Matt Thurber
Editor-in-Chief

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&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.

Latest from Matt Thurber

Rotorcraft

Explosive Helicopter Stunt Leads To YouTuber’s Arrest

Pilot who flew the helicopter for the filming had his license revoked by the FAA
Helicopter shooting fireworks at car
Accidents

Aspen Takeoff Overrun Followed Instantaneous Wind Call 

The NTSB final report was inconclusive about why the jet was unable to rotate
Aspen Hawker takeoff runway overrun accident
Rotorcraft

Airbus Delivers 1st ACH160 Helicopter in North America

Chartright Air Group will start flying charters in the ACH160 in the third quarter
Airbus ACH160 for Chartright Air Group
Rotorcraft

Hoper Launches Aegean Islands Helicopter Service

The move signals that there is a market for regional mobility that helicopters can serve
Hoper helicopter flights in Greece
Avionics

Garmin GI 275 Approved for MD Helicopters MD500/530

The approval expands installation options for Garmin's electronic flight instrument
Garmin GI 275 electronic flight instrument
Rotorcraft

Omni Helicopters Picks Two for Ab Initio Helo Training

The rigorous selection process involved nearly 20 candidates
Somant Heeralal and Yadram Ramcharran, Omni Helicopters
Rotorcraft

Loft VR Helo Simulator Approved for Sling Load Training

Pilots were able to safety handle real sling loads after the VR training
Loft Dynamics virtual reality helicopter sling load training
Maintenance and Modifications

MD Helicopters Adds Texas Authorized Service Center

MD is further expanding its service center network
Thoroughbred Aviation's Georgetown, Texas maintenance facility
Rotorcraft

Metro Delivers AStar Helo to Texas Game Wardens

Helicopter will fly law enforcement, search-and-rescue, and aerial firefighting missions
Texas Game Wardens Airbus Helicopters H125
Charter & Fractional

Corporate Eagle Now 100% Employee-owned

Transition to employee ownership took three years
Corporate Eagle
Environment

Bio-fiber Could Reduce CO2 in Composites Production

Feedstocks could include wood, food, or plant waste or atmospheric carbon dioxide
Airbus bio-fiber panel
Aircraft

Second Citation Ascend Test Article Takes Flight

The program is on track for entry into service in early 2025
Cessna Citation Ascend P1 business jet first flight
Accidents

Missing Bizjet Wreckage Found in Lake Champlain

Jet's location has been a mystery since it crashed in 1971
N400CP missing jet crashed in Lake Champlain
Rotorcraft

VAI Lauds End of West 30th St Heliport Closure Effort

The New York State bill would have closed a critical facility
West 30th Street heliport, NYC
Rotorcraft

German Federal Police Order 44 Airbus H225s

The helicopters will be flown in disaster-relief and firefighting missions
Airbus H225 for German federal police order
Charter & Fractional

NetJets Lawsuit Accuses Pilots' Union of Defamation

An ongoing dispute shows no signs of abating
Avionics

Honeywell Preparing FMS-guided Visual Approach for KHPN

The new approaches give pilots visual guidance at challenging airports
Sound visual approach Runway 34 at Westchester Country Airport
Maintenance and Modifications

MD Helicopters Signs First UK Service Center

Skytech Helicopters has been maintaining MD rotorcraft for more than 20 years
Skytech Helicopters maintenance hangar
Rotorcraft

VAI Opens Nominations for Salute to Excellence Awards

The awards recognize outstanding contributions by industry participants
Harold Summers the late VAI director of maintenance
Charter & Fractional

Air Charter Association Moves Broker Training Online

Online training will make broker qualification more accessible
Glenn Hogben, CEO of the Air Charter Association
Rotorcraft

FAA, National Park Service Impose Cuts on Air Tour Business

Operators believe the air tour management plan process isn't being fairly applied
 Rushmore Helicopters and Black Hills Aerial Adventures
Safety

TrustFlight Releases Centrik 5 SMS Upgrade

The new release is the largest since the platform was introduced in 2012
TrustFlight's Centrik 5 safety management system platform
Avionics

Garmin STCs Cockpit Upgrade for Citation CJ2

Dealers can now install a new Garmin avionics system in the CJ2
Garmin avionics for Citation CJ2 business jet
Training and Workforce

Survey Highlights Benefits of Home Flight Simulation

Low-cost flight simulators can help improve training outcomes
Home flight simulation benefits
Maintenance and Modifications

Wingform and MRO Insider Partner on Pre-buy Inspections

The collaboration aims to help brokers improve efficiency and lower costs
Aircraft

Flying Piper’s Turboprop-single M700 Fury

More power gives pilots a big boost in performance
Piper M700 Fury
Avionics

Pilots Can View Wake Turbulence Alerts on ForeFlight App

The alerts graphically display potential areas of dangerous wakes
ForeFlight wake turbulence alerts
Aircraft

Donald Trump Sells Citation X to MM Fleet Holdings

The sale of the jet raised a reported $2.5 million
Citation X previously owned by former President Donald Trump
Avionics

ForeFlight Adds Tracking and Trip Support Services

New features expand the services available to aircraft operators
ForeFlight Dispatch tracking
Cabin Interior and Electronics

Satcom Direct Is Expanding Connectivity Options

Always-on and redundant satellite service will soon be available
Satcom Direct electronically steered antenna installation