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

Frasca International is growing its presence in China and now has more than two dozen simulators located in the country. While most of these are for smaller trainer-type piston-powered single-engine and twin-engine airplanes, about a year ago Frasca installed a Level D-qualified full-motion Cessna Citation CJ1+ flight simulator for Nanshan International Flight Academy. “It’s a pretty good market for us,” said company CEO John Frasca. Here at ABACE 2016, Frasca is exhibiting at Booth P822.
The popularity of Frasca simulators in China probably has to do with what most of the world is facing, a challenge keeping the pipeline flowing with new pilots for airlines, business aviation and other operators. “It’s the pilot shortage,” Frasca said. We’re seeing a lot of activity with ab initio schools.” Another growing flying segment in China is the helicopter industry. “There is a lot of talk about helicopters,” he said, “and it’s been a slow but accelerating segment. As the demand grows for helicopter missions, that will expand the need for pilots and push for more training.” 
In February, Frasca delivered a Robinson R44 Level 5 flight training device (FTD) to Sky Safari General Aviation in Shanghai. The R44 FTD accurately replicates the real Robinson helicopter’s cockpit and features Frasca’s TruVision visual system. A month earlier, Frasca delivered a Cessna 172R Level 5 FTD to flight training provider Sichuan Feiyun Chuangtian General Aviation. “What’s interesting in China,” Frasca said, “is that they tend to be going for Level 5 FTDs, which is quite a bit more complex than AATDs [advanced aviation training devices] that you see in the U.S. China’s taken the high road in terms of simulator requirements, which is quite a positive thing.”
Frasca International has been building flight simulators since 1958, and now its products are located in 70 countries. The company has built more than 1,600 simulators. “We’ve got some really good technology,” said Frasca, “and can build a really nice full-flight simulator. When we did the CitationJet for Nanshan International Flight Academy, it was Level D and approved by the Chinese authorities with only very minor discrepancies. We also do quite a few helicopter full-flight simulators such as the Sikorsky S-92 and S-76 and Airbus 225, and a lot of advanced FTDs. The highest FTD is a Level 7, and in almost all respects it’s equal to a full-flight simulator without motion.” 
For helicopter pilots, hovering is one of the most challenging aspects of training, and getting a simulator to accurately model hovering is extremely difficult. “The aerodynamics are so much more complicated,” he said. “You’re riding a bubble of air, and every movement of the cyclic is critical.” The problem is that FTDs lack motion cues, and pilots feel motion faster than they see visual evidence of movement on a simulator’s visual display. What Frasca International has done to solve this problem is develop a much more sophisticated motion base that reacts faster to flight control movements. Instead of the large 152-centimeter (60-inch) actuators found on a full-flight simulator, the new design features 15-cm (six-inch) actuators mounted to a cockpit cuing platform inside the simulator dome. This makes for a smaller payload to be moved by the smaller actuators, because only the cockpit has to be moved instead of the entire heavy dome. At the same time, Frasca designers added more content in visual scenes to give pilots the correct visual feedback. 
“There are a lot of really smart engineers who work here,” said Frasca. “That’s how we developed this. They realized the problem. Our little platform is substantially faster than a full-flight simulator. That’s the secret. Simulators are wonderful pieces of hardware,” he concluded, “but they have to be tied into the curriculum and used properly.”

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

Frasca Finds Growing Simulator Market in China

Frasca simulators span the range from light single-engine airplanes to helicopters and sophisticated business jets.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Chad Trautvetter

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.

CEO Marc Parent to retire from aviation and defense training provider in August 2025

With Retirement, CAE To Be Parent-less

Sheryl Barden

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.

Attracting and retaining technicians is a mix of pay and quality of life

AINsight: Future of Aviation’s Mx Workforce

Canadian company takes majority share of business aviation training provider

CAE Ups Ante in Simcom Training Joint Venture

Kerry Lynch

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Training program rolled out during PMOPA's annual convention

Piper M-Class Org Seeks To Elevate Training

AmyWilder

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

Exploring economic impact of private aviation in Africa

VistaJet Expands in Africa Amid 8% Growth Forecast

Sarah Rose

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

RFDS Queensland will use Bundaberg-based simulator for pilot training

TRU Simulation's King Air Sim Gets Australia Nod

Hanneke Weitering

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

Aircraft avionics and training systems are evolving with artificial intelligence

AI Elicits a New Generation of Avionics and Pilot Training Tools

Charles Alcock

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

ABACE 2016

More In Training and Workforce