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

A global circumnavigation flight in a Learjet 36A has been submitted to the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) for consideration as a world record. The "Century Mission" flight—intended to serve as a fundraiser to gather money for the Classic Lear Jet Foundation, the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-09-05/bringing-lear-003-back-flight">nonprofit group</a> restoring the first production Lear Jet—in April commemorated the 100th anniversary of the milestone 1924 World Flight, conducted by the U.S. Army Air Service flying modified U.S. Navy DT-2 torpedo bombers, that took 175 days and covered approximately 27,550 miles.
Owned by Florida-based ambulance operator Global Jet Care, the Learjet 36A took considerably less time to accomplish its mission, <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/general-aviation/2024-04-01/flight-century-making-takes-week">departing from Wichita</a> westbound and returning in just 67 hours 28 minutes. The flight is awaiting record certification in the C-1f category (land planes with a takeoff weight of 6,000 to 9000 kilograms). Once NAA has conducted its review, which could take up to 60 days, it will then be passed to the supervising Fédération Aéronautique Internationale for final certification.
The entire cost of the flight was covered by Global Jet Care president Bart Gray and his company, so all monies raised through the sponsorship of each of the 12 legs of the mission will go directly toward the restoration of Learjet 23-003, the first Learjet delivered to a customer,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-06-05/group-restoring-first-delivered-learjet-23-sees-progress">currently</a> taking place in Wichita.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Learjet Global Circumnavigation Flight Being Considered for a Record

Learjet 36A flight celebrated the centennial of the first aerial global circumnaviation

A global circumnavigation flight in a Lear 36A has been submitted to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale for consideration as a world record.

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