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

Fifty years ago, on Aug. 28, 1975, Frank Robinson pulled collective and lifted off in his R22 helicopter for the first time, from a ramp at Zamperini Field in Torrance, California.
The R22 was the culmination of Robinson’s dream of designing and building his own helicopter, after having worked as an engineer at Cessna Aircraft (on its Skyhook helicopter), Umbaugh, McCulloch Aircraft, Kaman Aircraft, Bell Helicopter, and Hughes Helicopters. In 1973, Robinson resigned from Hughes, mortgaged his house to raise money, and founded Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC) to bring a “safe, reliable, affordable” new helicopter to market.
“I started working on it before I graduated from college, and kept at it while I worked for other companies,” Robinson said in a 2007 interview. “I bought machine tools and riveting equipment and set it up in my basement or garage, where I did a lot of experimenting. I was married at the time, and it always created a bit of a conflict—whether to spend money on an engine lathe or new drapes for the house. I continued to pitch the idea of a small, two-seat personal helicopter at just about every company I worked for, but could never convince them. They were making a lot of money building large, expensive, and overpriced helicopters for the military.”&nbsp;
“He completely changed the world of helicopters,” said the late former RHC chief instructor Tim Tucker. When the R22 debuted, typical helicopter instruction in a Bell 47 cost about $150 an hour. The R22 cost much less to operate and, Tucker said, “It cut the cost of helicopter training by 60%.”
Frank Robinson retired in 2010, at age 80, having seen the R66 through to certification. Since certification of the R22 in 1979, RHC has delivered nearly 5,000 R22s, and it spawned a series that includes the piston-powered R44, turbine R66, and the company’s newest design, the in-development R88.
“The R22 was Frank Robinson’s dream to make rotary-wing flight accessible for the average person,” said David Smith, president and CEO of RHC. “Fifty years ago, the R22 didn’t just take its first flight; it created a legacy that has empowered generations of pilots and operators around the world, and we continue to honor its lasting impact and the role it plays in the global helicopter community.”

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In this article

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