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

Engines

MagniX Electric Aircraft Engine Notches Key Milestones

After five years, Harbour Air's eBeaver is about to achieve its 100th flight
Harbour Air eBeaver at Oshkosh
Accidents

HondaJets Experience Runway Overruns in Oregon, Florida

No fatalities in either accident, but injuries occurred when one went into the water
HondaJet overrun in Coos Bay, Oregon
Accidents

Bell LongRanger Crashes into Hudson River, Killing Six

Main rotor blades and the tail boom appeared to have separated from the aircraft while in flight
Bell 206 crash
Maintenance and Modifications

Bluetail Fleet Surfaces Data from Aircraft Records  

New feature makes it easier to organize, access, and manage information
Bluetail Fleet compliance dashboard
Rotorcraft

Settlement Reached in Hansen Helicopters Case

Agreement enjoins civil defendants from illegal activities for which Hansen was convicted
Hansen Helicopters
Maintenance and Modifications

FAA Approves SkyWay Mustang Cabin Door SkyStep Upgrade

New door step is more robust and sleeker looking than the original
SkyStep cabin door step upgrade for Cessna Citation Mustang
Aircraft

First Dassault Falcon 10X Taking Shape in Mérignac

Entry into service is planned by the end of 2027
Falcon 10X assembly at Dassault's Bordeaux-Mérignac factory
Maintenance and Modifications

Victor Sierra Buys MRO and PMA Provider Av8 Group

Deal expands parent company’s access to business and regional aviation markets
AV8 Embraer Phenom landing gear overhaul
Rotorcraft

Unither Achieves First Hydrogen-powered Helicopter Flight

Pioneering liftoff took place in Bromont, Québec
Hydrogen fuel cell-powered Robinson R44 helicopter
Aircraft

Regional Air Mobility Summit Addresses Rebooting Local Air Transportation

Companies participating in McKinsey's annual summit meeting are optimistic but say commercialization is still a few years away
McKinsey value of regional air mobility vehicles
Aircraft

ACJneo Type Certificate Validated in China

Local registration opens up more airports and offers tax benefits
Airbus ACJ320neo business jet
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Gogo Plane Simple Satcom STC’d for GV/G550

System runs on Viasat's GX satellite network and provides high-speed broadband connectivity
Gulfstream G550
Rotorcraft

Bell Scores More Sales at Avalon Australian Airshow

Company’s helicopters employed in law enforcement and utility roles
Queensland Police Service's Bell 429 helicopter
Rotorcraft

New Zealand Search and Rescue Orders H145 Helicopters

Aircraft will serve in emergency medical services role
Airbus H145 helicopter
Cabin Interior and Electronics

SpaceX Starlink Adds Fargo Jet Center to Dealer Network

Company plans to complete six installations this year
Starlink antenna installation on business jet
Training and Workforce

AINsight: Not Teaching Autopilot Should Be a Crime

New pilots need to learn how to use all the safety tools at their disposal
trainee pilots
Avionics

FCC Exploring Alternatives To Mitigate GPS Interference

Jamming and spoofing are compromising GNSS capabilities
GPS satellite
Maintenance and Modifications

Team Targets Fatigue Management for Aircraft Mx Techs

Software is for MRO facilities and continuing airworthiness management organizations
Fatigue risk management platform for aircraft maintenance
Operations

Flight Pro Trip Software Adds Multi-factor Authentication

New features include mobile device access to all capabilities
Flight Pro International trip planning software
Maintenance and Modifications

Bombardier Adds Line Maintenance Station in Perth

Facility is the company’s tenth and will be joined by one in Sydney
Bombardier line maintenance
Avionics

Garmin Adds CO Detector, Updates GTR 205 Radios

Carbon monoxide detector mounts remotely and works with Garmin avionics
Garmin carbon monoxide detector
Avionics

IS&S Standby Instrument Replaces Legacy Systems

3ATI Prodigy ISU has built-in inertial measurement unit
IS&S Prodigy integrated standby unit
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Innovative Advantange Introduces Four-slot AVDS Node

Fiber-optic backbone enables easy upgrades on any size aircraft
Innovative Advantage 4-Slot AVDS node
Cabin Interior and Electronics

True Blue Power Bumps USB Charger Power to 45 Watts

Five configurations are available and they fit in round or square installations
True Blue Power TA245 USB chargers
Rotorcraft

Bell Approves GE Rotor Analysis Diagnostic System

Track and balance and diagnostics system can be used on new-technology rotorcraft
Bell commercial helicopters approved for GE RADS-NG
Security

Honeywell RASP Can Make Radio Calls More Understandable

Research could help controllers understand non-English speaker dialogue
Honeywell Real-time Anonymization & Speech Protection
Accidents

NTSB Releases Prelim on B737-Challenger Near-collision

Report notes the both airplanes' cockpit voice recorders were overwritten
Flight paths for SWA2504 and LXJ560
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Collins Venue Smart Monitors Come with Built-in Airshow 

Standalone monitors can be installed without a full Venue cabin management system
Airshow HD integrated into Collins Venue smart monitor
Avionics

MyTIS Gets ATIS to Pilots in Text-message Format

SEND's new digital airport info broadcast is available at 148 airports
MyTIS transcription of ATIS information
Avionics

Aireon Tracks GPS Interference Via Satellite Detection

Metric highlights areas where jamming and spoofing are occurring
Aireon GPS interference metric map