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.

Senior Editor

Curt Epstein

Michael Scheeringa, former CEO of Flight Options, is joining Signature Flight Support as president and COO. He will also join the executive committee at Signature parent company BBA Aviation. Bruce Van Allen, Signature’s former president, is the new group marketing director at BBA Aviation, and will remain a member of the company’s executive committee.
Former Cessna Aircraft president and CEO Charlie Johnson has joined Pasco, Wash.-based Viper Aircraft as director of business development. He will lead strategic planning initiatives for the Viper composite personal jet. 
Duluth, Minn.-based airframer Cirrus Design announced that president and COO Brent Wouters will take over the CEO role from company cofounder Alan Klapmeier, who will continue to serve as chairman of the board; his brother and cofounder Dale Klapmeier will remain in his role as vice chairman.
Tom Appleton, who retired two years ago as president of Piaggio America, will return to run the company on an interim basis after the departure of successor Eric Hinson to FlightSafety International.
John Rahilly, business aviation consultant and former president of KC Aviation, has joined Canada-based International Water-Guard Industries as its new director of business development for the Americas.
Phil Boyer, who retired recently after 18 years as president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, has joined the board of directors of Albuquerque, N.M.-based Aspen Avionics. Craig Fuller, Boyer’s successor at AOPA, officially took over the reins as the fourth president of the nearly 70-year-old organization.
Charter and aircraft management provider Global Aviation, based in Hillsboro, Ore., has promoted Brian Lockhart to vice president. The 13-year company veteran was previously director of maintenance. 
MRO specialist StandardAero has appointed Mary Ellen Keegan to the position of v-p for contracts, based at the company’s component services facility. Previously she served as counsel, financial transactions with GE Engine Services in Cincinnati.
Dave Collogan, who guided The Weekly of Business Aviation for more than three decades as its editor and served as a columnist for Business &amp; Commercial Aviation, has announced his retirement. He plans to continue writing in a freelance capacity. Benet Wilson was appointed online-managing editor for Business Aviation and will take over the writing and editing of The Weekly as well as providing business aviation content for Aviation Week’s online products.
NBAA has selected Chris Strong as v-p for membership marketing. Most recently he was director of business operations for the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.
Baruch Mevorach has been promoted from deputy vice president and assistant to the president, to corporate vice president of strategy and planning at Israel Aerospace Industries. He has been with IAI since 1972. 
Darryl Abbey has been appointed senior v-p of aviation insurance for Massachusetts-based Salem Five Bank’s newest full-service business division, Salem Five Aviation. He previously held senior management positions in the aviation-related risk consulting and insurance services business units of Hays Companies, Marsh &amp; McLennan Companies and Frank B. Hall of Massachusetts. 
Dubai-based flight support provider Palm Aviation has named Mohammad Saideh executive v-p and chief marketing officer. He was formerly Middle East regional sales director for MRO specialist SR Technics and a business aviation consultant.
Dave Cann, former head of the FAA’s Flight Standards Service, Aircraft Maintenance Division, has joined Illinois-based AAR as v-p of regulatory compliance. He is responsible for quality and safety at the company’s repair stations. 
Crane Aerospace &amp; Electronics has promoted Ron Kato from v-p and general manager of the company’s Burbank facility to v-p of global sourcing and manufacturing. &nbsp;
Ahmed Al Mamari has been named v-p, technical for UAE-based executive flight services provider Royal Jet. Most recently he was director of material management with ADAT.
Executive Beechcraft has named 25-year repair veteran Steve Grewing, a former service team manager at General Dynamics Aviation Services, its new director of maintenance at the company’s Kansas City Charles B. Wheeler Airport facility.
Corporate aviation data provider Jetnet has hired Diane Levine-Wilson as director of new business and product development. She was the founder and former president of Jetnet competitor Amstat. 
Aftermarket support specialist CRS Jet Spares has named Tim Goulet its new regional sales manager covering the U.S. West Coast, as well as accounts in the Middle East and Asia. Before joining CRS, he worked as director of maintenance for Dubai-based Global Express operator Symphony Master.
Houston-based trip planning specialist Universal Weather &amp; Aviation has added Terri Haas to its sales team as account manager for the Southeast region.
Transportation Security Administration general aviation chief Michal Morgan has taken the position of general manager of business operations within the agency. She joined the TSA in December 2001 and has been involved with development of the Large Aircraft Security Program rules proposal. &nbsp;&nbsp;

People in aviation Feb'09

Michael Scheeringa, former CEO of Flight Options, is joining Signature Flight Support as president and COO.

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