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

The FAA has approved Garmin’s new GTN 650Xi and GTN 750Xi GPS navcoms for installation in the Airbus AS350B2/B3, EC120B, and EC130B3/T2; Bell 206B through 206L-4 and 407; Enstrom F-28F, 280FX, and 480B; and MD Helicopters 369E/F/FF. For existing GTN installations, the touchscreen GTN 650Xi and GTN 750Xi are slide-in replacements, and prices are $13,505 and $19,005, respectively.

 


According to Garmin, the most significant change to the GTN Xi is&nbsp;faster dual-core processors, which allow for quicker startup, faster map rendering, a wider viewing angle for the high-resolution display, and smoother touchscreen map panning. Pilots can overlay geo-referenced approach procedures on the map page. Helicopter terrain awareness and warning system&nbsp;is optional, while the units come standard with terrain alerting with audible and visual terrain-proximity alerts such as “terrain ahead, pull up” and “obstacle ahead, pull up.”

 


The new GTNs can also be wirelessly connected to mobile devices running Garmin Pilot and FltPlan Go apps when the optional Flight Stream 510 is installed. This allows updating of aviation databases and flight plan transfer from the mobile device to the GTN, as well as sharing ADS-B In traffic and weather and GPS position information.

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

GTN 650/750Xi Certified for Variety of Helicopters

Slide-in replacement with Garmin's new GTN 650Xi/750Xi units is now available for select helicopter models. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

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.

The autopilot is based on Thales' Compact Autopilot System for the Airbus H125

StandardAero To Begin StableLight Autopilot Installs

Product is a replacement for unreliable Eclipse 500 air data computers

Avilution’s XFS Software Achieves First FAA Approval

Charles Alcock

News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

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

SkyOS technology could be used for Black Hawks and other military rotorcraft

U.S. Army Evaluates Optionally Piloted Flight Deck for Helicopters

Hanneke Weitering

Dutch chipmaker joins Honeywell on the path to autonomy

Honeywell Taps NXP Semiconductors for Anthem Avionics

New features add MultiScan radar and next-gen capabilities

Collins Announces Upgrades to King Air, Hawker Avionics

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Main security threat areas include Middle East conflict zones

GPS Spoofing Still a Problem for Aircraft Operators

Recent developments presage some compelling new products

Avionics Advancing Slowly but Surely into the Future

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

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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