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

Underscoring the importance of teaching pilots how to improve decision-making in challenging conditions, Ryan Aerospace and Precision Flight Controls are demonstrating Ryan’s Helimod Mark III and III+ virtual reality simulators at the VAI Rotor Safety Zone this week at Heli-Expo 2024.
The U.S. Helicopter Safety Team (USHST) has created detailed scenarios as part of its "Recommended Practice—Simulation Training for Aviation Decision Making" efforts. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Fort Worth, Texas-based Helicopter Institute are adapting these scenarios to the Helimod VR simulators so pilots can practice scenarios this summer involving aeronautical decision-making related to loss of control-inflight, unintended flight in instrument meteorological conditions, and low-altitude operations.
A key element of the training is informed by the USHST’s award-winning "56 Seconds To Live" video. “The USHST is placing a strong emphasis on the fatal topic of unintentional instrument meteorological conditions involving helicopter operations,” according to Ryan Aerospace.
The Helimod devices are used by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as many helicopter operators and training providers. The VR capability includes the ability to “see” sling loads for sling training, and the Helimod Mark III+ adds full electronic control load for cyclic, collective, and anti-torque pedals.

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

Ryan and Precision Flight Controls Demo VR Helimod Flight Simulator

Available training scenarios will help helicopter pilots survive challenging situations

The Helimod devices are used by the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force as well as many helicopter operators and training providers.

Ryan and Precision Demo VR Helimod Simulator

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Jessica Reed

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.

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.

Leadership from the Cockpit to the Department: What Three Days of Roundtables Revealed

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 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 lack of 3D data is holding back some aspects of manufacturing 

Tapping Data to Safely Drive Up Aerospace Productivity

Draper to stay until the end of the year to smooth the transition

Rohloff New Textron Aviation CEO as Ron Draper Retires

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

Heli-Expo 2024

In this article

Ryan Aerospace

Precision Flight Controls

More In Training and Workforce

People in Aviation —September 2026

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

Axis Announces Plans for Helicopter Training Systems

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

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

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.

Leadership from the Cockpit to the Department: What Three Days of Roundtables Revealed

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

Tapping Data to Safely Drive Up Aerospace Productivity

The lack of 3D data is holding back some aspects of manufacturing

Rohloff New Textron Aviation CEO as Ron Draper Retires

Draper to stay until the end of the year to smooth the transition

Air Charter Association Expands NextGen Group

Saxon Air executive Rachel Harvey chairs the group for young charter professionals

AINsight: Your Team Is Always Recruiting

Building recruiting reputations for your company long before a job is posted

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