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.

Business Aviation Services Editor

Curt Epstein

As it continues to ramp up production of its Cessna SkyCourier utility turboprop twin and prepares for certification of its Beechcraft Denali turboprop single, Textron Aviation has completed a major expansion of its flight-test facility hangar at its East Wichita campus.
The project added 57,000 sq ft&nbsp;of space, including six new hangar bays on the north side of the facility, significantly increasing capacity for flight-test operations. According to the airframer, the expanded facility allows flight-test teams to move more efficiently between aircraft preparation, data collection, and evaluation.
“With more space and flexibility, our teams can run multiple test profiles in parallel and turn aircraft more efficiently,” said Brad White, Textron Aviation’s senior v-p of manufacturing operations.
The SkyCourier serves a wide range of market segments with multiple configurations, and as its uses expand into defense and special missions applications, recent enhancements such as an optional in‑flight operable door further extend its operational flexibility.
“As demand for the Cessna SkyCourier continues to grow across commercial, cargo, and special missions markets, it’s critical that our facilities and teams are positioned to support that momentum,” said Lannie O’Bannion, the airframer’s senior v-p of sales and marketing. “By investing in additional flight test capacity, we are strengthening our ability to efficiently support development today and as demand continues to expand.”

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.

Textron Aviation Expands Wichita Flight-test Facility

Expansion was driven by SkyCourier and Denali programs

Textron Aviation expanded its Wichita flight test facility with the addition of 57,000 sq ft of space to support the SkyCourier and Denali turboprop programs.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

Remotely piloted aircraft completed 90-second flight in California

Honda Achieves First Full-scale eVTOL Flight

Amy Wilder

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.

Milestone aircraft is a Citation CJ4 Gen2

Textron Eyes CJ4 Gen3 FAA Cert as 500th CJ4 Rolls Out

Charlotte Bailey

EL2 technology demonstrator lands on pier in Charleston, South Carolina

Electra Makes First 'Ultra Short' Urban Demo Flight 

News and issues relating to civil and military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) of all kinds and sizes, including those used for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), combat (unmanned combat air vehicles, or UCAVs), law enforcement, research and other applications. Of particular focus is the FAA's planned integration of UAS into the U.S. national airspace system.

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.

In this article

Textron Aviation

More In Aircraft

Honda Achieves First Full-scale eVTOL Flight

Remotely piloted aircraft completed 90-second flight in California

Textron Eyes CJ4 Gen3 FAA Cert as 500th CJ4 Rolls Out

Milestone aircraft is a Citation CJ4 Gen2

Electra Makes First 'Ultra Short' Urban Demo Flight

EL2 technology demonstrator lands on pier in Charleston, South Carolina

Blackshape Unveils Plans for Hybrid-electric ePrime Two-seat Aircraft

It may have a future as an uncrewed surveillance platform.

SyberJet Aircraft To Unveil SJ36 Mockup on October 19

Stretched version of the SJ30-2 will accommodate nine occupants

ANAC, EASA Validate Citation M2 Gen2 with Autothrottles

Opens opportunities for sales in Brazil and Europe

GAMA: General Aviation Market Up and Down in Q1

Business jets and high-end turboprops soared, while helicopters stalled

How Daher’s Kodiak 900 Aircraft Got Involved in Las Vegas Police Car Chases

Daher shows the Las Vegas Police Department how a Kodiak 900 can beat a helicopter.

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN