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

Helicopter Association International (HAI) will promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) next week during its annual Heli-Expo showcase in California. Show organizers are expecting 60 aircraft to arrive starting on February 26, including 45 that will be flown to the Anaheim Convention Center from a staging area at Fullerton Municipal Airport.
At Fullerton, HAI will have SAF on hand for use by turbine-powered helicopters. HAI sourced the fuel from Titan Aviation Fuels with the assistance of local FBO General Aviation Co., which will be dispensing it into aircraft from all the major manufacturers, including Airbus, Bell, Leonardo, MD, and Robinson.
SAF is produced from organic materials, such as oils, algae, fats, alcohols, sugars, and captured carbon dioxide. In its neat, unblended form, it can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 80 percent compared to traditional petroleum-based jet fuel. This is important for the aviation industry, which—according to the Environmental Protection Agency—contributes up to 12 percent of the U.S. transportation sector’s emissions.
SAF presently makes up a minute portion of the overall fuel supply and comes at a higher cost than conventional jet fuel, two factors HAI president and CEO James Viola said need to be overcome.
“HAI is doing what we can to bring down the cost of SAF and increase its use,” he said, adding that the organization recognizes the importance of reducing the industry’s impact on the environment. “Some aviation customers or clients will prefer using operators who utilize SAF as it upholds their corporate values or permits them to report a reduced environmental impact.”
HAI told AIN&nbsp;that it would have enough SAF brought in to meet exhibiting company demand, with the organization covering the delta between the price of SAF and standard jet-A.
Rotorcraft and engine OEMs have been steadily testing their products on SAF to ensure compatibility, with the renewable fuel and in November 2021, Airbus was the first to demonstrate the use of 100 percent SAF in flight, with one engine of a H225 burning it in a demonstration. That was followed seven months later by a flight with both Safran Makila 2 engines running on unblended SAF.
In February 2023, a Bell 505 became the first single-engine helicopter to fly on 100 percent SAF.

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

HAI Promotes Sustainable Aviation Fuel Use at Heli-Expo 2024

Rotorcraft arriving in Anaheim for annual helicopter convention can fill up on SAF at the staging area

HAI will promote the use of sustainable aviation fuel next week during the annual Heli-Expo showcase in California and will have the fuel available at the staging airport.

HAI Promotes SAF Use at Heli-Expo 2024

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

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

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.

Project also includes Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Honeywell Aerospace, and American Airlines, plus MIT and University of Michigan

NASA Contracts Electra for AACES Sustainable Airliner Program

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

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.

4,000 solar panels have been fitted on buildings across the London-area facility

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Matt Thurber

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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News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and 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.

Heli-Expo 2024

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