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 business aviation industry is still behind the curve when it comes to meeting the Jan. 1, 2020 ADS-B equipage mandate, according to recent analysis by Duncan Aviation. Using data from its proprietary customer database, the FAA and other sources, the Nebraska-based MRO provider determined that as of the end of March, approximately 73 percent of U.S.-registered business jets, more than 10,000 aircraft, have not yet complied with the mandate.

 


“At the current rate of ADS-B adoption, about 4,760 aircraft will still need ADS-B when the mandate goes into effect,” said Mark Cote, the company’s vice president of parts sales, avionics and satellites. “Those aircraft, for all intents and purposes, will be grounded.” He added that for the entire fleet to be ADS-B compliant, 320 aircraft would need to be updated every month from now until the midnight Dec. 31, 2019 deadline, more than twice the number currently being upgraded on a monthly basis.

 


“The FAA has stated several times that the mandate deadline will not change,” said Cote. “With limited labor and hangar capacity, operators need to plan ahead to ensure their business aircraft will be able to continue to meet its mission and company needs.”

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

U.S. Bizjet Fleet Not Keeping Pace with ADS-B Compliance

Based on its analysis, Duncan Aviation estimates nearly three-quarters of the U.S. fleet has yet to undergo the installation.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

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.

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.

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.

Several towers have reportedly encountered staffing issues since government shutdown

Amid ATC Delays, NATCA Urges Against ‘Sickouts’

Gordon Gilbert

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.

Program fails to transform the U.S. ATC system, but FAA says benefits still exceed the costs

Report Highlights FAA’s Hits and Misses on NextGen

FAA is streamlining procedures for rapid program development

FAA Challenge Seeks ATC Flow Control Program Development

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

Agency on pace for 8,900 hires through 2028

FAA Tops 2,000 Controller Hires in FY2025

Jessica Reed

Adacel Technologies partners with Smart Eye to enhance MaxSim air traffic control simulation

Eye-tracking Technology Enhances ATC Training Platform

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

The artificial intelligence system is designed to transcribe and translate aviation radio communications

Embry-Riddle Enhances Aviation Radio Comms with AI

Proposals are due September 21

FAA Solicits Integrator Proposals for ATC Modernization

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.

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