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

Following the devastating flooding in Texas on Friday that claimed at least 100 lives with scores of people still missing, business aviation operators have swung into action to deliver critical supplies to those affected in Kerr County and the Guadalupe River area. Leading the effort is Operation Airdrop, a Texas-based disaster relief nonprofit founded in 2017 by a group of aviation enthusiasts, and part of NBAA’s Humanitarian Emergency Response Operator (HERO) database.
Operation Airdrop established supply bases at the Commemorative Air Force Museum at Burnet Municipal Airport (KBMQ) near Kerrville and at the Million Air FBO at Dallas-area Addison Airport (KADS) to accept donated goods and equipment. The latter handled approximately $50,000 in goods, and the FBO itself donated more than $5,000 in fuel, according to Jeff Zimmerman, v-p of FBO services for Million Air Dallas.
Among the items in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/opairdrop/posts/758075079917773?rdid=F3XPo7HS0V9lVE6w">high demand</a> are tools such as chainsaws and shovels, cleaning supplies including mops and brooms, and N95 face masks. All of the donations will be consolidated at KBMQ and distributed within the impacted area.
Airlink, another aviation charity, is working to transport volunteer search-and-rescue crews to the region by leveraging its partnerships with airlines such as United, American, JetBlue, and Southwest. With more rain forecasted for the area this week, the Washington, D.C.-based group has thus far transported nearly 100 volunteers to help fill the urgent need for rescue, emergency management planning, recovery, and clean-up.
The group—which marks its 15th anniversary this year—noted that many of the communities affected by these recent floods are connected by a single road. With parts of that artery blocked or washed out, those communities are now isolated, rendering residents unable to reach medical care or food supplies, and hindering the movement of emergency response vehicles. Airlink said its volunteers are key to restoring that access.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Aviation Charities Work To Support Texas Flood Victims

Donated goods and volunteer services are flowing into the impacted area

With parts of Texas wracked by floods, aviation businesses and charities are stepping up to provide support for the affected communities.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

X-1 users can now access the SMS platform directly

X-1FBO and Polaris Aero Partner on SMS Integration

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

LOC-I is far and away the top cause of fatal aircraft accidents

AINsight: LOC-I Is a Killer in Aviation

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

Williston Care Flight operates a fleet of Pilatus PC-12s

Aeromedical Services Restored to North Dakota Community

Matt Thurber

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

Simplified control and fly-by-wire envelope protection will enhance mission safety

Skyryse and Cal Fire To Deploy SkyOS for Firefighting

Amy Wilder

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.

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.

Survey data underpins safety metrics and policy decisions

FAA Urges Genav Operators To Complete Activity Survey

News and information about crew, passenger, aircraft and airport security issues.

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.

Flight deck security continues to be an issue and doesn’t seem to acknowledge safety concerns

AINsight: Will Secondary Doors Be a Flying Jail Cell?

Risk stacking and human error dominate Nimbl’s 2024 analysis

Procedural Lapses Lead Nimbl’s Bizav Safety Report

Gordon Gilbert

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

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