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.

Editor-in-Chief

Matt Thurber

King Schools has released new test preparation apps for the FAA general, airframe, and powerplant knowledge tests for&nbsp;aviation maintenance technician. It has also opened applications are for a pair of scholarships for qualified pilots.
Open to commercial pilots with an instrument rating or pilots holding an existing flight instructor certificate, the King Schools scholarships include the Women in Aviation International (WAI) Martha King Scholarship for Female Flight Instructors (deadline Oct. 15, 2025) and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI)/King Schools Scholarship (deadline Jan. 7, 2026).&nbsp;Awards include lifetime access to the entire King Schools library and $5,000 in cash. Scholarship details are available on the King Schools website.
Last year’s winners were Collin McDonald and Lily Mocharnuk. McDonald, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University, plans to add his glider rating to improve his understanding of glider flying, according to King Schools CEO Barry Knuttila. Mocharnuk wants to earn her flight instructor certificate to further her work mentoring new pilots. “My dream is to transition into flight instructing so I can share my passion and help guide aspiring aviators,” she said during last year’s award ceremony.
The 2026 scholarships will add to the 19 that King Schools has granted thus far (10 for WAI and nine for NAFI). “I encourage you, if you want to become an instructor, look into the scholarships; they’re a great way to further your aviation career,” said 2024 NAFI/King Schools scholarship winner Eric Heigis.
<h2>Practice For FAA Tests</h2>
The new test prep apps help aviation maintenance technician candidates with three tools: question review to practice answering FAA-style questions and review explanations for correct and incorrect answers; practice exams that simulate the FAA testing experience, including randomized quizzes; and flashcards for self-paced learning and focusing on topics that need more study.
“This is a new direction for King Schools,” said Knuttila. “We’ve taken the test prep feature—previously only available as part of our full A&amp;P courses—and made it available in a mobile-friendly, stand-alone format. These apps are designed to be flexible and easy to use online or offline and are fully compatible with iOS, Android, and desktop web browsers—perfect for studying anytime, anywhere, and helping future mechanics more easily reach their goals.”
With release of the new Modernization of Special Airworthiness Certification (Mosaic) rules at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, King Schools is updating its sport pilot course to reflect the changes that expand the type of aircraft that sport pilots can fly. While King Schools does offer courses for sport pilots, Knuttila said the company had been disappointed that the aviation industry didn’t make more of that category. “This Mosaic announcement is just going to light that market on fire,” he said. “This will make it more valuable to pursue [the sport pilot certificate].” Updates to the sport pilot course will be available for free to existing users of the course.
The developers at King Schools have been working on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) features into courses. “One thing we may be able to provide is the ability to take the incredibly large amount of information that King Schools has developed over 50 years and ingest it into an AI engine and provide access, including links to videos that answer questions,” he said. “We’ll also be using that same AI advantage to monitor student progress and recommend things they need to focus on.”
One of the ways King Schools is making this vast library available is with Instagram and TikTok reels that explain a concept or maneuver. A recent ground-effect video surpassed two million views. “We have a lot of great teaching content,” Knutilla said. “This addresses a lot of things people have questions on. We feel it’s good teaching and concise.”

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