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

True Blue Power flew its SIAI-Marchetti S.211 military trainer/light-attack aircraft to EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2026, following installation and performance validation of the TB50 True Blue lithium-ion main-ship battery.
Piloted by Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics and True Blue Power president and chief test pilot Matthew Harrah, the S.211’s Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada JT15D engine is exhibiting faster and cooler starts thanks to the battery. The S.211 is used for testing Mid-Continent and True Blue products.
The 50-amp-hour TB50 weighs 45 pounds less than comparable conventional 44-amp-hour lead-acid batteries and installs without modification. During engine start of the JT15D, fuel introduction happens in four seconds, compared to 12 with the lead-acid battery. The start cycle takes 24 seconds versus 39, and peak starting temperature is 342 degrees C, 90 degrees less than the lead-acid start. “It’s great for starting,” Harrah said, “whether it’s a round radial engine or a jet. A jet engine in particular, the speeds at which you can get it to start are critical to the health of the engine.”
The cooler starting temperature, he added, “helps protect the hot section, and it’s a lot easier on the starter-generator. It’s a lithium-iron-phosphate battery. There’s a lot of different chemistries, but lithium-iron-phosphate is one of the safest chemistries you can get. We put out a lot of power quickly and recharge quickly.”
There is “a very narrow CG on most of these old warbirds,” Harrah said, “so we were right up in the back end of the weight and balance envelope, and it moved it right into the middle. From a maneuvering standpoint, being in the center of the envelope is a huge advantage for us. We’re bringing a little extra margin of safety into our operation.”

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.

True Blue Power TB50 Lithium-ion Battery Energizes SIAI-Marchetti S.211

Weighs 45 pounds less than lead-acid battery and provides faster and cooler engine start

The 50-amp-hour TB50 lithium-ion battery weighs 45 pounds less than comparable conventional 44-amp-hour lead-acid batteries and installs without modification. 

True Blue Power Energizes SIAI-Marchetti S.211

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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.

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EAA AirVenture 2026

In this article

True Blue Power

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