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 FAA&nbsp;honored Aircraft Electronics Association&nbsp;(AEA)&nbsp;v-p of government and regulatory affairs Ric Peri with the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic award alongside the trade group's annual award winners today at the AEA Convention, which is being held this year&nbsp;in Orlando, Florida. Dewey Conroy was bestowed as AEA's&nbsp;member of the year while&nbsp;Avidyne was named&nbsp;associate member of the year.
Peri joined AEA in 2001 and since then has helped&nbsp;members with their questions and relations with regulators. The award was presented by Bob Jex, FAASafetyTeam program manager at the Orlando FSDO, who said it recognizes&nbsp;Peri's "dedicated aviation expertise, distinguished professionalism, and steadfast commitment."
"Charles Taylor saw aviation from the Wright Flyer to the jet age," Peri said during the award ceremony. "It has been a great 50 years, and I”m looking forward to the next 50."
Conroy, v-p and COO of Pacific Coast Avionics, has been a pilot since age 19 and started working in the avionics business at American Avionics in Seattle in 1984. He was promoted to avionics sales manager in 1989, then in 1991 Gulf Coast Avionics founder Rick Garcia invited Conroy to be a partner in the launch of Pacific Coast Avionics. The company opened in Auburn, Washington, and in 1997&nbsp;moved to Aurora, Oregon, where it has grown to employ 24 people in an 18,000-sq-ft facility.
Avidyne was founded in 1994 by&nbsp;Dan Schwinn&nbsp;"with the mission of modernizing general aviation avionics by applying advanced technology in order to improve safety and increase aircraft utility,” according to AEA. The avionics manufacturer’s product line includes GPS-based flight management systems, GPS navcoms, digital flight control systems, ADS-B transponders, and traffic advisory systems. It is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, where the company also manufactures avionics products. Avidyne has additional engineering facilities in Westerville, Ohio, and Concord, Massachusetts.
"An AEA member company since 1995, Avidyne continues to be a strong supporter of the association, its programs, and its member dealers,” AEA noted.

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