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.

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The FAA has approved Outerlink Global Solutions’ supplemental type certificate for installation of its Air IP broadband communications system on the Bell 407 helicopter. Air IP’s secure communications capability is designed for public safety, emergency medical, corporate, and utility operators.
With Air IP, Bell 407 operators get real-time HD video streaming, flight data transfer, and an onboard Wi-Fi network. Connectivity is via bonded cellular networks and includes enterprise-grade encryption, according to Outerlink. This includes end-to-end encrypted virtual private network architecture.
Outerlink is developing a fourth node in its patented bonding architecture by integrating Starlink low-earth-orbit satcom. This will create “a ‘super signal’ that combines satellite and cellular networks into an optimized stream for global, uninterrupted coverage,” the company said.
Examples of Air IP users include the Westchester County Police Department in New York and Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, both of which are using Air IP to replace legacy microwave systems. This enables “real-time video transmission and enhanced situational awareness, all while avoiding the infrastructure limitations and high costs of traditional systems,” Outerlink said. In an example of a corporate operation, “a customer conducted a live videoconference call from Hartford to Boston at 2,500 feet and 145 knots, with no interruptions in service.”

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