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

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene and the massive flood damage it wreaked upon North Carolina, the FAA is reporting a 300% increase in air traffic over the heavily impacted western part of the state. The surge includes private aircraft delivering supplies along with the state's National Guard and military search-and-rescue missions.
As a result, the North Carolina Division of Aviation—in coordination with federal and state agencies such as FEMA, the FAA, the North Carolina National Guard, and the Department of Defense—has implemented several <a href="https://connect.ncdot.gov/municipalities/State-Airport-Aid/Pages/Helene.aspx?fbclid=IwY2xjawFw2OdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHQ-GzTDP70PAbNAKJRtkfaHnoEu_VpN2LmyhAAOV5POgOYaJwZjnAKrhQw_aem_isq3ZztbmwslxoJV5LWtrw">safety strategies</a>. Prior permission request lines have been established at certain airports, including Asheville Regional (KAVL) and Rutherford County (KFQD), for pilots to call ahead to schedule landing, unloading, and aircraft parking, thus reducing airport congestion and risk of incidents.
Designated flight routes have been created to separate civilian and military aircraft, and short-duration TFRs are being used to ensure safety when multiple helicopters are engaged in localized rescue operations.
Lastly, temporary control towers have been set up to manage high-traffic regional airports during the emergency response.
“Helene has already devastated so much; we want every pilot, aircraft, and airport staff member to go home safely every night of the response,” said Becca Gallas, director of the aviation division within the state's Department of Transportation. “Our military and civilian aviation partners are providing vital services for North Carolinians cut off from other access.”

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