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

<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-11-04/flightstar-serving-illinois-aviation-nearly-half-century">Flightstar</a>, a full-service MRO as well as the lone FBO at the University of Illinois-Willard Airport (KCMI) in Champaign for nearly half a century, has completed a new 27,000-sq-ft hangar.
Known as Hangar 11, the $7 million-plus structure features a 30-foot door height and can accommodate the latest ultra-long-range business jets. It brings the facility’s total hangar area to 137,000 sq ft and doubles Flightstar’s dedicated space for maintenance and avionics operations, as well as supporting its growth in Bombardier Learjet and Challenger 300-series work.
With a staff of more than 170, the company is&nbsp;a Bombardier-authorized service center for the Learjet 40, 45, 70, and 75, and a Honeywell-authorized service center for TFE731 and HTF7000 engines and various Honeywell APUs.
“The addition of Hangar 11 is a strategic investment in our future,” said Flightstar founder and president Bill Giannetti. “This expansion not only strengthens our infrastructure but also reaffirms our commitment to delivering superior maintenance service and support to our clients.”

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.

Champaign, Illinois MRO/FBO Flightstar Expands with New Hangar

The addition will support Flightstar’s MRO growth

Flightstar, the lone FBO/MRO at the University of Illinois-Willard Airport (KCMI) in Champaign, has expanded.

Illinois MRO/FBO Flightstar Expands with New Hangar

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Matt Thurber

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.

Purchase enables company to offer retail aircraft maintenance services in U.S. Southwest

Pinnacle Aviation Buys Mx Provider Aviation One

Work involved major disassembly of the airframe

ExecuJet MRO Completes 120-month Check on Legacy 500 

Extension goes to six years or 4,000 flight hours, whichever is first

Hartzell Lengthens Warranty on Props for Raisbeck King Airs

Combines component repair and overhaul and parts services companies

Jet Parts, DAS Aviation Merger To Improve Efficiency

Amy Wilder

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.

Installation supports ISR and law enforcement missions

SEA Adds Mission Console and Sensor Mount for Caravan

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 about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

New customer support leader Lor Izzard is building on earlier improvements

Gulfstream Steps Up Investment in Customer Support

Kerry Lynch

Industry experts caution on the need for a full pre-buy and one that is carefully laid out

Back on the Plate, Pre-buys Still Face Post-covid Challenges

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.

In this article

Flightstar

More In Maintenance and Modifications