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

SmartSky Networks next-generation air-to-ground (ATG) network provides an unmatched connected experience inflight for both cabin and crew.

SmartSky’s predictive weather data suite is adding weather information from Meandair, which will allow dispatchers, FBOs, airports, and ground operations to access rapidly updated forecast information worldwide via SmartSky’s Skytelligence data exchange. Meandair’s weather products will receive near-real-time data from flying aircraft, which includes aircraft equipped with SmartSky’s air-to-ground connectivity system.
The Meandair Nowcasting Weather Engine combines information from flying aircraft, satellites, ground stations, and radar to develop “a comprehensive snapshot of the atmospheric column.” Using its meteorology expertise, artificial intelligence, and algorithms, Meandair creates 4D datasets, spot forecasts, and graphical weather information every 15 minutes. The resulting weather information includes cloud structure at altitudes, synthetic precipitation radar, active thunderstorm detection, turbulence predictions, and aviation METAR and TAF reports.&nbsp;
“Meandair provides invaluable flight condition awareness for aviation," said Sean Reilly, SmartSky v-p of digital solutions and air transport. "SmartSky’s next-generation network enables [flight crew] to have real-time access to predictive weather and adjust their flight path, potentially avoiding turbulence and the required AOG time following a turbulence event. Adding Meandair’s global capabilities also allows us to provide extended predictive services to our predictive weather customers as they prepare to leave [the continental U.S.] and cross into international destinations. This can mean increased safety and sustainability with reduced costs.”

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Meandair and SmartSky Partner on Weather Information Delivery

Partnership will deliver faster weather forecasting information

Meandair’s weather products will receive near real-time data from flying aircraft, which includes aircraft equipped with SmartSky’s air-to-ground connectivity system.

Meandair, SmartSky Partner on Weather Info Delivery

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.

In this article

SmartSky Networks

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Li-ion Thermal Runaways on the Rise in Aircraft Cabins

Numbers are rising and the risk of a serious incident is increasing

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