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

Aircraft operator and charter marketplace provider FlyHouse has introduced the FlyHouse Safety Seal, a third-party audit measure aimed at elevating safety standards across the industry.&nbsp;According to the company, the safety seal goes beyond traditional air charter audit ratings by implementing a “rigorous audit process that evaluates operators and pilots based on objective criteria.”
It is based on FlyHouse’s proprietary culture and safety assessment (CASA)—established through the company’s safety advisory board of industry experts—which combines FAA standards with qualitative insights on how operators manage risk.
When an aircraft operator wants to join the FlyHouse marketplace, they must first undergo a free comprehensive CASA audit. Those who meet the criteria are approved to join and also receive the FlyHouse Safety Seal. For those who fall short, FlyHouse will provide guidance to help them improve as part of its self-stated mission “to equip its partners and the aviation industry with the necessary tools to strengthen safety culture across the board.”
“The reality is that a lot of operators have a hard time scaling; they don’t have a safety officer, so they can’t get to the highest safety rating,” company president Jack Lambert told AIN. “We’ll provide all the stuff to help you get to the level that you need to, because we want to help you serve the customer with a better experience.”
“The FlyHouse Safety Seal represents a significant step forward in establishing a higher standard of safety and risk management in private aviation,” said Al Mann, the Southern California-based company’s chief safety officer, adding that he believes it will set a new industry benchmark. “Our goal is to dig deeper than checklists and typical compliance routines. The proprietary CASA protocol identifies operational strengths and areas for improvement through structured ratings and in-depth discussions.”

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

FlyHouse Introduces Culture-based Air Charter Safety Standard

Company looks to help others improve their standards

California-based aircraft charter and private lift marketplace provider FlyHouse has launched a proprietary safety standard it believes will revolutionize the industry.

FlyHouse Intros Culture-based Charter Safety Standard

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

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.

Multinational team of aviation experts recognized as ‘Qualified Entity’ by European regulator 

Aerothrive Awarded EASA Accreditation 

Kerry Lynch

News, issues, personnel, equipment and developments about air traffic management.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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.

Safety was a common challenge across transportation modes

Watchdog Cites Safety, ATC Updates as Top FAA Challenges

Amy Wilder

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

FAA, Textron Aviation, and NBAA urged to act

Seven Urgent NTSB Actions Target Hawker Stall Tests

Julie Boatman

News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Ground accidents all too common across operations

Expert Opinion: Taxiing Hazards and Letting Your Guard Down

Matt Thurber

New developments and products in avionics, specifically about aircraft electronics in the cockpit.

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

Pilot State Monitoring system monitors for sleep or drowsiness and issues alerts 

Researchers Tackle Fatigue In The Flight Deck

Pressurization problem led to engagement of emergency descent mode 

Garmin Autoland Logs First In-service Activation

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

Performing a rejected takeoff is the easy part, but pre- and post-incident requires more thought

AINsight: What To Do before and after a Rejected Takeoff

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.

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