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.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

Continuing its mission to educate the public and elected officials about the importance of general aviation, the Alliance for Aviation Across America (AAAA) held a press conference on the eve of the NBAA Convention in Orlando to highlight the advocacy organization’s recent achievements. Participants included board members NBAA president Ed Bolen; Helicopter Association International president Matt Zuccaro; Tom Hendricks, the recently appointed president of the National Air Transportation Association; and Niel Ritchie, executive director of the League of Rural Voters, who has been a key supporter of the grassroots movement since its inception. The Alliance has recently launched a new website, <a href="http://www.aviationacrossamerica.org">www.aviationacrossamerica.org</a>, and among its features is an interactive map of the U.S. showing a snapshot of the economic impact of general aviation by state and by community, taken in most cases from state-sponsored studies. “This has been a huge resource for our members to get out there and make the case for general aviation,” said Selina Shilad, the association’s executive director.
The organization has been instrumental in educating and rallying support from elected officials. So far, 46 of the 50 state governors have signed proclamations recognizing the value of general aviation to their constituents. “If you look at where our industry was a few years ago there were a lot of governors who didn’t even know what general aviation was,” said Bolen. “They weren’t about to go out and say general aviation is critical to my state.” 
When the specter of user fees resurfaced recently, the Alliance was able to submit a petition to the White House signed by 117 city mayors and town managers citing the crucial need for general aviation services and the hardships the new fees would impose on their local operators. It has also served as a source for media seeking to highlight the issue; during the press conference Shilad showed a compilation of local news broadcasts describing the impact of user fees on community operators. Bolen described the group’s work as a “virtuous cycle.” The Alliance presents economic impact data to elected officials who will issue a proclamation or resolution proclaiming the value of GA. That will then attract the attention of the media, who will then further spread the information to the public. Bolen also pointed to the introduction over the past several years of the House General Aviation Caucus and the Senate General Aviation Caucus, which now include 40 percent of the legislators–further proof the message is being heard. 
The Alliance was founded in 2007 to combat claims that general aviation was either a frivolous hobby or an unnecessary business expense, and the group has grown to a diverse band of more than 6,000 associations and individuals, most of whom are not directly involved in the aviation industry, but who recognize that without general aviation their way of life would be affected.

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.

Alliance for Aviation Across America Highlights Achievements

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

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.

Industry group praises prioritizing safety and workforce support

AIA Endorses FAA Funding in FY2026 Proposal

Kerry Lynch

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.

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

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.

Department of Commerce taking comments through June 3

NBAA Urges Members To Stress Trade Importance To Gov’t

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Rep. Nadler has co-sponsored a half-dozen bills in recent years to curb helo ops

U.S. Lawmakers Seek To Bar Helicopters in New York City

FAA told to ‘hire, hire, hire’ in its safety workforce

FAA Official: ‘Don't Over-engineer’ SMS

Charles Alcock

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

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

EBAA says industry still faces discrimination and ‘irrational’ decisions

Business Aviation Asserts Role in European Recovery

Out-of-scope operators are being erroneously charged

Business Aviation Customers Feel the RefuelEU Pinch

The airport is reducing peak access due to construction

CBAA Protests Reduced Bizav Slot Allocation at Montreal

News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

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.

NBAA Convention News 2012

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