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

A measure on the ballot that would have ceded control of Colorado’s Aspen/Pitkin County Airport to county voters instead of county officials was rejected by voters on November 5. The measure essentially removed from the county board of commissioners the ability to authorize and use state or federal grants to expand or relocate any runway at the airport beyond the dimensions existing as of Jan. 1, 2024, unless approved by Pitkin County voters.
In a letter sent on October 17, the FAA had warned the county board that the ballot measure, if approved, would be in violation of federal grant assurances.
“Pitkin County, the Sponsor of Aspen/Pitkin County Airport, is obligated to comply with FAA Grant Assurances, as recipients of over $119.6M in FAA grant funding since 1982. Specifically, Grant Assurance #5, Preserving Rights and Powers, states that Pitkin County ‘will not take or permit any action which would operate to deprive it of any of the rights and powers necessary to perform any of all of the terms, conditions, and assurances in the Grant Agreement without the written approval of the Secretary…'”
The AOPA supported local stakeholders in this effort and said the rejection of the ballot measure “was in the best interests of both the local community and aeronautical users.”
"As we continue to work with airport tenants, airport administration, and the community to resolve airport-related concerns, it will be important for all to understand the critical nature of working together and within the bounds of what we can control," said AOPA Northwest Mountain regional manager Brad Schuster.
"The FAA letter was particularly noteworthy in that it was issued&nbsp;prior to&nbsp;the ballot measures being voted on. Failure to get airport development plans in line with FAA standards would have jeopardized future FAA airport maintenance and development funding—and could have been a violation of federal law if local voters had chosen to support the ballot measures."

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

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In a letter sent on October 17, the FAA had warned the county board that the ballot measure, if approved, would be in violation of federal grant assurances. 

Aspen Residents Vote for County Control of Airport

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News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

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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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