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

Nearly six years ago, in April 2010, Apple began delivering the iPad, and since then pilots have adopted mobile devices seemingly faster than any other new technology introduced in aviation. While many pilots were first exposed to this kind of technology with purpose-built electronic flight bags (EFBs), the iPad and then Android tablets introduced much more powerful, less costly and easier-to-upgrade devices that quickly made dedicated EFBs almost obsolete (although they are still used in many large aircraft).

 


John Zimmerman, writing in the <a href="http://airfactsjournal.com/2015/11/just-gadget-ipad-making-flying-safer/">Air Facts blog</a>, believes that the iPad is not popular just because it is convenient and relatively inexpensive but also because it has made flying safer. He pointed out that for pilots who fly different aircraft, each equipped with unique avionics systems, “Tablets democratize avionics. If Garmin adds an incredible new feature to the G1000, the vast majority of pilots don’t have access to it. With tablet apps, though, every pilot can have that new feature overnight–often for free. Cutting-edge avionics are a reality for anyone with a $500 tablet and a $75 app, not just owners of new airplanes.”

Aviation Apps 2016: EFB Apps Gaining Features and Functions

The world of aviation electronic flight bag apps has become one of more features instead of new software.

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