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

AOPA is warning general aviation aircraft operators of the prospect of new landing fees in Florida that could take effect as early as next month.&nbsp;Earlier this year, the state contracted with Virtower to collect aircraft movement data at airports throughout the state using ADS-B. Virtower has partnered with Vector Air Systems, a company that can use the Virtower data to provide automated invoicing—a capability it is actively marketing to airports in the state.
ADS-B was mandated in 2020 but it was never intended as a tool for collecting fees, according to AOPA. The group is considering legislative action against Vector's proposal, which is under consideration by several popular airports at a fee of $3 per 1,000 pounds of aircraft weight.&nbsp;AOPA questions the need for the fees to be collected at the public-use airports that already receive federal funds.
"The city and county governments considering these landing fees have been conspicuously silent about the fact that these airports appear to be in good financial condition, and they've received $67 million in federal grants, collectively, over the past decade," said Stacey Heaton, AOPA’s southern regional manager.
Last week, DeLand Municipal Airport (KDED) users were notified that fees will be charged for “itinerant aircraft” starting October 1. KDED’s manager stated that the move was meant to protect the airport from its neighbors—such as Orlando Executive and Kissimmee Gateway airports—that are considering adding landing fees. “If we do not impose landing fees, airplanes that are using other airports and paying landing fees...will choose to come to DeLand and saturate our pattern to an unsafe level,” he said.
“Imposing new landing fees at public, not-for-profit airports intended to deter operations that provide the lifeline for these airports seems illogical and will ultimately have safety issues for pilots, and may violate federal grant assurances,” Heaton noted. “Moreover, there may be additional legal issues with how these fees are being set, implemented, and collected.”

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

AOPA Objects to Possible Florida Airport Landing Fees

The automated fees could start appearing next month

AOPA is warning aircraft operators of the prospect of new landing fees in Florida that could take effect as early as next month.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Kerry Lynch

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

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.

KDCA and KEWR receive SMR-4 installations, while IDIQ AT&T covers coms

FAA Installs Surface Radars at Key Airports and Awards $74.3M to AT&T

Hanneke Weitering

Issues regarding financing of aircraft; aviation insurance; tax issues for aircraft operators; new companies and people in the aviation financing and insurance industries.

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.

Milestone covers the software that talks to air traffic control

Merlin Clears a Certification Hurdle for AI in the Cockpit

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

Honeywell-led consortium to consider advanced air mobility integration

Verti-Go Initiative to Lead European Airspace Update

NASA controllers used existing tools to manage simulated autonomous traffic

Wisk Tests 1:3 Supervisor Ratio for Autonomous Flight

Amy Wilder

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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