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

Gulfstream designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and services business jet aircraft.

Curt Epstein

Gulfstream Aerospace has completed a ground-test program on its G700 using various fuels, including 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The goal of the test regimen was to understand the environmental characteristics of different fuels with a focus on unblended SAF without sulfur contaminants or aromatic compounds.
While the former contributes to environmental pollution, the latter is important in the functioning of legacy engines, making gaskets swell to prevent leaks. Modern aircraft and engine systems are designed to not require the presence of aromatic compounds in fuel, but their absence in 100% SAF is leading fuel producers to investigate the use of plant-based aromatic additives to ensure the fuel is suitable for the entire turbine aircraft spectrum.
The weeklong test program was conducted at the airframer’s Savannah, Georgia headquarters facility using SAF produced by World Energy and transported by World Fuel Services. Personnel measured the gaseous and particle emissions from the G700’s Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines using special instrumentation from the FAA, NASA, Aerodyne Research, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology.
Preliminary data showed minimal to no sulfur contamination and a decrease in non-CO2 greenhouse gas production, demonstrating the potential of 100% SAF for improving the air quality near airports and possibly lessening the formation of contrails.
“Gulfstream has a rich history of innovating for sustainable aviation dating back to 2004 with the first ISO certification for our Savannah facility,” said Mark Burns, the airframer’s president. “Our journey continues today as we work to enhance our understanding of fuel properties and their environmental characteristics to assess business aviation’s impact on the climate, chart the path forward in decreasing that impact, and lead the industry in driving its sustainable aviation goals.”

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

Gulfstream Completes 100% SAF Emissions Tests

The weeklong program compared emissions from several fuels

Gulfstream has successfully completed a ground test program on its new G700 using various fuels including 100% sustainable aviation fuel.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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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.

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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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Gulfstream G700/G800

Gulfstream

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