Curt Epstein
Senior Editor

A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined AIN in 2007, Curt came to the publication from the broadcast industry where he was a national science and technology television reporter and producer. He writes on the FBO field, aviation finance, and sustainable aviation and occasionally contributes to AIN sister publication Business Jet Traveler. Curt was a member of the AINtv reporting staff that won the 2008 Aerospace Journalist of the Year award for Best Airshow Daily. That same year, he was a finalist for another AJOYA award. He earned an AJOYA for Best Business Aviation Submission in 2018 and was a finalist in that category in 2021. He received the National Air Transportation Association’s  Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.

Before joining AIN, Curt worked with Consumer Reports’ television division, CRTV, and for several local television news staffs. An honors graduate of the State University of New York at Stony Brook, he earned a master’s degree in broadcast journalism from Boston University in 1995. Curt lives in New York State with his wife and two young sons.

Latest from Curt Epstein

People in Aviation: October 2010

Stéphane Mayer, most recently chairman and CEO of ATR, has joined French airframer Daher-Socata as its CEO.
Safety

FAA, NTSB Investigating Third Phenom 100 Brake Failure

For the third time in the past six months, an Embraer Phenom 100 has suffered a dual tire blowout upon landing after a reported failure in the brake-by-wir
Safety

Experts: planning is key to emergency response

The June morning was already hot at Addison Airport, Texas, when the wail of emergency sirens pierced the air.
Charter & Fractional

XOJet expands charter ops as market slowly rebounds

Riding the wave of recent increased charter activity, private jet operator XOJet is continuing its expansion plans following the two strongest quarters in

Senator calls for inquiry into Embraer subsidies

With analysts predicting that Embraer could equal or even surpass Cessna as the world’s largest business jet maker by volume in the next few years, some ar
FBOs

FBO cuts ribbon at Westhampton Beach, N.Y.

After years of wrangling, SheltAir Aviation Services has opened its new FBO at Francis S.
Aircraft

NTSB Investigating Phenom 100 ‘Zero’ Brake Incident

The NTSB is investigating a September 10 incident in which an Embraer Phenom 100 suffered minor damage upon landing in Brenham, Texas.
ATC

TEB Dalton 19 Departure Now by Pilot Request Only

At last week’s meeting of the Teterboro Users Group, violations of the Dalton Runway 19 departure at Teterboro (N.J.) Airport were a concern.
Accidents

Final Report: LAX preflight inspection caused tire blowout

Dassault Falcon 20C, Eagle, Colo., Jan.
Accidents

Factual Report: Learjet 35 crashes in forest

Bombardier Learjet 35A, Prospect Heights, Ill., Jan.
Accidents

Factual Report: Pilot loses runway in low-visibility landing

Hawker Beechcraft King Air B200, Sioux City, Iowa, Jan.
Accidents

Factual Report: MU-2 suffers power loss and hard landing

Mitsubishi MU-2B-60, Millington, Tenn., Dec.
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Helicopter makes water landing

Bell 206L3, Gulf of Mexico, June 10, 2010–The Petroleum Helicopters LongRanger suffered a tail-rotor failure during a Part 135 flight from its base
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Citation departs runway after wet landing

Cessna Citation 525A, Storm Lake, Iowa, June 21, 2010–The Citation CJ2 was landing at Storm Lake Municipal Airport at the conclusion of a Part 91 fl
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Cheyenne crashes on survey flight

Piper PA-31T, Coahuila, Mexico, July 7, 2010–While carrying several government officials on a flight to survey flooding from a recent hurricane, the
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Gear failure damages turboprop twin

Hawker Beechcraft 1900D, Denver, Colo., June 12, 2010–After landing at Denver International Airport, the turboprop twin was substantially damaged wh
Accidents

Preliminary Report: South African police helo crashes short of runway

MBB/Kawasaki BK117B-1, Witibank, South Africa, July 23, 2010–The twin-turbine helicopter, operated by the South African Police Service, was respondi
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Medevac helicopter suffers power loss

Eurocopter AS350, Tucson, Ariz., July 28, 2010–The NTSB is investigating what caused the Air Methods medevac helicopter to crash on a residential st
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Runway excursion damages Citation

Cessna Citation 550, Brac, Croatia, July 15, 2010–The Serbian-registered Citation Bravo, operated by Prince Aviation, was substantially damaged when
Accidents

Preliminary Report: PC-12 makes dead-stick landing

Pilatus PC-12, Colonie, N.Y., July 16, 2010–The turboprop single, operated by Alpha Flying PlaneSense on a flight from Chicago Executive Airport to

People in Aviation: September 2010

Hawker Beechcraft has made changes to its executive staff.

Deliveries decline in 2Q, but billings increase again

For the seventh straight quarter, total deliveries of business jets and turboprops declined year-to-year, according to the second-quarter statistics releas
Accidents

Stevens crash investigation under way

The investigation continues into the cause of last month’s crash of a de Havilland Canada DHC-3T Otter turboprop-conversion floatplane in Alaska that kille
Environment

EPA begins ruling process to phase out leaded avgas

With the deadline for the comment period on the Environmental Protection Agency’s advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) to phase out leaded avgas
Environment

Alternative fuels still face hurdles

The alternative aviation fuel industry continues to conduct flight tests to validate the use of new jet-fuel blends.
Regulations and Government

FAA bill could end Stage II operations

If the FAA reauthorization bill currently under debate in Congress is finally passed in its present form, one provision that it contains could seal the fat

Former Jet Aviation scion dies

Carl Hirschmann, Jet Aviation’s former CEO and the eldest son of company founder Carl W.
Accidents

NTSB Examines Alaska Crash Site

NTSB investigators are at the site of Monday’s Alaska crash of a de Havilland Canada DHC-3T turboprop-conversion floatplane that killed five, including for
Accidents

Former Senator, EADS boss in Alaska Floatplane Crash

The NTSB this morning dispatched a go team that includes chairman Deborah Hersman to Alaska to investigate last night's crash of a de Havilland Canada DHC-