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

Oregon-based Leading Edge Aviation has acquired the assets of Professional Air, its competitor at Bend Municipal Airport, making it the sole fuel and service provider there. The purchase included the Professional Air FBO, as well as the company’s maintenance, avionics, and flight school divisions.

 


“We are thrilled to announce this acquisition, which will continue to drive growth in Central Oregon’s aviation industry,” said company president Brad Fraley. “First and foremost, we have a tremendous opportunity to continue to serve our customers well with our expanded facilities and our growing team. This has always been our primary concern and we are excited to place the bar even higher.”

 


The former Professional Air property consists of a 3,000-sq-ft terminal and 15,000 sq ft of storage and maintenance hangars, bringing the location to more than 33,000 sq ft of aircraft storage space. The facility can hangar small jets and turboprop twins, and will now be known as Leading Edge Jet Center Bend.

 


The move follows a similar deal by the company made last September, when it consolidated at Roberts Field Airport in Redmond, Oregon, by acquiring rival Butler Aircraft Services. The deal made it the lone aviation services provider on the field.

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

Leading Edge Aviation Consolidates Again In Oregon

The company's acquistion of rival Professional Air, makes it the lone provider at Bend Municipal Airport

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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 complex is viewed as the cornerstone of an aviation conglomerate

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