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

The number of Gulfstream jets in the Asia Pacific region has more than tripled in the last six years, according to the Savannah, Georgia-based airframer. At its press conference here at ABACE on Monday, Larry Flynn, president of Gulfstream, noted that the number of the company’s large-cabin twinjets in the region has risen from 50 to 169 since 2007. Overall, the manufacturer, which claims 63 percent of the large-cabin market and 65 percent of the super-midsize market, has 208 aircraft based in the area, including 61 in mainland China and 45 in Hong Kong. At the end of 2012, 23 percent of Gulfstream’s $15.7 billion backlog was destined for the region.
“Asia, particularly China, remains our leading export market,” Flynn said. “As investors and businesses look around the globe for opportunities, the need for long-range, rapid transportation increases. The capabilities of our aircraft easily allow Chinese operators to reach markets in North America, Europe, the Middle East and beyond.” 
To support the company’s growth in the region, Gulfstream (Chalet 340) is the first OEM to offer factory service in China through Gulfstream Beijing, a Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Part 145 repair station, which opened in November. The more than 100,000-sq-ft (9,662 sq m) facility, located at Beijing Capital International Airport, is a joint venture between the manufacturer and Hainan Airlines Group subsidiaries Hainan Aviation Technik (HNAT) and Beijing Capital Airlines (Deer Jet), China’s largest business jet charter provider, with a fleet of more than 40 Gulfstream aircraft. 
“We’re seeing growth every week,” said Mark Burns, president of the company’s product support, who added that the facility has already serviced more than 40 aircraft since it began operations. “We’re not just working on aircraft at the facility, we’re sending technicians on road trips to assist operators.” Those U.S. Federal Aviation Administration-certified technicians can support any model Gulfstream in aircraft-on-the-ground situations throughout China, Japan or South Korea.
There are seven other service providers in the region that Gulfstream operators can use, including factory-authorized service centers Jet Aviation and Metrojet in Hong Kong and Jet Aviation Singapore, and authorized warranty centers Jamco Corp. in Sendai, Japan; Airworks in Mumbai, India; and Execujet Australia’s locations in Sydney and Melbourne. Burns noted that Gulfstream Product Support has an inventory of $1.4 billion worth of parts and materials available through 13 distribution centers around the world.
Gulfstream announced it has promoted James Liang from manager of parts and materials in Asia to regional sales manager for product support sales in Asia, responsible for maintenance and avionics sales in the region. Previously he was responsible for the company’s more than $56 million in spare parts and materials spread throughout its parts depots in Beijing, Hong Kong and South Korea. 
The General Dynamics subsidiary brought its entire product family to ABACE this year, including its two newest products, which made their ABACE debut, as part of a world demonstration tour. Gulfstream’s new flagship–the G650–received FAA and EASA certification last September; deliveries of the large-cabin aircraft began in December. The ultra-long-range twinjet added another city-pair record to its résumé last month when it flew 6,223 nm from Chicago to Beijing with five passengers and four crew, at an average speed of Mach 0.87. According to Scott Neal, the company’s senior vice president of sales and marketing, the G650 is the longest-range business jet as well as the fastest certified civil jet, and is capable of flying nonstop from Shanghai to New York. 
Gulfstream’s new super-midsize G280 began deliveries in November. Among its pending city-pair records are two Mach 0.8 flights made last month between Melbourne, Australia, and Singapore’s Seletar Airport (3,300 nm/6,112 km) and Singapore and Abu Dhabi (3,213 nm/5,950 km). 
“The G280, which replaces the G200, is perfect for the market,” Roger Sperry, the company’s regional senior vice president of international sales, told AIN. “It can connect all of Asia and Southeast Asia.” Since January, the G280 demonstrator has visited 72 cities in 24 countries, covering more than 80,500 nm (149,086 km). 
Rounding out the company’s business jet fleet here in Shanghai is the airframer’s large-cabin G450 (to be delivered to Chengdu-based Allpoints Jets, a charter operator) and a large-cabin G550 and a midsize G150.o

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.

Gulfstream Expects Dominance In Asia To Continue

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Matt Thurber

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.

All-composite light jet will feature windowless cabin

Otto’s Phantom Bizjet Promises Midsize Performance and Comfort

Charles Alcock

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.

Manufacturer is exhibiting this week at Catarina Aviation Show in São Paulo

Brazil ANAC Approves Ultra-long-range Gulfstream G700

The annual event featured hundreds of exhibitors and more than 3,000 visitors

NBAA Northeast Regional Draws Crowds to White Plains

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

Agreement calls for orders of up to 200 of Joby's four-passenger vehicles 

Saudi Group Agrees to be Distributor For Joby's eVTOL Aircraft

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.

AirVenture 2025 to host two of the company’s airships

Goodyear Blimp Celebrates a Century in Flight

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

First pilot-on-board flights featured conventional takeoffs and landings

Archer’s Midnight eVTOL Aircraft Starts Piloted Test Flights

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

ABACE Convention News 2013

More In Aircraft

Otto’s Phantom Bizjet Promises Midsize Performance and Comfort

All-composite light jet will feature windowless cabin

Brazil ANAC Approves Ultra-long-range Gulfstream G700

Manufacturer is exhibiting this week at Catarina Aviation Show in São Paulo

NBAA Northeast Regional Draws Crowds to White Plains

The annual event featured hundreds of exhibitors and more than 3,000 visitors

Saudi Group Agrees to be Distributor For Joby's eVTOL Aircraft

Agreement calls for orders of up to 200 of Joby's four-passenger vehicles

Goodyear Blimp Celebrates a Century in Flight

AirVenture 2025 to host two of the company’s airships

Archer’s Midnight eVTOL Aircraft Starts Piloted Test Flights

First pilot-on-board flights featured conventional takeoffs and landings

Pipistrel’s Velis Electro Is a Trailblazer for Electric Aviation

Textron subsidiary Pipistrel is the first manufacturer that has certified an electric aircraft.

Citation: Cessna’s Revolutionary Jet

Cessna’s original Citation broke new ground for small business jets

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN