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&amp;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.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

FlyThisSim introduced its newest flight training device, the TouchTrainer FM 210, this week at EAA AirVenture 2015. The largest trainer offered by FlyThisSim, the FM 210 has side-by-side seating for two and a high-resolution 210-degree horizontal by 70-degree vertical field of view visual display.

 


“This is our first skills trainer,” said co-CEO Carl Suttle. The company’s earlier products such as the TouchTrainer Standard desktop unit and the VisualMotion system are primarily intended to be procedures trainers. But customers were using the TouchTrainers to teach skills to new pilots, he explained, “So we decided to build a visual system unlike anything else.”

 


The heart of the FM 210 is the “visual motion” display, which is much brighter than that of a typical level-D full-flight simulator visual, according to Suttle. “The system provides a vertical field of view with correct aspect visual flow and motion cues, a 1:1 horizontal/vertical visual scaling, the depiction of 3-D objects around the airfield with realistic depth perception and bright displays, which allow the eye to open and which require high-resolution displays for accurate presentation.” Instead of adding physical motion, the FM 210 uses “visual motion cues” to enhance the simulation.

 


The $30,000 FM 210 can replicate 120 aircraft/avionics combinations, including Beech, Cessna, Commander, Corvalis, Cirrus, Diamond, Mitsubishi MU-2 and Piper models with analog gauges or Aspen, Avidyne or Garmin GNS430W/530W, G500, G1000 and Perspective avionics. Also available are engine monitor systems such as the JPI EDM 700 and 930 and Oracle CRM 2100. These avionics systems include full autopilot functionality as well as modeling of missed approach procedures and Waas GPS capability. FlyThisSim does not currently offer synthetic vision.

 


The key interface for pilots flying the TouchTrainers is touchscreen control of all knobs, buttons and controls, thus allowing easy switching from aircraft to aircraft without having to swap out physical hardware. The TouchTrainers run on X-Plane’s software, and FlyThisSim has created its own nav database and maps using FAA data and some approach plates from Lufthansa Systems Lido. The FM 210 can also be reconfigured to single- or dual-seat, center console, single- or twin-engine, yoke or sidestick controls and vernier or lever throttles.

 


The FM 210 standard package includes a two-place intercom, web-camera monitoring, power outlets for laptops and mobile devices, wireless connection to ForeFlight Mobile on the iPad, a connection to the PilotEdge live ATC system, 12-month warranty and nav data. Annual maintenance and support costs $600 a year.

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