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

California’s Napa County Airport has issued an <a href="https://www.countyofnapa.org/bids.aspx?bidID=105">RFP for a second service provider</a>, as it looks to increase business at the dedicated general aviation gateway. Currently, Lynx, which purchased the Napa Jet Center last year, is the sole FBO there. According to Elizabeth Habkirk, the county’s deputy director of public works, the facility&nbsp;pumped 2.25 million gallons of fuel and handled more than 50,000 operations last year.

 


The RFP is for a 10-acre leasehold next to the existing FBO, with an initial 30-year term, plus two five-year options. Habkirk told AIN&nbsp;the proposal comes with a minimum capital investment requirement of $34,000 per acre per year, for an approximate $10 million outlay, and prospective operators should come to the table with ideas on how they expect to attract more customers.

 


“We recognize the airport as an important ‘front-door’ to the Napa Valley and look forward to the opportunity to grow business at the airport to benefit the entire community,” said county board of supervisors chair Ryan Gregory.

 


The wine-country airport will host a voluntary tour on September&nbsp;25 for interested parties, with a mandatory pre-proposal conference on November 13&nbsp;for those looking to issue a proposal, which is due by March 27. The airport is currently undergoing an environmental impact review for the new facility, which would be expected to be completed by October&nbsp;2022.

New developments at FBOs including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

California Airport Seeks To Add Second FBO

California's Napa County Airport believes it has enough GA traffic to require another FBO, and the county board has issued an RFP to attract one.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

New developments at airports 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.

Airport last owned the facility in the early 2000s

Illinois Airport Reacquires Sole Service Provider

The complex is viewed as the cornerstone of an aviation conglomerate

Major Las Vegas Hangar Complex Changes Hands

Projects totaled more than $5 million in infrastructure development

Oklahoma Airport Gets More Hangars, Upgraded Ramp

The facility will lean heavily towards sustainability

Clay Lacy Aviation Starts Construction on New KSNA FBO

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

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Illinois Airport Reacquires Sole Service Provider

Airport last owned the facility in the early 2000s

Major Las Vegas Hangar Complex Changes Hands

The complex is viewed as the cornerstone of an aviation conglomerate

Oklahoma Airport Gets More Hangars, Upgraded Ramp

Projects totaled more than $5 million in infrastructure development

Clay Lacy Aviation Starts Construction on New KSNA FBO

The facility will lean heavily towards sustainability

NATA Panel Examines FBO Preparation for eVTOL Service

OEMs and FBOs talk about how electric aircraft can be accommodated at FBOs

NATA Conference Panel Examines FBO Consolidation

While the big chains take a more selective approach, others remain hungry

Atlantic Aviation Gets Lease Renewal Approval in Aspen

The decision is the latest in a nearly two-year saga at the airport

Clay Lacy Aviation Gets Nod for Sun Valley FBO

Construction is expected to begin next year

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