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

For flight academies training the next crop of Chinese pilots, a flight simulator or training device can make the training process much more efficient and effective. Simulator manufacturer Frasca International is here at ABACE 2012 (Booth H509) to promote simulators and flight-training devices for flight-training organizations, and to add to the more than 20 Frasca devices already in use in China.


The next five to 10 years will see rapid growth of aviation in China, said Niu Tao, Frasca’s chief representative for China. Tao is based in Frasca’s office in Beijing. “We need more pilots,” he said, implying that the country will need thousands more pilots than the approximately 1,000 per year that flight schools in China currently train. “If you have a commercial license,” he added, “it’s very easy to find a job here.”


What makes Frasca unique as a simulator manufacturer is that it makes everything from small flight-training devices that replicate single-engine piston-powered airplanes and helicopters, to full-motion level-D-qualified simulators for larger aircraft. In fact, Frasca will deliver a Beechcraft King Air 90 full-motion simulator with Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics to a Chinese training academy this year. “We can provide a very good solution to the customer,” Tao said.


Frasca’s TruFlite simulators can also be converted among different aircraft types; for example, from single-engine to twin-engine. The company’s simulators also replicate different types of avionics, including Garmin 430 and G1000 systems. In addition, its TruVision wraparound visual display offers a field-of-view of 180 to 220 degrees.

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