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

Duncan Aviation expects to open&nbsp;a&nbsp;new flammability lab at its Battle Creek, Michigan, facility by the end of March. The MRO provider’s engineering and certification services division is not only being expanded in size but in capabilities to include the NexGen or Sonic Burner test (also known as the FAR 25.853 (b) fireblocking test).&nbsp; 

 


According to the company, the expansion was necessary to accommodate the new test equipment as well as provide adequate ventilation for employee safety. Once construction is complete, team leader Cliff Barker and his technicians will migrate test equipment into the new space, assemble it, and calibrate it to ensure proper functionality. The team will relocate one test chamber at a time so flammability testing can continue without interruption during the move.&nbsp; 

 


“Currently, we have two vertical test units and a multi-use test unit for horizontal, 45-degree, and wire testing,” said Barker. “After those have been installed and are fully functional, we’ll install the new Sonic Burner test equipment and begin conducting those tests as well.”

 


Once the equipment is thoroughly tested over a span of several weeks, Duncan’s organizational designation authorization (ODA) engineer structures-flammability unit will submit an application to the FAA seeking the authority to issue approvals on fireblock testing.

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.

Duncan To Open New Flammability Test Lab

Duncan Aviation expects to open the flammability lab at its Battle Creek, Michigan, facility by the end of March. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

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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