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

Cav Ice Protection, which manufactures the TKS ice-protection system, has developed a new method of leveraging TKS technology to help aircraft manufacturers meet new FAA flight into known icing (FIKI) requirements for freezing rain and supercooled large droplet (SLD) icing. Its new SLD Guard system adds TKS strips in vulnerable areas such as upper wing surfaces in front of ailerons and upper and lower horizontal stabilizer surfaces.


The strips are less than an inch wide and laser drilled with thousands of .0025-inch holes—just like TKS’s leading-edge panels—through which an ethylene-glycol fluid is pumped. The fluid, with a freezing point lower than -70 degrees F, disperses over the flying surface and acts to de-ice and prevent ice from forming (anti-ice), according to Cav.&nbsp;


The new FAA rules apply to certification programs that begin after the regulations took effect Jan. 5, 2015, and apply to transport-category aircraft weighing less than 60,000 pounds or those with reversible flight controls (direct mechanical connection between the control surface and yoke). The newly revised Part 23 regulations also address SLD requirements, specifying either a means of detecting SLD and allowing an escape from SLD conditions or equipment that allows the airplane to fly safely in SLD conditions.


“SLD Guard provides anti-ice and de-ice protection from SLD conditions, as specified in the FAA regulations,” said Cav v-p of design engineering Jerry Jordan. “Specifically, the system is designed for encounters with severe freezing rain and freezing drizzle, as defined in Appendix O of the new regulations, allowing the aircraft to safely exit these dangerous icing conditions. SLD Guard now permits aircraft to be certified for continuous operation in all…section 25.1420 Appendix C and Appendix O conditions.”


According to Cav, SLD Guard offers benefits for existing designs and is retrofittable to aircraft with all types of existing ice-protection systems such as pneumatic boots, thermal, expulsive and freezing-point depressant such as Cav's TKS. SLD Guard can also be fitted to new aircraft already equipped with these ice-protection systems, “regardless of the primary ice-protection system technology selected by the manufacturer,” according to Cav. The company said that it “is currently working with aircraft manufacturers to incorporate SLD Guard into new aircraft programs.”

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

TKS Technology Offers Method To Meet New Icing Regulations

The Cav Ice Protection SLD Guard technology can be retrofitted to any type of existing ice-protection system.

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.

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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

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Graham leaving agency within months of confirmation to another term

NTSB Vice Chair Michael Graham To Retire October 2

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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

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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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