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.

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Bell has delivered the first electronic newsgathering (ENG)-equipped helicopter to China. The Bell 429, intended for Chinese national broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), will also become the first ENG-configured 429 to enter service, according to a company spokesperson.

 


“It’s a great milestone for Bell to collaborate with the Chinese TV station,” said Jacinto Monge, managing director of the OEM’s northern Asia division. “We appreciate the support we have received from the media community all over the world.”

 


Reignwood, an independent Bell representative in China, will receive the helicopter and incorporate aerial photography systems before it officially enters service. Its CCTV-authorized subsidiary Reignwood Star will operate the rotorcraft.

 


“The Bell 429 is an extraordinary helicopter designed for multiple missions and it will help CCTV reach the scene of news first, which means a lot for media,” said Reignwood Star general manager and chief pilot Cao Wei. “We believe CCTV made the best choice.”

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Bell 429

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