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

Bell Textron is showing off a fresh slate of luxury interiors for its light single 407 GXi this week at Verticon. Inspired by customer feedback, the interiors constitute a new entry in the OEM’s designer series catalog, which debuted at then-HAI Heli-Expo in 2022 with the Bell 429.
The upgraded options for the 407 include leathers and color coordinated schemes featuring Black Kydex panels, headliner, trim, and custom-stitched seats, along with leather wrapped, color-matched armrests and headliner inserts with embroidered Bell logos.
Among the interior color scheme combinations now available are charcoal and jet black; snow and jet black; arctic grey and charcoal; sand and jet black; and crimson and jet black. The elevated style is completed with premium flooring options.
Bell noted it has already received several orders for the new interiors from corporate operators. “The release of these Bell 407 Designer Series truly sets a new standard for Bell interiors,” said Danny Maldonado, the rotorcraft manufacturer’s chief commercial officer. “We provide our customers the highest quality of materials and finishings for their aircraft and continue to introduce fresh concepts and selections to enhance their experiences.”

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Bell Debuts Upscale Interiors for 407 GXi

Upgrades represent the newest addition to the company's designer series catalogue

Bell has added 407GXi interiors to its designer series catalog.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

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.

Black Diamond Heliaero upgraded the helicopters with Basix Pro avionics

Indonesian Army Receives Six Modernized Bell 412EPs

The Michigan airframer aims to accommodate all trim tastes

Enstrom Upgrades 480B Product Line Up Options

Charlotte Bailey

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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

Helicopter has more space and performance, along with a Safran Arrius 2ES engine

Airbus Unveils H140 To Bridge Light Twin Market Gap

Matt Thurber

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

R66 NxG features Garmin avionics and autopilots plus interior and exterior changes

Robinson Upgrades R66 with New Safety, Trim Features

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

Engine maker is contributing its expertise to several cutting-edge projects

GE Aerospace Touts Hybrid-electric Propulsion Efforts

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

Simulator replicates the real world inside a VR headset

Loft Dynamics Unveils H145 Virtual Reality Simulator 

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

GPMS health and usage monitoring systems are certified for 14 aircraft types

GPMS Expands Access to Foresight MX HUMS

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

Verticon 2025

In this article

Bell

More In Rotorcraft