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

FlightSafety International has added a new Embraer Praetor 500/600 full-flight simulator at its Orlando, Florida learning center.&nbsp;The Praetor simulator is already FAA level-D-qualified and available for training this month, with recurrent training slots available in October.
Another Praetor simulator will be placed at a FlightSafety facility in Europe, although the companies haven’t identified the location but said training there will begin by year-end 2024.
FlightSafety offers Praetor and Legacy 450/500 pilot training in Dallas and St. Louis, as well as Orlando. Maintenance training for the midsize jets is available at the company's Paris Le Bourget and St. Louis learning centers. Online ground school for certain pilot and maintenance courses is also available through FlightSafety's LiveLearning portal.
“Offering additional training capacity is important for supporting our customers,” said Carlos Naufel, president and CEO of Embraer Services and Support. “These two new full-flight simulators bring us even closer to Praetor family pilots and operators in the U.S. and Europe and will provide us with the opportunity to share our latest technological updates and best-in-class support.”
“FlightSafety is committed to addressing the increasing demand for Embraer Praetor training,” said Nate Speiser, executive v-p of FlightSafety sales and marketing.&nbsp;“As Embraer’s training partner, we are proud to announce consecutive simulator deployments in two regions to support the worldwide training demand for this quickly growing fleet.”

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

Praetor 500/600 Pilots To Train in New FlightSafety Orlando Simulator

The new simulator adds more Praetor training capacity

The new Orlando Praetor simulator is FAA-qualified and is available for training at FlightSafety's facility in September. 

Praetor Pilots To Train in New FlightSafety Orlando Sim

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

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.

Most major manufacturers will be at static this year

NBAA-BACE Taking Shape with Expanded Program, Most OEMs

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.

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.

First step toward licensing could encourage youth to seek aviation careers

GAO Wants High Schoolers To Take Mechanic General Test

Charlotte Bailey

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.

Evolving AI-augmented simulator-based approach to ‘gamify’ learning 

Saab Shaking Up Gripen Training with Project Skynapse 

Howard Hardee

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.

Spirit AeroSystems workers give Leeham News and Analysis the inside track 

Cutting 'Traveled Work' Delays At Spirit Critical To 737 Output

Jessica Reed

Michel Denis was named CEO of Daher,  Steve Varsano president of Flexjet, and Robert Sumwalt was the next Wright Trophy recipient

People in Aviation —September 2026

Charles Alcock

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Austrian manufacturer has yet to say which rotorcraft types it will support 

Axis Announces Plans for Helicopter Training Systems

AIN Staff

In a Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit (CALS) roundtable on retention, an aviation staffing expert and flight department leaders traded hard-won lessons on money, culture, and knowing who you’re really competing with.

The Retention Stool Has Four Legs: What Flight Departments Get Wrong about Keeping Talent

Across three separate CALS sessions, flight department leaders worked through the same hard questions about earning trust, leading individuals, and holding the line.

In this article

Legacy 450/500 and Praetor 500/600

Embraer Executive Aircraft

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