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
Avionics
Pro Line Fusion Touchscreens Populate King Air Cockpits
The new Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion touchscreen displays are slated for flight decks in the entire King Air line.
Aircraft
Gulfstream G500 Logs Maiden Flight
The Gulfstream G500 took flight on May 18 at 10:39 a.m. local time, with test pilots Scott Martin and Kevin Claffy at the helm.
Aircraft
Flying the New Legacy 500
Embraer’s new fly-by-wire Legacy 500 brings a new level of capability to the midsize jet market.
Airports
Signature Van Nuys Builds New Customs Facility
The new customs service allows international business jet arrivals to land directly at Van Nuys Airport instead of at LAX.
Charter & Fractional
Flexjet Celebrates 20th Anniversary and Orders Legacy 450s and 500s
The fractional-share provider is expanding its fleet, both in size and aircraft types.
Maintenance and Modifications
Vocollect Voice-guided MRO System Speeds APU Repairs
Honeywell’s APU MRO line is the first aerospace application for the company’s Vocollect voice inspection solution.
Airports
Universal Aviation Adds New Services in North Africa
Five Universal Aviation employees will help customers in Marrakech, Casablanca and Rabat.
Airports
Avplan Flight Activity on the Upswing
Avfuel’s Avplan Trip Support focuses on satisfying client needs, with all staffers responsible for quality control.
Airports
New Delhi Office Supports UAS Expansion
UAS International Trip Support is tapping growing interest in business aviation in the Indian subcontinent.
ArincDirect Phasing Out Support for Older FOS Versions
A new version of FOS is being released this month, and sometime this year ArincDirect will halt support for versions earlier than 3.11.
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
AIN Blog: Tiny Drone Does It Again
How high is the risk of a tiny drone flying in Washington, D.C. airspace?
Maintenance and Modifications
True Blue Seeking STC for Caravan Lithium-ion Battery
The Caravan STC is the first publically announced application for the TB44 main-ship lithium-ion battery.
Maintenance and Modifications
Camp Systems Acquires Corridor Maintenance Software
The future of maintenance is trend monitoring the many sensors installed on aircraft, according to Camp Systems.
Maintenance and Modifications
Traxxall Enters Maintenance Tracking Arena
The new maintenance tracking provider says it offers an alternative to existing services
Aircraft
Cirrus Aircraft Selects Knoxville for 'Vision' Customer Center
The new Vision Center will open at Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport in the second quarter of 2016.
Trip Support Firm UAS Adds Office in New Delhi
New location in India joins company's regional offices and operations in more than 40 countires.
Aircraft
Cirrus Aiming for Year-end Certification of Vision Jet
Three conforming prototype Cirrus Vision SF50s are flying, and construction of the first production version is under way.
Aircraft
Stealthy Development: the G500/600
A peek inside the development process that allowed Gulfstream not only to announce the G500 but also to roll out the first airplane the same day.
Training and Workforce
Leadership Committee Primes the Bizav Pipeline
The Professional Development subcommittee plays an important role in bringing new entrants into business aviation.
Avionics
ForeFlight Facilitates Surface Ops
The aviation app-maker is helping commercial operators meet FAA guidance to allow own-ship display on airports.
Training and Workforce
ASU Pilots Train with PilotEdge Simulated ATC
The PilotEdge live air traffic control system for flight simulators helps trainee pilots learn how to interact with controllers.
Charter & Fractional
Surf Air Adding Destinations, Aircraft
The all-you-can-fly membership charter service operates nine PC-12s and will add another five this year.
Avionics
Aerovie First Aviation App for Apple Watch
The aviation EFB and navigation app’s latest version supports Apple’s Watch with unique new features for pilots.
Training and Workforce
FlightSimCon Coming to Connecticut
The annual convention of flight simulator enthusiasts will feature live demos of Boston Virtual ATC controllers working with desktop simulator fliers.
Avionics
WingX Pro7 Android Version Due in Second Quarter
Hilton Software’s flight planning and navigation app will soon be available on a variety of Android devices.
Avionics
Operators’ Fans STC Options Growing
With a variety of equipment and STC options on the market, operators have choices when it comes to Fans equipage.
Aircraft
Pilot Report: Latitude Livens Up The Citation Lineup
Textron Aviation’s new Citation Latitude adds a flat-floor cabin to the company’s midsize jet line.
Aircraft
Epic Says E1000 Is On Track For Year-end Certification
First deliveries of Epic's E1000 turboprop single are set for early 2016.
Avionics
Flat Antenna Fielded For Ka-band Satcom
The new Kymeta mTenna has no moving parts and promises to reduce weight and drag for the upcoming Ka-band satcom service.
Avionics
TrueNorth Receives FAA TSO for Iridium Datalink Unit
TrueNorth’s Iridium datalink unit has received FAA Technical Standard Order approval.
