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

Officials in McCook, Nebraska, say they are close to restoring aircraft fueling services at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport (KMCK) after Red Willow Aviation, the lone FBO on the field, declared bankruptcy on November 15.&nbsp;The long-standing FBO, which last changed hands in 2022, also provided aircraft maintenance services at KMCK, which features a 6,450-foot primary runway.
City manager Nate Schneider told AIN that the company immediately ceased all operations under the terms of the liquidation bankruptcy, leaving the airport in a tough situation.
“The bankruptcy trustee, they control all of the assets, which includes the buildings that were owned by Red Willow Aviation and all the equipment,” he said, adding that the city is working to hammer out a lease agreement with the bankruptcy trustee to allow for the use of the buildings and the equipment so it can restart aircraft fueling operations.
In the meantime, the city has had to establish its own insurance for the FBO and retained the location’s certified fueling staff as independent contractors. At a legislative meeting last night, officials approved rarely used city council contingency funds to pay for its operation.
As for the future of the FBO, Schneider expects the city will eventually issue an RFP for a new operator, but until then it will have to wait until the bankruptcy winds its way through the legal process.

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

Nebraska Airport Works around Its FBO's Bankruptcy

City officials are hobbled by the legal proceedings

City officials in McCook, Nebraska, are close to restoring fueling services at McCook Ben Nelson Regional Airport after Red Willow Aviation declared bankruptcy.

Nebraska Airport Works around FBO Bankruptcy

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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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Matt Thurber

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