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

Stuart, Florida-based air charter provider Premier Private Jets has entered the FBO arena with its purchase of Oakland Air, one of six FBOs at Detroit-area general aviation hub Oakland County International Airport (KPTK). The full-service facility will be rebranded as Premier Jet Services.

 


Its nearly six-acre leasehold includes a 10,000-sq-ft terminal built in 1997 and subsequently enlarged in 2006. According to Premier CEO Josh Birmingham, a $500,000-plus terminal renovation project will begin “immediately,” modernizing and opening up the lobby, installing a new air filtration system, and adding a snooze room in the pilot lounge. Taking a page from on-field rival Pentastar Aviation, the upgrade, which is expected to be completed by the third quarter, will also include the addition of a full commercial catering kitchen and café.

 


The FBO also includes 61,000 sq ft of heated hangar space that can accommodate ultra-long-range business jets, as well as the company’s Part 145 repair station. It will become part of Premier’s business, complementing its maintenance operation at its Stuart headquarters. The fuel farm at the KPTK location holds 24,000 gallons of jet-A, along with 1,000 gallons of avgas and Birmingham has plans to introduce sustainable aviation fuel to the airport.

 


Meanwhile, the addition of Oakland Air’s Part 135 charter certificate, which currently lists three King Air 200’s and a pair of Citations, expands Premier’s fleet to 15 aircraft.

 


According to Birmingham, the FBO purchase will not be the company’s only one. "The Premier Jet Services brand now gives us the opportunity to fully control the customer air charter experience from the ground up," he explained. "We expect to acquire additional FBOs and are presently seeking new opportunities."

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