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

Beechcraft King Air 300, 350, and 360 series

Beechcraft King Air 200, 250, and 260 Series

Matt Thurber

Wichita-based MRO provider Global Aviation Tech has received FAA supplemental type certificate (STC) approval to install Universal Avionics ClearVision enhanced flight vision system (EFVS) in Beechcraft King Air 200 and 300 twin turboprops. Developed in partnership with Universal Avionics, the ClearVision STC includes mounting Universal’s EVS-4000 multispectral camera on the King Air’s nose and the pilot wearing the SkyLens head-wearable display (HWD).
ClearVision and SkyLens bring HUD capability into smaller aircraft at a cost much lower than a traditional HUD, which has a projector mounted on the cockpit ceiling and a fixed combiner glass through which the pilot views HUD imagery. Wearing the SkyLens HWD, the pilot can view HUD imagery in any direction, essentially providing a nearly unlimited field of view, while traditional HUDs are limited to the field of view available through the combiner, usually around 40 degrees.
<figure role="group" class="caption caption-img">
<img alt="ClearVision" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bfa1f852-0af0-436e-a68c-237fb3d83fed" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Camera-View_test.jpg" width="1170" height="822" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>The view through the SkyLens head-wearable display</figcaption>
</figure>

ClearVision EFVS also combines enhanced vision (infrared) and synthetic vision system imagery “to display real-time environmental data onto the pilot’s natural vision, even in low-visibility conditions such as haze, smoke, and darkness,” according to Universal Avionics.
<figure role="group" class="caption caption-img">
<img alt="SkyLens head-wearable HUD" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9d8fe403-0c2c-4417-8c3e-f39f7228b107" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Skylens-white-background.jpg" width="958" height="875" loading="lazy">
<figcaption>The Universal Avionics ClearVision head-wearable head-up display</figcaption>
</figure>

“This first-to-market technology supports aerial firefighting, emergency medical services, special operations, and VIP flights, allowing them to improve mission effectiveness and perform vital tasks with greater precision and safety,” said Universal Avionics CEO Dror Yahav.

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Global Aviation Receives FAA Approval for ClearVision EFVS in King Airs

Approval enables operators to add head-up display to King Air turboprops

The ClearVision STC includes mounting Universal’s EVS-4000 multispectral camera on the King Air’s nose & pilot wearing the SkyLens head-wearable display (HWD).

Global Aviation STCs ClearVision EFVS in King Airs

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In this article

King Air 300 Series

King Air 200 Series

Universal Avionics

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