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

Pratt and Whitney Canada (P&amp;WC) has introduced several new data accumulation and analyzing tools here at EBACE, including an on-condition engine maintenance program for Cessna Citation Latitude operators. Rolled out for the PW306D1, customers can now pay special Eagle Service Plan (ESP) pay-per-hour program rates if they are on the on-condition engine program and have the flight, acquisition, storage and transmission (Fast) diagnostics and prognostics solution installed on their aircraft.


Using the Fast system, the powerplant maker can assess much of the condition of the engine without intrusive inspections or engine removals. “On condition maintenance provides for greater aircraft availability, reduced costs for business jet customers, and better dispatch reliability,” noted Tim Swail, the company’s vice president of customer programs. “It’s another example of how we are using the latest technologies to tailor our solutions and programs to anticipate and meet the needs of our customers for whom time is a precious commodity.”


P&amp;WC’s turnkey Fast solution wirelessly captures and transmits hundreds of engine performance parameters every time the pilot shuts down the engines.


The company has delivered more than 1,100 Fast installations to customers, and has now received FAA and EASA approval for the prognostics solution on the PT6A-powered King Air B200 and B300 series turboprop twins. Through the deep engine insight provided, P&amp;WC will help those King Air customers optimize maintenance planning and reduce costs and pilot workload.&nbsp;


The OEM (Booth O105A) also announced that after a slate of successful customer trials, it is introducing its oil analysis technology solution for the PW306A engine series. According to the Canadian manufacturer, that will allow it to identify potential maintenance events at an early stage so they can be addressed proactively or avoided entirely. Based on oil sample findings, customers will receive personalized reports and maintenance recommendations.


Lastly, PW300 engine operators are now the first to benefit from the company’s new “proactive help desk,” the latest addition to its preventative, data-driven customer support. "P&amp;WC’s proactive help desk will be supported by a dedicated team of aviation technicians and data analysts addressing customers’ needs through the use of data-driven decision making and preventative maintenance tools and practices,” said Swail, adding that data provided by the new oil analysis technology will also play a role in the proactive help desk service by allowing for a highly accurate assessment of key oil-wetted components. “The team, which will continue to expand as the service is rolled out to other engine families," he said, "conducts daily reviews of customer data from sources such as our Fast solution to identify and flag maintenance requirements so they can be addressed during scheduled field interventions.“

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

P&WC Introduces New Engine Condition Monitoring Tools

Taken together, the powerplant maker's new programs and technologies will serve to help customers better monitor the health of their engines.

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.

One engine would be able to run at low-idle in a twin-engine helicopter application

FAA Proposes Special Conditions for PW220A Idle Cruise

Charles Alcock

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Improved engine production and test facilities are mainly focused on military programs

Rolls-Royce Completes $1 Billion Engine Site Upgrade

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

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.

The first hybrid-electric flights above 30,000 feet, as well as the first across the North Atlantic, GE says.

GE Aerospace and Beta Technologies Cross Atlantic in Hybrid-electric Saab 340B Commuter Aircraft

Australian start-up planned to convert Beechcraft Bonanza and 1900D aircraft

Lack of Funding Shuts Hydrogen Propulsion Pioneer Stralis

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

Turboshaft has flown more than 600 hours after first flight in March 2023

EASA Issues Type Certificate for AW09 Arriel 2K Engine

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.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

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.

More In Engines

FAA Proposes Special Conditions for PW220A Idle Cruise

One engine would be able to run at low-idle in a twin-engine helicopter application

Rolls-Royce Completes $1 Billion Engine Site Upgrade

Improved engine production and test facilities are mainly focused on military programs

GE Aerospace and Beta Technologies Cross Atlantic in Hybrid-electric Saab 340B Commuter Aircraft

The first hybrid-electric flights above 30,000 feet, as well as the first across the North Atlantic, GE says.

Lack of Funding Shuts Hydrogen Propulsion Pioneer Stralis

Australian start-up planned to convert Beechcraft Bonanza and 1900D aircraft

EASA Issues Type Certificate for AW09 Arriel 2K Engine

Turboshaft has flown more than 600 hours after first flight in March 2023

FAA’s Rocheleau Admits Unleaded Avgas Timeline May Slip

Deadline of Dec. 31, 2030 may have to be moved if a suitable fuel isn't available

Sikorsky and Safran Pledge Increased Collaboration

Proposal promises accelerated engine innovation

Canada Could Keep Gripen Engine Work at Home

GE and Magellan sign F414 support agreement

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