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

Vantage Aviation, which has acquired five FBOs since its <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-10-21/vantage-aviation-buys-richmond-fbo-part-new-network">launch</a> as a chain in 2024, is eagerly anticipating the opening of its first new-build facility in December. The FBO will give aircraft operators a choice of service providers at Rifle Garfield County Airport (KRIL) in Colorado.
“Opening Vantage KRIL represents an exciting new chapter for [us] and for aviation on Colorado’s Western Slope,” said Michael Ingram, who will serve as the FBO’s general manager and is at the company’s NBAA-BACE booth this week. “We are building more than a first-class facility—we are creating a service-focused operation founded on safety, reliability, and genuine hospitality.”
Vantage announced the <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2024-12-09/colorado-airport-receive-second-fbo">approval</a> for the new location in late 2024, just weeks after it acquired its first FBO.
The $53 million facility will feature a 6,730-sq-ft terminal with glass walls offering ample natural light and expansive mountain views. Inside, it will offer a stone fireplace, spacious pilot lounge, eight-seat conference room, and concierge service.
An adjacent 65,000-sq-ft heated hangar can accommodate ultra-long-range business jets. The complex also includes nearly 5 acres of ramp space and a 22,000-sq-ft deicing pad with Type I and IV deicing capability.
A Titan-branded location, the FBO will have a fuel farm with a capacity of 60,000 gallons of jet-A and 12,000 gallons of avgas, in addition to 1,000 gallons each of diesel and unleaded gasoline.
“The December opening of Vantage RIL will be a major milestone for [us], bringing to life the vision we shared when we announced this investment,” said company CEO Ryan Maxfield. “From the outset, our goal has been to give Rifle Garfield County Airport&nbsp;the facilities and service to meet today’s demand and support tomorrow’s growth. We’re grateful to our team, our partners, and everyone who has worked together to make this project possible.”

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Vantage Aviation will pull the wraps off its first self-built FBO in December.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

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.

North Shore Aviation began operations at KUGN this month

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FBO chain launched last year and now is adding more services

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Company sheds its longtime name as it moves forward

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Charles Alcock

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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.

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