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
Garmin, Avidyne Let the Servos Do the Flying
Garmin announced yesterday at EAA AirVenture that its new electronic stability and protection (ESP) stability augmentation system will be available on G100
Aircraft
Piper’s New Leader Jump Starts PiperJet Program
According to Piper Aircraft’s recently appointed executive vice president, Randy Groom, a year ago only 12 people were actively working on the single-engin
Aircraft
AIN 2010 Product Support Survey: Part One - Aircraft
How the Survey Was AdministeredContinued weakness in the business aviation market appears to be reflected in a low response rate to the 2010 <
Boeing’s test-center group maintains a busy schedule
Boeing’s Test and Evaluation (T&E) division is spread out over 78 locations, but testing is done at many more locations, including at suppliers and oth
Service-ready team prepares Dreamliner
As certification of the 787 Dreamliner approaches at the end of this year and launch customer All Nippon Airways (ANA) prepares to take delivery of its fir
Boeing’s new care program is worth its weight in gold
With the advent of the 787 Dreamliner, touted as a “flying WiFi hotspot” chock full of useful data that will be passed along to airline maintenance and eng
Boeing brings blue-sky interior to 737
After launching its new Sky Interior for the 737 airliner last year, Boeing has sold more than 37 customers on the new interior for more than 1,100 firm or
Airports
NBAA Members Tell TSA DCA Access Unworkable
NBAA vice president for safety, security and regulation Doug Carr, representatives from five NBAA member companies and other industry groups met with Brian
Maintenance and Modifications
EASA Awards STC for Soloy LTS101 Helo Mod
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) awarded a supplemental type certificate (STC) to Soloy Aviation Solutions for conversion of Eurocopter AS350BA h
Maintenance and Modifications
FAA Revises Alternate Compliance Approval Process
The FAA has issued a draft revised Order 8110.103A with new information about how agency personnel process alternative methods of compliance (Amoc) request
Safety
Techs Need Help with Fatigue Issues, Too
While it seems that most of the focus on fatigue issues is on pilots, the FAA is concerned about maintenance technician fatigue and has taken steps to educ
Maintenance and Modifications
Cessna Aids Special Olympics with Mobile Service
Citation owners who donate the use of their jets to fly participants in this year’s Special Olympics USA National Games to Lincoln, Neb., can rest assured
Finance, Taxes, Insurance
ARSA Mx Liability Insurance Group Licensed
The Aeronautical Repair Station’s efforts to create a risk-retention group to provide commercial liability insurance for its members is closer to fruition.
FBOs
FBO PROFILE: AAR Aircraft Services
For many years, AAR Aircraft Services has operated the sole FBO at Oklahoma City’s Will Rogers World Airport, and it seems that activity is heating up at <
FBOs
Touching Bases
MILLION AIR OPENS FACILITY IN SAN BERNARDINO
The newest facility in the Million Air FBO franchise chain has opened at San Bernardino Internat
ATC
Despite quirks, the iPad shines in bizav cockpits
Apple’s new iPad tablet computer is enjoying instant popularity, with more than two million of the $499-and-up units selling since deliveries began in earl
Safety
APG Offers Part 91 Performance-analysis Software
Aircraft Performance Group (APG) cofounder Rogers Hemphill believes that the business aviation industry is moving into a new era of applying technology to
Safety
Author urges close look at Part 91 runway data
Aircraft performance is a subject that many pilots dread, during both preflight planning and post-lunch ground school sessions in stuffy classrooms when th
FBOs
ALLFBO develops web booking service
Chase Larabee has launched a new Web-based service called AllFBO.com to eliminate the problem of pilots showing up at an FBO only to find that the customer
Aircraft
In The Works
Dornier Seaplane - Seastar
Dornier Seaplane has selected Montreal suburb Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu as the location to build a new facility fo
Finance, Taxes, Insurance
Aviation insurance
Buyers of coverage for aircraft, aviation businesses and property have found a silver lining in the recession: relatively stable prices for insurance.
Engines
FAA Cleen Program May Revive Open Rotor Engines
The FAA awarded five contracts worth a total of $125 million over five years to engine manufacturers and Boeing to “develop and demonstrate technologies th
FAA: Large Airplanes Must Handle Supercooled Drops
Proposed changes to Parts 25 and 33 address dangerous ici
Safety
Incident illustrates risk of improper tire mx
A video circulating on the Internet shows what happened, on April 27, when the nose tire of a 1976 Falcon 10 was overfilled.
Charter & Fractional
Acquisition by Arcadia closes book on Wayfarer
On June 11, charter/management company Wayfarer Aviation received bridge financing from Arcadia Aviation to continue operations, then four days later Ar
Regulations and Government
Pilots split on new rule for antidepressants
The FAA’s plan to allow pilots to continue flying wh
Aircraft
Gulfstream Ramps Up G650 Test Fleet
Gulfstream’s fourth large-cabin G650–and the first production example–joined the flight-test pr
Aircraft
Will the Piaggio Avanti Shed Its Distinctive Whine?
According to an industry source, Piaggio will announce more improvements for the P.180 Avanti twin turboprop before year-end.
