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

Pat Epps, a Georgia native and long-time general aviation icon, died on Friday at the age of 91.&nbsp;A memorial service will be held on Thursday morning.
A member of the Georgia Aviation Hall of Fame; recipient of NBAA’s American Spirit Award and NATA’s William A. “Bill” Ong Memorial Award; and a 2007 Living Legend of Aviation honoree, Epps was the son of Ben Epps, an aviation pioneer and contemporary of the Wright Brothers who built his own airplane and was the first person to fly in Georgia in 1908.
Despite his father’s death in an airplane crash when he was a child, Pat went on to start a long aviation career during which he amassed more than 10,000 flight hours as a commercial pilot.&nbsp;He graduated from Georgia Tech in 1956 with a degree in mechanical engineering and later served as flight test engineer for Boeing on the prototype 707, America’s first jetliner.
Enrolled in the Air Force ROTC program, he joined the service in 1957 as a second lieutenant. He graduated from flight training with distinction in 1958 and was posted to flying large cargo aircraft until he left the Air Force.
In 1965, he launched Epps Air Service, which grew into a full-service FBO, aircraft charter, and maintenance facility at Atlanta DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (KPDK). He owned the 18-acre facility for nearly six decades until it was <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2023-01-30/epps-aviation-fbo-being-sold-aero-center-chain">sold</a> in 2023 to become part of the AeroCenters chain.
An aerobatic pilot who performed at airshows in a Beech Bonanza, Epps was a driving force in the daring rescue of a lost WWII P-38 fighter from under more than 100 feet of ice in Greenland.
“Pat’s passion for aviation, his steady judgement, and his commitment to elevating our industry set an example that will continue to resonate for years to come,” said NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna. “His lifetime of service reflects a legacy that endures far beyond his extraordinary accomplishments.

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

Accomplished Aviator and GA Advocate Pat Epps Flys West

He leaves behind a wide legacy of aviation accomplishments

Georgia aviation icon Pat Epps has flown west.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

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 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.

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.

Gulfstream-sister company has FBOs in Dubai and Saudi Arabia

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Kerry Lynch

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News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

In this article

Epps Aviation

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