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

True Blue Power, a subsidiary of Mid-Continent Instruments and Avionics, has announced FAA approval of a supplemental type certificate (STC) for its Gen5 TB50 lithium-ion main ship batteries for the Gulfstream IV, G450, V, and G550 jets.
The STC was developed by 101 Aviation in partnership with Aloft AeroArchitects, and according to Van Winter, Mid-Continent’s s-v-p of sales and marketing, it encompasses approximately 1,200 airframes, half of which are the G550. While True Blue produces Li-ion batteries for aircraft down to the Cessna 172, it moves into a higher weight class with the G550 battery STC.&nbsp;
Weighing just 44.3 pounds per battery, the True Blue TB50 is approximately half the weight of conventional lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries and is a near plug-and-play replacement.
“One of the biggest reasons this is an upgrade for people who are flying the Gulfstream-sized aircraft is the maintenance is on condition, so there's no capacity checks,” Winter told AIN. “The idea is, you put this in your Gulfstream, you don’t touch it for eight years until it's ready to be replaced.”
The battery installation, which can be accomplished in less than a day, includes a cockpit annunciator that details the health and condition of the battery. It also includes a low-voltage internal heater to ensure operational readiness. “The heater and the battery management system, which is what allows us to manage all the lithium technology, is all in the box,” said Winter. The price for the batteries and installation is approximately $80,000.
“These products have been flying for over 13 million flight hours, and so we’ve had really good success,” explained Winter.&nbsp; “No incidents with the technology, but that’s the goal; these people don’t have to worry if they’re going to have a battery issue when the primary owner of the aircraft is ready to go fly to wherever.”
The True Blue battery is also now factory-standard equipment on the Cessna Longitude.
In terms of safety, the True Blue battery is completely self-contained, and part of the STC kit is a vent tube that goes to the outboard on the aircraft. “Our batteries are completely self-contained,” added Winter. “We’ve never had an on-aircraft thermal runaway, so after millions and millions of flight hours, everything is contained in the enclosure. If something happens, this battery will not catch fire. It will not smoke; it will vent electrolyte vapor outside the aircraft.

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.

True Blue’s Li-ion Battery Now STC'd for Legacy Gulfstreams

The battery ship set is now available for the Gulfstream GIV, G450, GV, and G550

True Blue Power is moving up in weight class for its Lithium-ion batteries following a new STC.

True Blue’s Li-ion Battery STCed for Legacy Gulfstreams

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

News and developments about everything that goes into the cabin of an aircraft, from floor coverings to headliners, with a special emphasis on in-flight entertainment, communications and other electronics for passengers. If it is in the cabin of an aircraft, it’s covered here.

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.

Newfoundland shop taps U.S. sales partners to court air-medical operators

Beechcraft 1900D Air Ambulance Lands at NBAA-BACE

Deal includes access to Honeywell’s Ensemble

Wheels Up Signs Honeywell Mx Plan for Challenger Bizjets

News and developments about aviation fuel, including jet fuel, aviation gasoline, and biofuel.

NBAA-BACE 2026

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CAA Signs Jet Aviation Maintenance Deal for Members

The discounts apply to Jet Aviation's international service locations

Omni Courts Challenger Operators with Galileo FDX Deal

Tulsa MRO waives $25,000 STC fee for 2026 commitments

Elliott Raffles Pre-purchase Aircraft Eval at NBAA-BACE

MRO provider says accelerated evaluations take as few as five days

Intercontinental Jet, MHI Celebrate 20 Years Together

Open house welcomed local officials, employees, and company leaders

EAP Reaches 10th Anniversary with Growing Client Base

EAP now covers 34 engine models and APUs

Delaware MRO Makes BACE Debut Ahead of Major Expansion

Velocity Maintenance Solutions will move to a larger facility

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