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.

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Skyryse, which is developing simplified flight controls for helicopters and airplanes, has launched an AI assistant that will help pilots flying aircraft equipped with its system manage communications, navigation, and operations more efficiently. Skyryse projects that are being equipped with the SkyOS operating system and fly-by-wire controls include the Robinson R66, Sikorsky Black Hawk, and Airbus H130 helicopters, in addition to the Cirrus SR22 piston airplane.
Skylar is integrated with SkyOS and will not be available in non-Skyryse-equipped aircraft. “SkyOS is the foundational system for Skylar,” according to Skyryse founder and CEO Mark Groden, “because Skylar is accessing data from SkyOS systems, which includes a complete sensor suite, triply redundant flight control computers, and actuators; it would be impossible to deliver this functionality without the SkyOS backbone. It’s the same way you need an iPhone to access your apps.”
As an “always-on flight assistant,” Skylar supports preflight planning, startup, in-flight operations, and shutdown.
Flight planning with Skylar is more dynamic than traditional products, according to Skyryse, incorporating real-time weather, aircraft performance, weight and balance, fuel load, flight path, terrain, and destination data “to provide pilots with optimized flight plans.” It can take into account all these variables and determine the best route for speed, fuel efficiency, or smoothest ride. Skylar will advise if the route is safe and suggest alternate airports when needed.
By monitoring weather conditions such as TAFs and Metars automatically, Skylar can warn pilots of inclement weather—for example, a newly issued Sigmet for severe weather or a change that means the aircraft will encounter instrument meteorological conditions or icing. This information can also populate suggestions for pilot report submissions, making this process easier and generating useful information for other pilots.
For communications, Skylar transcribes and interprets automatic terminal information system reports, notams, and air traffic control (ATC) calls. As it logs ATC calls, Skylar will suggest a readback response for the pilot, and then the pilot can command the aircraft to comply with the instructions with a touchscreen swipe.
Skylar monitors traffic identified via ADS-B Out and In. Before and after flying, Skylar will alert pilots to system failures, thanks to its connection to the aircraft’s systems through SkyOS. “This connection provides pilots with critical information to ensure their aircraft is always prepared for their next flight,” according to Skyryse. “Skylar adds a large language model to SkyOS, enabling the pilot to access data that can be leveraged to enhance safety and operations in flight. By leveraging AI as an orchestrator of trusted data and systems, Skylar is designed to improve reliability and safety.”
“We’re bringing aviation into the 21st century,” said Groden. “For years, we’ve used AI to talk to our houses, to our cars, and now, we’ll use it to talk to our aircraft. SkyOS is an intelligent, integrated system that allows us to offer enhancements like Skylar, supporting safe operations in all situations. Our core premise is that you don’t have to build or buy a new aircraft to make aviation safe, and once you understand how complex aviation communication is, you see such a clear technology gap.
“The right solution for making aviation safer isn’t trying to replace pilots,” he said; “it’s to place them more firmly in control, leveraging the best technology and automation has to offer.”

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