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

Cessna Aircraft will begin construction of its new service center in Valencia, Spain, next January and expects to open it in 2012. The airframer has appointed Jacobs Engineering to design and build the new facility, which was announced last year as the latest addition to Cessna’s factory-owned support network.
Plans call for the new Valencia facility to encompass 64,000 sq ft of hangar space and 88,264 sq ft of offices, storage and shop space. In addition to its network of U.S.-based factory-owned service centers, Cessna also owns a service center at Le Bourget Airport in Paris. The Spain facility is centrally located to serve the more than 1,000 Citations based in Europe, 400 of which are based within a 90-minute flight of Valencia. 
Cessna spent two years prior to last year’s announcement researching and negotiating with Spain’s Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea before signing a land-grant contract for the Valencia Airport location. Next year, Cessna will begin hiring technicians for the Valencia service center. Training will be provided by FlightSafety International.
Cessna (Booth No. 7091) also announced here that it is activating a European mobile service unit (MSU) by the end of this year. The exact location of the MSU has not yet been selected, but it will be in southern France and will cover that area plus Geneva, northern Italy and northern Spain. 
The MSU is capable of line service through engine changes and major repairs. “The Cessna mobile service unit, part of our ServiceDirect program, has already proven its worth to our customers in the United States,” said Mark Paolucci, senior vice president, customer service. “With more than 1,000 Citations delivered to European customers, we have put a great emphasis on expanding service options here.”

Cessna adds Spain service center, mobile service unit in France

Cessna Aircraft will begin construction of its new service center in Valencia, Spain, next January and expects to open it in 2012.

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