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

Michigan-based services provider <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/sites/ainonline.com/files/pdf/fbosurvey2022_online_0.pdf" target="_blank">Pentastar Aviation</a> has achieved two industry safety milestones—Wyvern Wingman Pro recognition and Stage 2 International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (IS-BAH) registration.

 


The company’s charter operation became&nbsp;one of only eight operators in the world to be&nbsp;recognized with Wyvern Wingman Pro. The Pro designation, one of the industry’s highest safety standards, is issued only after an established Wingman operator demonstrates effectiveness in all areas of safety management systems, excellence in the addressing of human factors and organizational safety culture, and continuous conformity to international standards by way of an internal audit program.

 


“Pentastar’s certification as a Wyvern Wingman Pro operator sets them apart from other operators in the air charter industry,” said Wyvern CEO Sonnie Bates. “This achievement validates their commitment to attaining and maintaining an enduring safety culture that elevates their performance above other operators who are just beginning to embrace the value of formal safety risk management.”

 


The Detroit-area company's&nbsp;FBO at Oakland County International Airport (KPTK)&nbsp;achieved the Stage 2 IS-BAH registration. Only five percent of all FBOs in the U.S. have reached this level in the audit-based standard of industry best practices.

 


“Receiving Stage 2 IS-BAH registration reinforces safety as our top priority,” explained company president and CEO Greg Schmidt. “Our FBO team is led by accomplished and knowledgeable aviation veterans who consistently emphasize and encourage our 'safety-first' mentality to our entire team.”

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

Pentastar Aviation Shines in Industry Safety Programs

Pentastar Aviation has notched two important safety program designations.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Gordon Gilbert

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.

Fatal accidents were down year over year from 12 to 10

Year-to-date Bizav Accidents Decline

Matt Thurber

Aircraft touched down on the runway then departed onto a grassy area

Passenger Lands King Air C90 after Pilot Medical Issue

Mark Huber

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

Black Hawk had landed on a private airstrip that was also a snowmobile trail

Snowmobiler Who Collided with Army Helo Awarded $3.3M

All five passengers drowned after autorotation into NYC's East River

Jury Awards $116M in Doors-off Helitour Crash

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.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

More In Accidents

Year-to-date Bizav Accidents Decline

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Passenger Lands King Air C90 after Pilot Medical Issue

Aircraft touched down on the runway then departed onto a grassy area

Snowmobiler Who Collided with Army Helo Awarded $3.3M

Black Hawk had landed on a private airstrip that was also a snowmobile trail

Jury Awards $116M in Doors-off Helitour Crash

All five passengers drowned after autorotation into NYC's East River

NTSB: Poor Pilot Training, Monitoring Led to Fatal C90 Accident

Pilot also violated company's sterile cockpit rules

Business Aircraft Accident Reports: October 2024

Preliminary and final accident reports, October 2024

No Solid Clues Why Citation Didn’t Climb before Crash

Witness said the engines didn't sound normal on takeoff

Flap Setting May Have Been Missed in Runway Excursion

Aircraft sustained damage but the two pilots onboard were not injured in mishap at Colorado airport

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