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

Several industry groups are protesting the decision by California’s Santa Clara County to ban the sale of 100LL aviation gasoline at two general aviation airports, starting on January 1. In its justification for the move, the county cited a <a href="https://news.sccgov.org/sites/g/files/exjcpb956/files/documents/RHV-Airborne-Lead-Study-Report.pdf">study it sponsored</a> in cooperation with the California Department of Public Health, Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch, indicating “that children proximate to Reid-Hillview Airport present with systematically higher [blood lead levels] net of other measured sources of lead exposure risk, child characteristics, and neighborhood conditions."

 


In a letter to FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson signed by the heads of AOPA, EAA, GAMA, HAI, NATA, and NBAA, the groups noted that the move will leave piston aircraft operators at Reid-Hillview Santa Clara County and San Martin airports with no fuel option approved for use in the entire piston GA fleet. That, said the letter, would&nbsp;significantly increase the risk of aircraft misfueling.

 


While the groups signaled their support for the eventual phasing out of leaded fuel, they urged the FAA to use its “aviation safety mandate to prohibit individual airports from interrupting the availability of 100LL and stifling the cooperative industry-government effort to safely transition the entire general aviation fleet to unleaded fuels.”

 


The letter explained that 75 percent of the 100LL sold in the U.S. is consumed by aircraft with high-compression piston engines, many of which aren't approved to use the unleaded avgas currently on the market. It&nbsp;added that those that are approved to use lower-octane unleaded fuel must still first obtain a supplemental type certificate to legally do so. That can cause problems for pilots landing at airports where the only option is a lower-octane fuel than what their aircraft requires to fly safely.

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

Aviation Industry Groups Object to Santa Clara 100LL Ban

Aviation groups are protesting the decision by California’s Santa Clara County to ban the sale of 100LL aviation gasoline at two GA airports.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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 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.

Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney are committed to new R&D efforts in the Netherlands

RTX Launches Sustainability Alliance With Dutch Aerospace Sector

Total funding for the third phase of work could top €950 million

EU's Clean Aviation Set to Invite Proposals for Decarbonization R&D Work

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.

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.

Naples Aviation is the first of many to begin offering SAF in the coming months

Florida FBO Becomes First on East Coast To Offer SAF

The large-scale plant is expected to come online in 2026

Pakistan's First SAF Plant Gets Funding Boost

The multi-billion-dollar facility is expected to be running by 2029

New Major SAF Plant Planned for Texas

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.

The move could bolster the Kingdom's circular economy and sustainability

TotalEnergies, Aramco Sign SAF Development Agreement

Kerry Lynch

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.

Environmental regulatory schemes are growing exponentially worldwide

4Air Compliance Services Expand with 21 More Enviro Regs

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

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