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

Jean-Paul Ebanga has assumed the role of president and CEO of CFM International, the joint venture between Snecma and General Electric. Most recently, he served as chairman and CEO of PowerJet, a joint venture between Snecma and Saturn (Russia).
Canadian aerostructures manufacturer Avcorp has announced that president Paul Kalil has left the British Columbia-based company.
M7 Aerospace president and CEO Ronald Frederick has been named vice chairman of the company and a member of its board of directors.
California-based private aviation services provider Komar Aviation Group has named former NetJets senior v-p Gary Hart its new v-p.
Hawker Beechcraft has named Jim Holcombe v-p of Beechcraft marketing. Most recently, he served as Piaggio America’s executive v-p of sales and marketing and COO. Sid Anderson, the Wichita-based airframer’s CFO since 2008, announced his resignation.
Bell Helicopter has named Jeffrey Angelos director of commercial sales for North America. Before this appointment he worked for the FBI for 19 years, most recently as the section chief of its aviation branch.
Napa Valley, Calif.-based Bridgeford Flying Services has named Frank Milian president of its flight-services division. Most recently he served as president of ACM Aviation.
Paul Schreuder, previously v-p of helicopter sales with Edwards &amp; Associates, has assumed the same role with Calgary, Canada-based Eagle Copters. &nbsp;
New York-based aircraft charter and management provider Arcadia Aviation has made two senior management changes. Greg Kinsella was promoted from senior v-p to COO, while Margie Bricker, previously director of finance, was named v-p of finance.
Pentastar Aviation has added two new executives. Lance Fera, most recently director of business development for ITT, was named senior v-p for new business development. The Waterford, Mich.-based business aviation services provider also tapped Kenneth Sowa as director of business development. Previously he was a v-p for Arcadia Aviation.
Landmark Aviation has promoted Jeff Miller from general manager of its El Paso, Texas facility to general manager of its three Dallas-area locations–Dallas Love Field, Addison Airport and Wichita Falls Municipal Airport.
Robert McCarthy, group president of Marriott International, has been named the honorary chairman for the 23rd Annual Greater Washington Aviation Open, to be held April 25 at the Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, Va.
Dassault Falcon promoted Mark Verdesco, most recently manager of pre-owned aircraft sales, to director of pre-owned aircraft sales. He replaces Skip Flint, who retired in December.
The Tampa International Jet Center has promoted Clayton Lackey from line service supervisor to line service manager.
Richmond, B.C. -based helicopter operator Helijet International has promoted Troy MacDonald to director of sales.
Jiří Matoušek has assumed the chairmanship of the Central European Private Aviation organization, succeeding Dagmar Grossman, who led the group since it was founded in November 2009.
Aircraft service provider Duncan Aviation has promoted Dan Arrick from engine shop manager at the company’s Battle Creek, Mich. facility to regional manager for the Great Lakes Region.
The UK’s Oxford Airport appointed Chris Orphanou managing director. The former CEO of Coventry Airport most recently ran ADAM, his own aviation and consultancy business.
FBO operator SheltAir has named Gary Gutkowski general manager of its Savannah, Ga. location, replacing Michael Lerma, who was appointed general manager of its new Panama City FBO. Bill Garghill has joined the company as director of customer service for the FBO network.&nbsp;
Kansas City-based fractional provider Executive AirShare has named Meric Reese, previously charter sales manager and director of dispatch for Reynolds Jet Management, its director of scheduling.
Michael Shaw, previously with Innotech-Execaire, has joined Mid-Canada Mod Center as program manager. The Mississauga, Ontario-based repair specialist also promoted Mike Wiedemann from program manager to the newly created role of senior program manager.
Flight display systems manufacturer Sandel Avionics has hired Gunnar Rosenfeld, previously European division director for DAC International, for its newly created position of sales representative for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Don Fazio, most recently a dispatcher with AIG’s flight department, has joined Baseops International’s sales team.&nbsp;
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based CRS Jet Spares has named Eduardo Rosales as its sales manager for Mexico.
William Lovett, most recently managing director of global market management at Allianz Global and Corporate Specialty, has joined insurance broker Willis Group Holdings as executive v-p for sales and business development for global specialties in North America.
QBE the Americas has announced the creation of a U.S.-based general aviation insurance underwriting operation. Its new team consists of William McGloin, Roger Ridings, Michael Clark and Russell Walker.

Awards &amp; Honors
NBAA has awarded Wendi Gavigan, v-p and manager of flight operations for Citigroup Corporate Aviation its 2011 Schedulers &amp; Dispatchers Outstanding Achievement &amp; Leadership Award. She leads a team that provides all travel arrangements for a flight department with roughly 80-percent international destinations, and was the first dispatcher to receive the NBAA Certified Aviation Manager certificate. Created in 2008, the award recognizes individuals who have shared their outstanding business aviation industry expertise, provided extraordinary service, exhibited leadership and made significant contributions to the scheduling and dispatching function.
NBAA also awarded its 2011 Corporate Aviation Management Scholarships to Morgan Hall, a graduate student at Purdue University working on her master’s in aviation aerospace management; Matthew Nelson, Duncan Aviation’s manager of satellite operations; Kevin Otterstrom, a graduate student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University; and Chad Schweinzger, who has a master’s in aviation and aerospace management from Purdue University and currently works as a revenue-management analyst for American Airlines.
Gulfstream Aerospace received this year’s annual Epps Aviation Award from the Atlanta Aero Club for outstanding aviation achievements that benefit the Georgia aviation community. The airframer was chosen for its introduction of the G650 ultra-long-range jet, and the announced expansion of its Savannah facilities.

Final Flights
Gary Saunders, 63, an ATP-rated pilot and the founder of Coastal Air Services, died unexpectedly in New London, Conn., on January 27. As a pilot and flight instructor he logged more than 8,500 flight hours. He founded Coastal Air Services at Groton New London Airport in 1976 and saw it grow from a single-location FBO to a five-location regional charter operator, FBO and aircraft sales business. He sold the company and later founded Saunders Aircraft Sales at the Lanmar Aviation facility at Groton. He was a member of The Quiet Birdmen, a pilots club founded in 1921.
Thomas Berscheidt, 59, president of Turbine Aircraft Services in San Angelo, Texas, died on February 11 after a long battle against cancer. He was involved with the Mitsubishi MU-2 for 40 years, first as a Mitsubishi Aircraft employee until the company closed its San Angelo manufacturing facility and then as president of the company that specializes in servicing the turboprop twin. A strong proponent of safety programs for the aircraft, he was also an outspoken advocate of educating young people about aviation careers.

People in Aviation: March 2011

Jean-Paul Ebanga has assumed the role of president and CEO of CFM International, the joint venture between Snecma and General Electric.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN