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

Airport ramps can be dangerous places for industry workers, and while FBO line staff receive extensive training to be vigilant for hazards, other individuals who require apron access generally do not.&nbsp;To remedy this, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) has introduced a new offering in its Safety 1st Training Center for those who have ramp access but do not perform ground handling duties.
The Basic Apron Safety and Security-Ramp Access Only (RAO) certification brings the same experience developed in NATA’s industry-standard Safety 1st program to workers such as vehicle transportation providers, mobile AOG maintenance teams, aircraft detailers, catering providers, and other service occupations, as well as FBO employees outside of the ground handling department, whose roles require them to spend time in the active ramp.
Curricula include foundational knowledge of general and business aviation, aircraft awareness and terminology, airport safety practices, security awareness, hazard recognition, and other core safety principles.
“The ramp environment includes a wide range of personnel whose responsibilities require airside access, even when they are not performing operational ramp functions,” explained Steve Berry, the association’s v-p for education and safety. “The Ramp Access Only certification reflects that reality by expanding access to meaningful safety training and helping organizations better align credentials with the roles their employees perform.”
NATA cautioned that the RAO program does not include on-the-job training or individual task evaluations, and will not qualify personnel to perform aircraft ground handling or operate ground service equipment. Those who perform operational ramp duties would still be required to complete the full Safety 1st Basic Apron Safety and Security Certification for those components.
“As aviation businesses continue to rely on a broader network of professionals working in and around the ramp environment, it is important that training evolves accordingly,” added NATA president and CEO Curt Castagna.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

NATA Extends Ramp Safety Training Beyond Line Service

Program is aimed at those who also need ramp access

For those non-line-service aviation industry workers whose duties take them onto airport ramps, NATA has now launched a new safety training program.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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

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.

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.

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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.

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