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

The High Altitude Supplemental Oxygen (HASO) working group is asking professional pilots to answer <a href="http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/2946082/High-Altitude-Supplemental-Oxygen-Survey">survey questions</a> related to supplemental oxygen use required by FAR 91.211. The survey asks questions about the respondent’s type of flying, then presents various scenarios to assess the respondent’s understanding of 91.211. This is followed by questions about compliance with the regulation, which many pilots admit they don’t do, and questions about hazards caused by compliance, such as compromising communications and unnecessarily depleting the emergency oxygen supply.

 


According to the HASO working group, “The primary objective of the HASO Working Group is to provide a best-practice recommendation to the U.S. FAA for operations above 41,000 feet in aircraft certified to a ceiling of 51,000 feet. This group's recommendations will be based on risk analysis as it applies to a comprehensive evaluation of all exposure to hazards above 41,000 feet.”

 


In an <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2010-01-26/study-pilots-ignore-oxygen-regulations">article published in AIN</a> in 2010, corporate pilot Chris Shaver provided results of his master’s degree thesis, which included a survey of pilots about oxygen use. In his thesis, Shaver found that more than 60 percent of business jet pilots do not use oxygen masks when required by FAA regulations.&nbsp;

 


EASA regulations are less prescriptive than the rigid and frequently flouted FAA rules, requiring use of supplemental oxygen only “whenever cabin altitude exceeds 10,000 feet for a period in excess of 30 minutes and whenever the cabin altitude exceeds 13,000 feet.”

 


HASO working group supporters include NBAA, the Flight Safety Foundation, GAMA, Bombardier, Gulfstream, Dassault Falcon Jet, Textron Aviation, AMAS&nbsp;and&nbsp;Airrowe.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Oxygen Working Group Seeks Pilot Input

The group wants to provide input to the FAA that might lead to more sensible oxygen mask regulations.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Altitude and course deviation, traffic proximity remain top categories

ACSF Data Shows Stable Bizav Risk Amid 2026 Pressures

Kerry Lynch

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Aircraft remained within separation guidance but neared each other after the presidential helicopter was unable to alert ATC

Faulty Comms Preceded Marine One/Envoy Close Call

Graham leaving agency within months of confirmation to another term

NTSB Vice Chair Michael Graham To Retire October 2

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

UK CAA concerned over rise in unstable approaches continuing to land

AINsight: Go-arounds Are a Normal and Expected Outcome

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Helicopters more than twice as vulnerable to loss of visual reference accidents than airplanes

TSB: Rotorcraft More Prone To Loss-of-visual-reference Accidents

Charlotte Bailey

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

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