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

In a customer notice sent this week, ForeFlight informed flight instructors that it has reduced the subscription discount for members of the Society of Aviation and Flight Educators (SAFE) and the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) to 15%. The previous discount was 33%, and anyone can join SAFE and NAFI; there is no requirement to be a flight instructor.
ForeFlight also notified SAFE and NAFI members that the 15% discount applies only to the Essential or Premium plans and not to the Starter subscription.
Flight instructors can earn a higher discount by participating in the recently announced ForeFlight CFI Referral Program. When CFIs refer student pilots to ForeFlight, the CFI can earn 20% off for the first referral and 5% off for each subsequent referral—up to 100% off. However, CFIs cannot use both the CFI Referral Program discount and the SAFE/NAFI membership discount for the same subscription.
The Starter plan costs $125/year, while Essential and Premium annual rates are&nbsp;$250 and $370, respectively. Included in the Starter subscription are VFR and IFR charts for the selected region, flight planning, weight and balance, logbook, and other features. The Essential plan adds georeferenced approaches and taxi charts, dynamic procedures, synthetic vision, terrain profile, and more. Subscribers to the Premium plan can view performance profiles, takeoff and landing performance, 3D view, JetFuelX prices, and other features.
According to ForeFlight, "We appreciate and recognize the value of professional associations like SAFE and NAFI, which actively engage the pilot community and provide valuable resources that help pilots stay informed, current, and safe. The adjustment to the discount was made as part of a broader effort to evolve how we support and recognize CFIs. While the referral program is not a replacement for the discount–as you can still use one or the other–it is designed to better align rewards with active instructional activity by providing additional benefits to CFIs who are actively teaching and referring students. By tying benefits to instructional engagement and referrals, the program ensures that rewards are aligned with the meaningful role CFIs play in training and mentorship, rather than solely membership-based access."

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