SmartSky Asks Court to Reconsider Gogo Decision
SmartSky Networks believes that Gogo Business Aviation's 5G network is infringing SmartSky patents.
Maintenance and Modifications
AkzoNobel Applies VR To Paint Training Process
Virtual reality training for aircraft painters is the latest application of this innovative technology.
Aircraft
Meet Hideto Yamasaki, Honda Aircraft’s New CEO
The new president and CEO of Honda Aircraft, Hideto Yamasaki, aims to build on his predecessor's success.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
District Court Denies Gogo, SmartSky Motions
The legal dispute between Gogo Business Aviation and SmartSky Networks over their 5G air-to-ground connectivity systems continues.
Maintenance and Modifications
Tamarack Signs MoU for Oxï-Zen Carbon Balancing
Tamarack Aerospace winglet customers will be able to buy carbon-balancing services from Oxï-Zen under an agreement between the two companies.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
FAA Approves 1st Retrofit Aspire 400 in Global Express
Honeywell's Aspire 400 SwiftBroadband satcom offers a smaller, lighter, and lower-cost system capable of safety-service ATC communications.
Avionics
Bizjets Fly Better with Modern Integrated Avionics
Today's integrated flight decks offer significant safety advantages but there are some interesting differences between the various avionics manufacturers.
Training and Workforce
AINsight: The 1,500-hour Rule is Ridiculous
Getting new pilots to the 1,500-hour threshold so they can fly for airlines is not the best way to develop future flight crew.
Aircraft
Cirrus Plans ‘Innovation Center’ at Duluth HQ
Cirrus Aircraft has secured a 60-year ground lease for its recently acquired building and land in Duluth, Minnesota.
Maintenance and Modifications
Concorde Warns About Parasitic Loads on Batteries
Keeping electrical components from draining aircraft batteries is an important part of battery maintenance procedures.
Avionics
Study Finds Ligado Won’t Harm Most GPS Receivers
A report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine questions the effects of Ligado Networks on GPS receivers.
Avionics
Garmin Adds More Twins to Smart Rudder Bias Approvals
Beechcraft Baron B55s with the required autopilot and display can now be equipped with Garmin's Smart Rudder Bias.
