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

On Saturday December 28, the Legacy 450, Embraer’s newest business jet, took to the air for the first time, according to the manufacturer.


Flown by company test pilots Eduardo Camelier and Eugênio Cará along with flight-test engineer Carlos Kobayashi, the twinjet successfully demonstrated its handling and performance characteristics during the hour and thirty-five minute flight.


The aircraft, launched in 2008 along with the Legacy 500, shares an avionics package with its larger sibling. “The full fly-by-wire system with sidestick flight controls made the flight very smooth,” said Camelier. “With the advanced avionics suite, the aircraft operation was easy and intuitive.”


As intended, the 450’s development process has lagged that of the midsize 500 by a year. “Besides setting a new standard in business aviation, delivering innovations that reflect our vision, our commitment to customers and our passion for excellence, I congratulate all Embraer people for achieving this important Legacy 450 program milestone on the scheduled date,” said company president and CEO Frederico Curado.


At NBAA’s annual Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition in October, the company <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/ainalerts/2013-10-29/embraer-unveils-legacy-450/500-enhancements">revised the jet’s previously quoted range</a> upwards from 2,300 nm to 2,500 nm without compromising performance. The cabin length was also extended by a total of six inches, adding some extra space between seating areas.


Embraer expects to receive certification for the nine-passenger bizjet in early 2015.

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Embraer Legacy 450 Makes Successful First Flight

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