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

With the California Senate introducing a bill that would phase out the distribution and sale of leaded avgas beginning in 2026, FBOs in the region are starting to make alternative plans. Among them is Million Air Burbank, which has now introduced supplies of Swift Fuels UL94 unleaded avgas ahead of any possibly leaded fuel ban.
UL94 has received a spike in interest since the U.S. EPA announced its <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-determines-lead-emissions-aircraft-engines-cause-or-contribute-air-pollution">final determination</a> that the lead emissions resulting from aircraft operating on leaded fuels could possibly endanger public health.
In December, the FBO invested in a new dedicated 1,000-gallon refueler to handle the unleaded fuel, which meets ASTM International D7547 specifications and has the same fuel density as 100LL for the calculation of weight and balance. It will continue to offer 100LL until all makes and models of piston aircraft are certified to run on unleaded fuel.
Two years ago, a government/industry initiative known as Eliminate Aviation Gasoline Lead Emissions (EAGLE) was <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2022-02-24/faa-industry-partner-eagle-unleaded-avgas-initiative">launched</a> with the goal of removing leaded aviation fuel by 2030 “without impacting the safe and efficient operation of the piston-engine fleet,” according to previous FAA Administrator Steve Dickson. UL94 is now FAA-approved as drop-in ready for use in nearly three-quarters of the piston fleet with no modifications.
“In our commitment to a greener future, we recognize UL94 as a crucial transitional measure,” said Priscilla Howden, general manager of the location, which also offers sustainable aviation fuel and has achieved carbon neutrality. “We believe in identifying and implementing sustainable offerings at our FBO, and this is something we have been working towards. It seemed the right time to bring UL94 to Burbank, to make it even more accessible to pilots who want the fuel.”

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

Million Air Burbank Now Offers Unleaded Avgas

With legislators angling for a ban on leaded aviation fuel, FBOs are starting to take notice

The California Senate is introducing a bill to phase out leaded avgas in 2026; Million Air Burbank introduced supplies of Swift Fuels UL94 unleaded avgas.

Million Air Burbank Adds UL94 to Menu

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