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

Compared to fiscal year 2023, aeromedical operator LifeFlight’s helicopter flying hours climbed 25% to 5,159 hours, boosting the number of people aided by its rotary-wing operation to 5,313, up 131%. The Queensland-based not-for-profit company’s total number of people helped reached 8,177 in fiscal year 2024, up 11%.
LifeFlight operates a fleet of 11 helicopters, and their crews flew 3,378 missions in the past fiscal year. Missions in the Asia-Pacific region are done with a fleet of four Bombardier Challenger 604s. The helicopters include seven Leonardo AW139s, three Bell 412s, and one Airbus/Kawasaki BK117. The fleet operates from eight bases in Queensland and Singapore.
According to LifeFlight COO Lee Schofield, each week LifeFlight helped an average of 157 patients, or one every 64 minutes. Animal-related injury flights accounted for 158 missions, search-and-rescue 59, and motor vehicle accidents 710 (up 156%). “The numbers keep rising each year,” he said, “which shows how crucial LifeFlight’s aeromedical service is, reaching far and wide across our state, and helping thousands of people.”

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

LifeFlight Australia Missions See Patients Helped Climb by 11.2%

The not-for-profit company operates 11 helicopters and four jets

According to LifeFlight COO Lee Schofield, each week LifeFlight helped an average of 157 patients, or one every 64 minutes.

LifeFlight Australia Patients Helped Climbs 11.2%

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.

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