Curt Epstein
Senior Editor

A lifelong aviation enthusiast who joined AIN in 2007, Curt came to the publication 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 AIN sister publication 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  Aviation Journalist Award in 2012 and won a Pegasus Sapphire Business Aviation Award for outstanding journalism in 2021.

Before joining AIN, Curt worked with 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.

Latest from Curt Epstein

Accidents

Preliminary Reports - CRJ Lands Without Nosegear

At the conclusion of an uneventful Part 121 flight from San Francisco to Ontario, the crew attempted to lower the landing gear.
Accidents

Preliminary Report - Flight In Poor Weather Claims Helicopter

The helicopter was destroyed and the commercial pilot and one passenger killed when it crashed following inadvertent flight into IMC.
Accidents

Preliminary Report - CHALLENGER DAMAGED DURING DE-ICING

Bombardier BD-100-1A10, Wheeling, Ill., Feb.

People in Aviation

Rod Holter has joined Hawker Beechcraft as v-p and general manager for aircraft manufacturing.
Regulations and Government

FAA Considering Boost to GA Airport Funding

A shakeup in the methods by which federal funds are allocated to GA airports through the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) could soon be in the works.
Airports

HPN honors operators for noise abatement

As part of its good-neighbor program, Westchester County Airport (HPN) in White Plains, N.Y., presented its annual Spirit of Noise Abatement awards at an e
Airports

Budget Tightening Causes Airport Project Concerns

Another casualty of the economic downturn could be funding for necessary airport infrastructure projects, according to Kathryn Solee, director of operation

NBAA Regional Forum Draws A Crowd at Teterboro

The business aviation forum held on June 10 at Teterboro Airport was NBAA’s largest and most successful regional exhibition to date, according to the organ
Regulations and Government

Aircraft Re-registration Implementation Anticipated

The final ruling in the FAA’s plan to require the re-registration of all U.S.-registered aircraft is expected within the next few weeks, pending the signat

New Study Ranks Safety of 33 EU-approved Airlines

Air Ranking International, a Geneva-based consultancy firm, has just released its inaugural safety ranking of commercial airlines.
ATC

New ATC Runway Clearances Take Effect June 30

As of June 30, pilots can expect to receive different runway crossing clearances from ATC,
Environment

First Algae-powered Airplane Takes To the Skies

EADS flew the first aircraft powered solely by algae-based biofuel today at the ILA Airshow in
Accidents

Final Report: Pilot Decision at Fault in Learjet Runway Excursion

Bombardier Learjet 45XR, Telluride, Colo., Jan.
Accidents

Final Report: Landing Difficulty Blamed in Fatal Meridian Crash

Piper PA-46-500TP, San Antonio, Texas, Jan.
Accidents

Final Report: Hydraulic Failure, Pilot Error Caused Mayhem at FXE

Sabreliner NA-265-80, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Feb.

FSI to offer maintenance training with Cessna and P&WC

Adding to its portfolio of OEM maintenance training partnerships, FlightSafety International announced it will be teaming with Cessna and Pratt & Whitn
Accidents

Factual Report: Distracted Pilot Makes Gear-up Landing

Socata TBM700, Memphis, Tenn., Jan.
Accidents

Factual Report: King Air Crashes on Takeoff

Hawker Beechcraft King Air B200, Punta Chivato, Mexico, Nov.
Accidents

Preliminary Reports: MU-2 Strikes Fence on Runway Excursion

Mitsubishi MU-2B-26A, Princeton, Ky., April 3, 2010–The Part 91 personal IFR flight ended with the turboprop twin substantially damaged, when the pi
Accidents

Preliminary Report: Gulfstream Hits Fuel Truck After Missing Taxiway

Gulfstream II, Seattle, Wa., April 8, 2010–The twinjet sustained structural damage to its left wing when it collided with a fuel truck while taxiing
Accidents

Preliminary Report: S92 Sheds Panel in Flight

Sikorsky S-92A, Galliano, La., March 22, 2010–While operating in wind gusts of up to 21 knots, the helicopter was damaged when an environmental cont
Accidents

Preliminary Report: King Air Damaged After Gear Collapse

Hawker Beechcraft King Air A90, De Kalb, Ill., March 2, 2010–Owned by Eagle Air Transport, the King Air sustained substantial damage after its left
Accidents

Preliminary Report: EMS Helicopter Crashes Minutes from Base

Eurocopter AS350B3, Brownsville, Tenn., March 25, 2010–While returning to base on a Part 91 positioning flight after delivering a patient, the Memph
Accidents

Preliminary Report: King Air Suffers Damage in Hard Landing

Hawker Beechcraft King Air B200, Sioux City, Iowa, Jan.

People in Aviation: June 2010

Maria Sastre was appointed COO of Signature Flight Support’s global operations.

Deliveries hit five-year low, but billings rise in 1Q/10

General aviation deliveries experienced an overall drop in the first quarter from the same period last year, according to numbers released last month by th
Aircraft

Grob Prototype Crash Caused by Stabilizer Failure

The November 2006 fatal crash of the Grob G180A SPn prototype was caused by failure of the twinjet’s horizontal stabilizer, according to the final report r

Stabilizer failure caused crash of Grob prototype

The 2006 fatal crash of the Grob G180A SPn midsize jet prototype was caused by failure of the twinjet’s horizontal stabilizer, according to the final repor
Aircraft

Genav Aircraft Shipments Down, Billings Up in 1Q10

The first-quarter numbers from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) released yesterday show an overall 15-percent drop in general aviation
Accidents

Final Report: Lack of procedure blames for takeoff blowout

Bombardier Learjet 55, Casper, Wyo., March 17, 2009–The flight crew’s failure to follow manufacturer’s emergency procedures for a high-ene