I was reminded of the wonderfulness of the Paris Air Show on my last day at Le Bourget Airport on June 20. My job at most shows that we cover is tied up with producing AIN’s daily issues, and for two or three days before the show until the night before our last issue is printed I’m head-down in the constant struggle to stay ahead of the relentless deadlines involved in producing a daily print magazine.
But after we’re done with the final issue, we have a day to enjoy the show and usually no pressing writing issues to worry about or deadlines looming. After many, many shows from NBAA’s annual extravaganza and Heli-Expo to EBACE, ABACE, Singapore, Dubai, Farnborough and Paris, I’ve learned the best way to make the most of the final day at the show.
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.
