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

The California man who intentionally crashed his airplane to garner internet attention has agreed to plead guilty to a felony charge of obstructing a federal investigation. Trevor Daniel Jacob, 29, of Lompoc, California is scheduled to make his first appearance in U.S. District Court on June 28 in Los Angeles.
On Nov.&nbsp;24, 2021, Jacob—an experienced pilot and skydiver—took off from Lompoc City Airport (KLPC) in his 1940s-vintage Taylorcraft BL-65 on a solo flight purportedly to Mammoth Lakes, California. Instead, according to federal investigators, he deliberately ejected from the aircraft en route to film himself and its crash as he descended by parachute. Before taking off, Jacob mounted several cameras on various parts of the aircraft. After he touched down, Jacob hiked to the wreckage and retrieved his video data, which he would later use to make an advertiser-sponsored video posted on YouTube.
Two days later, Jacob informed the NTSB of the crash, and he was told that he was responsible for preserving the wreckage which would need to be examined by investigators. Jacob delayed the investigation for weeks by falsely claiming he did not know the location of the wreckage.&nbsp;In the meantime,&nbsp;he had a helicopter company retrieve the airplane,&nbsp;which he then transported to his hangar at KLPC where he dismantled it and disposed of its parts.
Jacob also admitted to lying to investigators when he reported the Taylorcraft suffered a complete loss of power soon after takeoff, and that he could not identify any safe landing options causing him to have to eject. His pilot license was revoked by the FAA last year&nbsp;and he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison.

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.

Intentional Aircraft Crasher Pleads Guilty

A California man who intentionally crashed his airplane as an internet stunt and lied about it to investigators now faces up to 20 years in prison.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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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.

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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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FAA Proposes Easing Medical Approvals for Diabetic Pilots

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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.

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