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

Maria Sastre was appointed COO of Signature Flight Support’s global operations. Previously she headed the charity organization Take Stock in Children and was v-p of operations with Royal Caribbean Cruises. 
Hawker Beechcraft has named Vince Restivo, most recently Gulfstream’s director of completion sales, its new v-p for aircraft completions and interior design. Lynnwood, Wash.-based Crane Aerospace &amp; Electronics has appointed Carol Marinello v-p for cabin solutions. Previously she was v-p of business operations/ site leader for ATK Integrated Systems.
Ryan Choi, formerly Virgin Charter’s v-p of business development, will take over as CEO of online charter broker Avinode’s Miami operation. He replaces Niklas Berg, the company’s current CEO and co-founder, who will now focus on leading the integration of Avinode and CharterX, which the former company acquired in March.
Laurence Rigolini has been promoted from v-p of corporate communications for Eurocopter Group to president and CEO of the company’s Russian subsidiary, Eurocopter Vostok.
Flight training provider CAE has promoted Walter Visser from regional v-p for the Middle East and India to v-p of CAE Global Academy. He succeeds Kris Van Den Bergh, who was appointed chief learning officer, civil aviation.
Gulfstream has named Rebecca Johnson regional sales v-p for south-central Europe. Previously she was a G550 captain based in Russia for Farner Airwings. Mark Thibault, previously CEO of business jet operator and maintenance provider Metrojet, was tapped as the airframer’s new Hong Kong-based regional director of product support programs.&nbsp; 
Glenn Hinderstein has joined Van Nuys, Calif.-based private aircraft services provider Clay Lacy Aviation as executive v-p of business development.
Aircraft broker and consultancy Leading Edge Aviation Solutions has named Rick Richardson its v-p of aircraft sales.
Airborne communications provider Aircell has promoted John Wade from senior v-p and GM to executive v-p and GM of business aviation services. The Broomfield, Colo.-based company also named Jonathan Cobin to the position of senior v-p of project and operations management. 
GAMA has hired Joe Sambiase as its manager of airworthiness and maintenance. Dave Goncalves has moved from the customer service department at Atlantic Aviation’s Teterboro facility to the role of manager of customer service at Teterboro FBO First Aviation Services.
Avfuel has chosen Anthony Newcomb, most recently a factory-designated flight instructor for Cessna, as its new western U.S. district sales manager. 
Uvalde, Texas-based Citation MRO specialist Sierra Industries has named Bobby Smith to the post of program manager. 
Jerry Stromberg has joined the sales and marketing department at avionics manufacturer Appareo Systems as account executive. 
East Alton, Ill.-based MRO specialist West Star Aviation has named Richard Lyon to lead its sales activities in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. &nbsp;
Tucson-based Universal Avionics has promoted Robert Clare from director of OEM marketing to the newly created position of director of North American marketing. Wisconsin Aviation has promoted Jeffrey Davis from ground operations manager at its Madison facility to general manager.
Aircraft windshield manufacturer PPG Industries has promoted Mark Cancilla to global platform director for aerospace transparencies. Most recently he served as global manager for commercial aerospace transparencies.
Maintenance program provider Jet Support Services (JSSI) has made several additions to its European operations. Mark Winzar was named technical services advisor for Northern Europe and Israel, while Martin Muellner and Brian Wells assume the same roles for Eastern Europe and Austria, and Switzerland, respectively. The Chicago-based company also tapped James Carroll as account manager for its European clients.
Duncan Aviation has announced that Bill Prochazka, previously executive v-p and general manager at the company’s Battle Creek location, will be taking the same position at its new Provo, Utah service facility. The company also named Mike Griffiths production team leader for the new location, and appointed Lee Bowes southwest regional manager.
Canadian aviation maintenance management software provider Mxi Technologies has named Michael Hoffman, previously global v-p for sales operations at Nice Systems, as its new senior v-p of worldwide sales.
Aviation fuel supplier The Hiller Group has named Kelly Spangler alliance contract fuel manager. Most recently she was alliance specialist and western U.S. sales representative at Chevron. 
Solairus Aviation has hired David Vitale, formerly Wayfarer Aviation’s director of inside sales, and Colleen McCauley, previously director of flight operations and charter sales for CityAir, as charter sales account executives.
Melinda Laubach has been promoted from senior research engineer to director of the aging aircraft laboratory at Wichita State University’s National Institute for Aviation Research (NIAR). Dr. Gerardo Olivares has been appointed a senior research scientist for the institute’s crash dynamics and computational mechanics labs.
The National Air Transportation Association has hired Dennis van de Laar as its new manager of regulatory affairs.
Citadel Holdings subsidiary Miascor has named William Pasternak to the newly created position of head of business aviation for the company’s FBO businesses in Manila, Clark, Cebu and Davao. He was previously a consultant with Southwest Airport Services.
Lord Thomas Alexander Fermor-Hesketh has joined the board of directors at Teterboro, N.J.-based aircraft broker and charter provider Freestream Aircraft Limited.
Lynn Malmstrom, CFO of West Coast air ambulance service provider Calstar, will take over as CEO, from Joseph Cook, who is retiring.
The Delta Connection Academy has named Paul Woessner, Jr. senior v-p. Previously, he was director of flight resources and multi-crew pilot license with Boeing Training &amp; Flight Services.
The Jacksonville Aviation Authority has promoted Tony Cugno to director of aviation management with operational oversight of Jacksonville International Airport, Craig Airport and Herlong Airport.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 


<h2>Awards and Honors</h2>
John Bahrenburg, aircraft technician crew chief at Teterboro, N.J.-based private aviation services provider Meridian, has been chosen to receive the FAA’s&nbsp;Charles Taylor “Master Mechanic” Award, presented to people who have spent more than 50 years in the aircraft maintenance profession.
The Association of Air Medical Services presented its 2010 Public Service Awards to NTSB member and helicopter EMS safety hearings board of inquiry chair Robert Sumwalt, for his long-standing commitment to transport safety in general and air-medical transport in particular, and to U.S. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.), co-chair of the Congressional Air Medical Caucus, for his commitment to the interests of air-medical and critical-care ground transport.
Chairman of the House transportation and infrastructure subcommittee on aviation Congressman Jerry Costello (D-Ill.) has been chosen by the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) to receive its Distinguished Service Award, for his leadership in Congress on aviation issues, particularly his work to maintain a robust general aviation sector and to reauthorize the programs of the FAA. 

Legendary Italian airplane designer Stelio Frati died last month at the age of 91 in his birthplace, Milan. Perhaps best known for designing the Siai Marchetti SF.260 (a supremely elegant civil-certified piston single that flies with the pedigreed ballistics of a jet and has trained many a military pilot), Frati also created the F.8L Falco (an equally dashing wooden sport aircraft still available in kit form from Sequoia Aircraft) and a variety of other sport and utility aircraft. When the sleek Falco first appeared in the 1950s, it shared ramp space with new Piper Tri-Pacers, perhaps best illustrating how far ahead of the times Frati’s designs were.
Harold Wesley Moore, 84, a retired USAF Lt. Colonel and one of the first men to fly a helicopter across the Atlantic, died May 2 in Bossier City, La. He piloted one of two Sikorsky H-19s that made the first Atlantic helicopter crossing in July 1952, spanning 3,410 miles over five legs in 42 hours and 25 minutes. Moore received his second Distinguished Flying Cross for the flight. He served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and earned his first DFC and a Silver Star in Korea for flying rescue missions for downed U.S. pilots, some deep into enemy territory. During that conflict he flew 112 rescue missions.

People in Aviation: June 2010

Maria Sastre was appointed COO of Signature Flight Support’s global operations.

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