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

Yingling Aviation has successfully completed its first Dassault Falcon 900 dry bay modification, marking a milestone in the company’s Falcon aircraft service capabilities.
The modification is required on the Falcon 50, 900, and 2000 to correct a possible hazard. Reports show that if the main landing gear collapses during takeoff or landing, the wing tank structure can fail, leading to fuel spillage and possible fire.&nbsp;Dassault Aviation has developed a structural modification of the wing fuel tanks in the area of the wheel well, which introduces a dry bay by adding a sealed boundary in front of the rear spar.
With the FAA-mandated <a href="https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2013/07/10/2013-15141/airworthiness-directives-dassault-aviation-airplanes">AD compliance</a> deadline on Feb. 14, 2026, operators are facing pressure to secure slots for the required modification. Yingling&nbsp;can perform the work at its Wichita location or in the customer’s hangar in less than two weeks.
While the project was the first for the&nbsp;Kansas-based MRO, its recently acquired veteran AOG team has performed more than 100 of the modifications. The quality of the work so impressed the customer that they committed to sending more of their aircraft to undergo the process.
“As we continue to invest in and expand our Falcon support capabilities to meet customer demand, milestones like this affirm our team’s expertise and readiness to take on more complex projects,” said Jason Cohen, Yingling’s executive v-p of sales.

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.

Yingling Aviation Adds Falcon Dry Bay Modifications to Its Repertoire

The AD-mandated process takes two weeks

Yingling Aviation has added the dry bay modification for the Falcon 50, 900, and 2000 to its Dassault service capabilities.

Yingling Completes Its 1st Falcon Dry Bay Modification

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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 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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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.

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

Manufacturer has invested in new facility and more staff to improve aircraft-on-ground response

New Customer Care Center is Airbus's Mission Control

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News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

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