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

After spending time ingraining a disciplined and strategic application of upset prevention and recovery training (UPRT) techniques in an Aviation Performance Solutions (APS) Extra 300L single-engine piston aerobatic airplane, pilots might want to consider sticking around for a jet enhancement program to learn how to handle upsets at high altitudes.

 


APS currently offers high-altitude jet UPRT in its Siai Marchetti S211 single-engine jet trainers, one of which was on the static display at last month’s NBAA Convention. I was recently invited to sample the half-day S211 UPRT session at APS’s headquarters in Mesa, Arizona. APS also has facilities in Arlington, Texas, and Breda International Airport in the Netherlands, and the in-aircraft high-altitude UPRT is available in Texas and at customer request.

 


APS trainees can add the S211 high-altitude UPRT enhancement program to the end of their full Extra 300L-based UPRT or as part of a recurrent training event at APS, according to Paul “BJ” Ransbury, APS president and CEO. The enhancement takes half a day, either on the last half of the third day, or the morning of the fourth day. For recurrent students, the S211 high-altitude course can be added as a second-day training event. “We need to make sure the fundamentals are in place before we take them to high altitude,” he said. “There’s just so much going on there.”

 


APS also offers low-altitude programs integrating the S211 with the Extra 300L program, with many customers taking the entire three-day course in the S211 exclusively. However, for human factors reasons and repetition to proficiency, Ransbury recommends that initial UPRT is best accomplished by using both training airplanes, with at least two flights in the Extra 300L.

 


The high-altitude training course begins with a ground session on high-altitude jet operations, then for pilots who haven’t flown the S211 yet in the program, a differences briefing and a preflight discussion are provided to cover the training plan and profiles to be flown.

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