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 buildout of SmartSky’s U.S. ground network suffered some delays due to blizzards in the Midwest late last year, but the company expects two corridors of its air-to-ground airborne connectivity service to be running in early 2019. The New York-Florida and New York-Chicago corridors will be the first areas of service available for SmartSky customers, and these will be followed by service for 90 percent of the business aviation routes in the continental U.S. then by the end of 2019 full U.S. coverage.

 


Testing of portions of the New York-Florida corridor took place in December, over Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

 


At the 90 percent coverage level, SmartSky will have more than 20,000 “beams” available. Each aircraft using the network will have its own beam and switch from beam to beam as it flies, thus ensuring that all users receive full connectivity and service levels. The full Continental U.S. coverage will provide more than 25,000 beams.&nbsp;

 


The SmartSky 4G LTE network allows in-flight VPN access, email with large attachments, simultaneous voice calling, texting, and video streaming by multiple users.

 


SmartSky is offering two airborne systems: SmartSky Lite for turboprops and small jets and the SmartSky 4G LTE system for larger aircraft. The Lite system includes a base radio (12.1 pounds) and a full-duplex quad antenna (6.5) pounds, while the 4G LTE system requires an additional high-performance blade antenna (13.5 pounds). Antennas are mounted on the fuselage bottom.

 


The Lite system introductory price is less than $50,000 for hardware and $75 per hour for unlimited data. Buyers of the 4G LTE system receive 100 GB of data for the price of 25 GB for booking an installation in 2019 (must sign up by March 31, 2019). Service prices for 4G LTE range from $2,500 for 5 GB per month to $4,500 for 100 GB per month.

 


STCs for a variety of business aircraft are underway, according to SmartSky, and these are expected to be available to coincide with the deployment of the ground network.

 


The STCs are under development by SmartSky partners such as Bombardier and Textron service centers, Delta Engineering, StandardAero, Clay Lacy Aviation, Ventura Air, and Duncan Aviation. The first customer installation of a SmartSky 4G LTE air-to-ground system was done by Pentastar Aviation last year in a G550, and its approved model list STC covers the GIV through G550.

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

SmartSky Service Starting Soon

The SmartSky ground network is slated for full continental U.S. coverage in 2019.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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 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.

The German company is taking a new approach to aerospace display technology.

Zeiss Microoptics Brings New Display Tech to Aircraft Cabin, Cockpit

Charles Alcock

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

ProSight technology is being demonstrated at the Farnborough Airshow

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News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

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