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

BBA Aviation has named Peg Billson, formerly COO of Eclipse Aviation, president of BBA Aviation Legacy Support/Ontic. She replaces Jim Gerwien, who has left the company. 
Danny Farnham has been named president of St. Louis-based MRO and completions specialist JetCorp Technical Services. Previously he was v-p of completions for Midcoast Aviation.
Czech aerospace manufacturer Aero Vodochody has promoted Ladislav Simek from v-p of strategy and strategic programs to president. He replaces Igor Hulak, who is leaving the company.
Enterprise Jet Center has named Bobby Courtney, previously general manager at JetDirect Aviation in Dallas, president and CEO of the Houston Hobby Airport-based FBO. 
Gil Wolin has joined newly formed Calif.-based charter and management provider Solairus to manage the firm’s business development efforts on the East Coast. Previously, he was publisher of Business and Commercial Aviation magazine and executive v-p with Wayfarer Aviation.
Connecticut-based aviation services provider Greenwich AeroGroup has named Daniel Lafrance v-p of sales and marketing. He previously held the same position at Bombardier Aircraft Services.
St. Louis-based Midcoast Aviation has promoted Skip Madsen from v-p of operations to v-p of North American MRO sales and service. Dr. Frank Ayers has been promoted from chairman of the flight training department in the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach, Fla. campus to executive v-p of the school’s Prescott, Ariz. campus. He succeeds Dan Carrell, who is retiring. 
The FAA has appointed Roderick Hall to serve as assistant administrator for government and industry affairs. 
Quebec-based jet completions specialist BJAC has added two new employees. Anthony Codrington was appointed v-p for strategic alliances, while Catherine Lowe, formerly with Aero Toy Store, was hired as marketing communications analyst. 
Nashville, Tenn.-based FBO, Part 145 repair station and charter provider Colemill Enterprises has promoted Stephen Goodman from general manager to vice president and general manager. 
San Diego-based flight training materials provider King Schools has promoted Barry Knuttila from senior v-p of information technology to senior v-p of marketing and technology.
Jet Aviation has appointed Frank Kusserow its new director and head of FBO services for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. He will continue in his role as director at the company’s Dusseldorf facility. Jet Aviation also appointed Bernard Loo, formerly general manager of Swissport’s Singapore facility, its new FBO manager in Singapore. 
Hawker Beechcraft has appointed Matthew Liu to serve as the regional sales director for China and North Asia. 
Terry Jones has been named engineering manager at Creedmoor, N.C.-based Twin Commander Aircraft. 
Piaggio Aero has made several changes in its sales division. Tom Mahoney, formerly XOJets’ v-p of sales for the East Coast, joins the airframer as sales director for the northeastern U.S. and Eastern Canada, while Ernie Santiago, previously West Coast v-p of sales for CitationShares, has been appointed Piaggio’s sales director for the West Coast and Western Canada. 
Richard McMillon was promoted from service center operations manager at the General Dynamics Aviation Services facility at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas to general manager of the facility. He replaces Brian Waymire, who has returned to Gulfstream Aerospace headquarters in Savannah. 
FirstFlight, a charter management and aviation services company based in upstate New York, has hired consultant Peter Radez as its new financial controller.
Steven Joseph has been named to the newly created position of general manager at Kent, Wash.-based rotary-wing sales and aftermarket parts specialist Dart Helicopter Services (DHS). 
Ronkonkoma, N.Y.-based Circor Aerospace/Aerodyne Controls has selected Rodney Tache as regional sales manager for the Aerodyne Group. 
Jet Works Air Center has restructured its sales staff. The Denton, Texas-based maintenance and completions specialist named Robert Dragon the new Northeast regional sales manager while Chad Mansfield and Chris Hicks were assigned to the Southwest and Southeast regions, respectively. Mark Hembree and Brandt Brownlee will head up the inside sales support team with Telicia Owens serving as sales support administrator.
Fort Myers, Fla.-based aviation services provider PrivateSky has added Katie Lawson to its Gulfstream maintenance sales team as a regional sales manager. 
ATR has promoted Jean-Luc Establie from sales director for India and the surrounding region to president of its India customer support subsidiary. He succeeds Marc Bourret, who was named project and planning director in the company’s customer services directorate.

People in Aviation

BBA Aviation has named Peg Billson, formerly COO of Eclipse Aviation, president of BBA Aviation Legacy Support/Ontic.

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