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

With the Covid-19 crisis severely curtailing commercial aviation traffic, private aircraft charter providers are eager to assure the traveling public that they are providing the latest in disinfection and sanitization measures, among them California providers Clay Lacy Aviation and Silver Air.

 


Van Nuys-based Clay Lacy introduced its "CleanCheck" standard after&nbsp;evaluating&nbsp;and implementing&nbsp;new technologies and best practices from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Transportation, FAA, OEMs, and other industries, such as&nbsp;bipolar ionization and ClearCabin antimicrobial barrier application. The charter operator's&nbsp;aircraft are cleaned and disinfected after each flight&nbsp;and the company has increased the cleaning frequency for its facilities.

 


“Health and safety is always our first priority,” said company president and CEO Brian Kirkdoffer. “We examined every department, facility, and process and asked how we could thoughtfully change to provide the absolute safest service and environment."

 


Meanwhile, Private jet management and charter operator Silver Air developed its “Covid-19 Cleared” program in conjunction with medical professionals and infectious disease specialists, with the aim of reducing potential infectious touchpoints on its aircraft.

 


While safety has also been the company’s primary concern, “the current environment has challenged us to redefine what that means,” explained CEO Jason Middleton. In addition to aircraft sterilization, its protocol has medical professionals conduct virtual health screenings of passengers and crews before boarding.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

Charter Providers Roll Out New Covid Safety Measures

California-based aviation services providers Clay Lacy Aviation and Silver Air have introduced new cleaning protocols in the Covid-19 era.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

AmyWilder

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

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.

Safety investigations launched following close call

NTSB Prelim Details A319/King Air Incursion at KDCA

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

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.

How a positive safety culture contributes to an effective SMS 

AINsight: PB&J, SMS, and Safety Culture

Jessica Reed

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Flight attendant received the Above and Beyond Award for Heroic Achievement

NBAA Honors Sydney Bosmans for Heroism in Fatal Crash

AI will reach every sector of the industry

Artificial Intelligence Looms Large in Bizav's Future

Hanneke Weitering

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

Twenty airlines and 25 corporate flight departments are using electronic flight bag software

GE Aerospace's FlightPulse Pilot App Surpasses 40,000 Users

One update is the “Quick FRAT” (Flight Risk Assessment Tool)

Nimbl Enhances Platform to Simplify Safety Management

Charles Alcock

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Technology allows users to log high definition images and data for future reference

AI-based Camera System Pinpoints Foreign Object Debris

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.

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