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
EBACE 2010: Event boosts hopes for coming recovery
An uneasy pall has settled over the aviation industry.
FAA Crackdown: Is Agency a Friend or Foe?
In AIN’s upcoming June issue, we raise the question of whether new FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt is cracking down extra hard on the aviation indus
Maintenance and Modifications
Flabob High School Students Build Jet Engine
Anthony Mosallam and Jonathon Deming, students at the Flabob Airport Preparatory Academy in Riverside, Calif., designed and built a turbine engine for thei
Maintenance and Modifications
U.S. Civil Aviation Mx Has $39 Billion Impact
According to a study conducted by research firm AeroStrategy, the aviation maintenance industry in the U.S.
Maintenance and Modifications
Engine Damage Not Caused by Volcanic Ash
Dramatic photos circulating on the Internet purporting to show a Williams International FJ44-3A-24 installed on a Cessna Citation CJ2+ destroyed by exposur
Maintenance and Modifications
Iceland Eruption Has Different Effect on Windows
While pilots need to be careful not to fly through heavy concentrations of volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajökull Volcano in Iceland, the glass particle-la
Maintenance and Modifications
Honeywell To See Volcano Effects First-hand
Engineers at Honeywell’s Phoenix engine division have received two TPE331-5 turboprops removed from a Dornier Do-228 operated by the UK’s National Environm
Training and Workforce
Calif. Legislation Could Cost Flight Training Providers
Assembly Bill 48, passed last year by the state of California, eliminates a long-standing flight training facility exemption from authorizing legislation f
Charter & Fractional
NetJets Still Aiming at Profitable Operations
Berkshire Hathaway’s most recent quarterly financial report notes that revenues at its NetJets subsidiary grew by 18 percent compared with the first quarte
Environment
Chevron Global To Stop Marketing Fuel in 27 States
Chevron Global Aviation, which operates five oil refineries, “will withdraw from marketing Chevron- and Texaco-branded aviation fuels in 27 states [approxi
Accidents
Preliminary Report: MU-2 sheds gear in runway excursion
Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, Amarillo, Texas, Feb.
FBOs
Hiller Group buys Air Petro
On May 1, Chevron fuel distributor Hiller Group finalized its purchase of Air Petro, a Chevron-branded distributor in the western U.S.
FBOs
Oakland FBO adds hangar space
Business Jet Center at Oakland International Airport in Northern California has expanded its hangar space to more than 100,000 sq ft with the addition of a
FBOs
Argus International launches Prism Solutions Division
Argus International has hired William Yantiss to lead a new division called Prism Solutions (professional resources in system management).
FBOs
Reno-Tahoe seeks proposals for new FBO facilities
Two FBOs at Reno-Tahoe International Airport are not going to renew their upcoming leases, and the airport has released a request for proposals (RFP) for a
FBOs
FltPlan.com offering APG runway analysis
Flight planning Web site FltPlan.com is now offering runway analysis services by Aircraft Performance Group (AP
FBOs
Heritage celebrating grand opening in Vermont
Heritage Aviation is celebrating the opening of its new 79,000-sq-ft FBO at Burlington International Airport in Vermont on May 20.
Airports
Rifle airport closed for runway, taxiway reconstruction
Garfield County Regional Airport in Rifle, Colo., is closed for seven months
for runway and taxiway construction. The closure applies to fixed-
FBOs
Tac Air displays new design standards
Tac Air held an open house at its Raleigh-Durham International Airport FBO on April 7 to showcase its new interior design standards, which will be rolled o
Regulations and Government
Senate bill: Bye-bye fuel fraud tax
The recently passed Senate FAA reauthorization bill eliminates the so-called fuel fraud tax that has been causing major annoyance and expense for U.S.
Safety
Thick anti-icing fluid a safety concern
The FAA issued a safety alert for operators (Safo 01001) warning operators of aircraft with unpowered elevator controls that control forces may increase af
Environment
Lehigh Valley re-ups with AvFuel
Lehigh Valley Aviation Services, based at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pa., has renewed its branding agreement with Avfuel.
FBOs
Ocean Sky receives new capital
UK-based business aviation services group Ocean Sky has received a £10 million ($15 million) injection of fresh capital from its private shareholders.
Aircraft
Piaggio’s Jet Well Beyond Initial Concept Stage
It’s no secret that Piaggio Aero has been working on developing a jet, and this work has accelerated with the support of shareholders Tata and Mubadala.
Charter & Fractional
Jetalliance forms venture with Aeroflot for Russian charter
Jetalliance Aviation Group and Aeroflot Russian Airlines have formed a joint-venture company called Jetalliance East to offer charter services within Russi
Cabin Interior and Electronics
An Avro Business Jet Fit for Adventurous Types
BAE Systems has contracted with Design Q to develop five concepts for the Avro Business Jet (ABJ) and revealed the first of the new designs–the ABJ Explore
Aircraft
Design Q designs Avro Business Jets for the explorer set
BAE Systems has contracted with Design Q to develop five concepts for the Avro Business Jet (ABJ) and revealed the first of the new designs yesterday–the A
LHT kit allows cabins to be quick changeable
Lufthansa Technik’s new VIP cabin quick-change kit allows operators to switch a narrowbody commercial airline interior to VIP configuration overnight.
