A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;in 2007, Curt came to&nbsp;the publication&nbsp;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&nbsp;AIN&nbsp;sister publication&nbsp;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&nbsp; Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.
Before joining AIN, Curt worked with&nbsp;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.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

Officials in Colorado took a major step toward determining the future of Aspen-Pitkin County Airport (ASE) at a recent county board of commissioners meeting when they voted to approve one of 18 airport layout plans (ALP) for the development of the airport. Group III airport design requires at least 400-foot separation between the runway centerline and the taxiway centerline. With only 320 feet of separation, the airport has been operating for the past decade under an FAA-granted modification to standard. As a result, the maximum wingspan allowed there was 95 feet, not the 118 feet permitted by the Group III standard. While that limit allows operations by the Global 5000 and 6000 and G550, which span 94 feet, it excludes the G650, which exceeds the modified standard by nearly three feet, and the future Global 7000 and 8000, which will span 104 feet.

 


<h2>An Eye to the Future</h2>

 


While that exclusion concerns the area’s well heeled residents and visitors, the plan the County has set in motion is concerned mainly with ASE’s future viability, as it seeks to avoid any disruption to scheduled commercial service, according to airport director John Kinney. “The workhorse aircraft here, the Q400 and the CRJ700, are going to be retiring, mostly by 2025,” he told AIN. “The majority of regional jets coming on board have a wingspan greater than 95 feet.” According to Kinney, the FAA has emphasized it prefers that any AIP grant-assisted development plans at the airport be aimed at achieving full Class III status, to allow these new aircraft to operate safely there.

 


The final proposal, 8A, as approved by the Pitkin County Board of Commissioners, includes relocating the airport’s 8,000-foot single runway 80 feet to the west, widening it to 150 feet from 100 feet, and raising its weight-bearing capacity to 150,000 pounds from 100,000 pounds. The $90 million project includes construction of an 80,000-sq-ft commercial terminal to replace the existing 40-year-old 17,500-sq-ft structure.

 


The plan approval now triggers an 18- to 20-month environmental assessment (EA) that airport officials hope will find no significant impact. A large part of the EA will involve feedback from the local community, among them business jet owners and operators. “We’re talking with people who have primary or secondary residences in this community and can’t bring the jet into their backyard,” Kinney said. Among the issues the EA will address will be the suitability of larger aircraft such as the Boeing 737 (which spans 117 feet, five inches with winglets) and the similarly sized Airbus A320 operating at ASE after the runway improvement. “Can it physically fit in the box? Yes, but can it operate at these altitudes?” questioned Kinney, referring to the airport’s challenging terrain and the performance requirements for a single-engine missed approach.

 


Kinney is confident that funding for the project will be available as the successful conclusion of the EA process. “I’ve never seen the FAA leave an airport standing at the altar when it comes to the character of the airport being changed or scheduled service being interrupted because grant funds were not delivered in a timely way,” he said. “Even if we decided to push the button today, and say we are going to develop and modernize the runway and the FAA pushed a bucket of money right toward us, what we are doing today [launching the EA phase of the project] is exactly what we would be doing if they presented the money to us tomorrow.” If all goes according to plan, the project is slated to break ground in 2018, for completion around 2025.

 


The selection of Plan 8A, and its stated priorities of runway improvement and the construction of a new terminal, also puts a hold of at least 10 years on proposed development of the west side of the airport, including the establishment of a second FBO, a discussion that has churned for the past several years, as it would involve the rerouting of a local road.

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

Aspen Airport Looks to the Future

Officials have decided to bring the tony community gateway to full Group III Airport status by moving its 8,000 foot runway.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

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.

Helsinki city officials want to build housing on the historic site and nature reserve

Campaigners Push to Reopen Helsinki's Malmi Airport

Hanneke Weitering

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

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

Electric aircraft and ground vehicles can now charge at KBAF in western Massachusetts

Atlantic and Beta Add Aircraft Chargers in Massachusetts

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.

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.

Airport ground vehicles create a memorable holiday light display

Czech Airport Lights Up with Holiday Spirit

Matt Thurber

ADS-B and computer vision enables system to detect landing and on-runway traffic

Purdue Polytechnic Patenting Runway Status Lights 

Galesburg Regional Airport will be renamed for a hometown aviation legend

Illinois Airport To Honor Local Aviator, FBO Operator

AmyWilder

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

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.

New operator plans upgrades and eVTOL integration

New Operator, Upgrade for Downtown Manhattan Heliport

KTPF accepts night flights for the first time since September

Tampa GA Airport Now Fully Operational after Storms

Peter Shaw-Smith

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.

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

More In Airports