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

On its way Geneva to take its place in this year’s static display at the EBACE show, Bombardier’s fleet of four demonstration aircraft (Global 6000, Challenger 650 and 350, and Learjet 75) stopped off in Amsterdam where they were refueled with AltAir biofuel at the KLM Jet Centre for the final lap to Switzerland. AEG Fuels completed its first biofuel delivery and acted as the project lead for the occasion, which also involved sustainable aviation fuel provider SkyNRG.


“These biofuel-powered flights further demonstrate Bombardier Business Aircraft’s commitment to sustainability as an integral part of how it conducts its business,” said Jean-Christophe Gallagher, the airframer’s vice president and general manager for customer experience. “Ensuring and demonstrating that our products are capable and ready to support industry objectives on emissions reductions is an important part of this commitment.”


AltAir Fuels is a refiner of "environmentally sustainable feedstocks" for the production of jet and diesel fuels. According to the Paramount, California-based company, its products meet the same industry certification as the petroleum-based products they replace while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 70 percent. AltAir claims that its California facility is the world’s first renewable fuels refinery with integrated jet fuel production capability.


Reseller Goes Online


Meanwhile also at Geneva this week is first-time exhibitor Valcora (Booth K57), a fuel reseller that is highlighting how the company "uses state-of-the-art technology to combine pricing transparency, tax expertise, a reliable fuel card and 24/7 service to simplify fuel purchasing for business aviation customers.


"We have a great system which we developed ourselves by using our knowledge of what the market needs in terms of fuel purchasing," said Daniel Coetzer, CEO and co-founder with general manager Valerie Bouthiaux. The company says it has created "an extensive network with multiple fuel suppliers at airports where the Valcora fuel card is accepted."


The company is headquartered in Geneva and also has an office in Dublin, Ireland. "We are pleased to say that several leading European fuel suppliers have signed agreements with us," concluded Coetzer.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

Birds of a Feather, Fly On Biofuel Together

Bombardier's EBACE demonstration fleet made its final lap to this year's EBACE powered by biofuel.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

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.

NBAA called a study suggesting business aviation emissions will need to be regulated 'misleading' 

NBAA Challenges Study Highlighting Bizav Emissions

NASA's Gulfstream G-III will use lidar technology to scan contrails of GE's Boeing 747

NASA and GE Plan Flight Tests To Study Contrails

Charles Alcock

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 developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

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.

Project also includes Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Honeywell Aerospace, and American Airlines, plus MIT and University of Michigan

NASA Contracts Electra for AACES Sustainable Airliner Program

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

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

4,000 solar panels have been fitted on buildings across the London-area facility

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Matt Thurber

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.

High-octane unleaded avgas is becoming more available in California

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

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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