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

West Star Aviation specializes in airframe repair and maintenance, engine repair and maintenance, major modifications, avionics installation and repair, interior refurbishment, paint, parts, surplus avionics sales, window repair and accessory services.

West Star Aviation’s <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2026-03-03/west-star-aviation-acquires-bizav-mro-provider-dcjet">purchase</a> of mobile aircraft repair specialist DC Jet earlier this year is paying dividends as the combined companies saw record AOG volume last month.&nbsp;Through the acquisition, the Illinois-based MRO provider added technicians and expanded tools, which it said have enabled it to respond to customer needs quickly and efficiently as demand increased.
Those additional resources allowed the company to achieve an 84% customer request acceptance rate in May, also setting a record. It operates a dedicated 24/7 AOG call center staffed by 12 people who coordinate rapid response and dispatch technicians when customers require immediate support.
West Star’s AOG vans are equipped with the tools to quickly complete each job, enabling the company to return aircraft to service with minimal downtime. The AOG teams also have access to additional tools and ground support equipment from the company’s nationwide network to ensure they have what they need to address any unique requirements.
“The added resources have strengthened our ability to support customers at a critical time of year,” said West Star v-p of AOG Gary Lee. “As demand rises, we now have more than 250 technicians, essential to meeting our customers’ needs when no one ever plans to be grounded.”

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.

West Star Aviation Rises To Meet Soaring Aircraft-on-Ground Demand

The company saw record demand for AOG services last month 

West Star Aviation’s purchase of DC Jet earlier this year has put it in a good position to handle the surge in AOG work requests.

West Star Aviation Rises To Meet Soaring AOG Demand

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

It aims to create national footprint

California MRO Expands to Colorado with Company Buy

Matt Thurber

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.

Features free up maintenance teams for more critical work

Bluetail Releases AI-powered Aircraft Records System

Company’s service footprint covers all 11 U.S. host cities

Duncan Ramps Up for World Cup Bizav Maintenance Support

New location authorized for maintenance and repairs on Falcons, Challengers, Citations, and more

Texas-based Haven ASG Opens MRO in Rochester, NY

The facility at Addison Airport is the company’s fifth satellite location

West Star Aviation Adds Dallas Metroplex Mx Location

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.

In this article

West Star Aviation

More In Maintenance and Modifications

California MRO Expands to Colorado with Company Buy

It aims to create national footprint

Bluetail Releases AI-powered Aircraft Records System

Features free up maintenance teams for more critical work

Duncan Ramps Up for World Cup Bizav Maintenance Support

Company’s service footprint covers all 11 U.S. host cities

Texas-based Haven ASG Opens MRO in Rochester, NY

New location authorized for maintenance and repairs on Falcons, Challengers, Citations, and more

West Star Aviation Adds Dallas Metroplex Mx Location

The facility at Addison Airport is the company’s fifth satellite location

ExecuJet MRO Services Boosts Falcon Support in Australia

Maintenance provider is investing in its Sydney Airport facility

Mx Provider Altus Aerospace Hopes To Score at U.S. Open

Company will base mobile repair teams at Gabreski Westhampton Beach Airport

MRO Profile: ACI Jet Growing with Focus on Bombardier, Citation Mx

Serving Central Coast California and beyond since 2008

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