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

Dennis Keith, president and owner of Jet Solutions, has been selected as chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation. He succeeds Jim Christiansen, whose term expires at the end of June.


Jill Adams, most recently president of FinancAir, was tapped by JSSI as v-p for California and the Western U.S. The Chicago-based maintenance programs provider also added Asia to the responsibilities of Robert Wilke, its v-p for business development for the Middle East, and named William Khouri, most recently completion/maintenance sales and key account manager with Jet Aviation, its Dubai-based technical advisor for the Middle East.


Hong Kong-based private aviation provider Sino Jet has named Gulfstream 550 flight captain/safety manager R.&nbsp; Joseph Mack as COO. The company also promoted chief pilot Captain Terry Balentine to director of operations. [Corrected 5/14/12]


Gulfstream has named Thomas Huff, the recently retired commander of the U.S. Naval Test Wing, Atlantic, to the newly created position of aviation safety officer. The Savannah airframer also promoted Sharon Pflieger from organizational development manager to director of organizational effectiveness, and named Lisa Troxell, most recently a parts sales manager, to regional sales manager for component repair, modification and overhaul in the product support sales division.


Canadian training provider FlightPath International has appointed Rudy Toering, previously CAE’s director of global training delivery standards and data management, as v-p of business development.


Crane Aerospace &amp; Electronics has named Robert Tavares, previously president of technology solutions provider e2V, president of the company’s electronics group. He succeeds David Bender, who will also remain in his role as president of the company’s aerospace group. The Lynnwood, Wash.-based company also promoted Chris Cook from director of cabin systems programs to v-p of cabin systems solutions.


Rodger Renaud, most recently v-p of green completions with Jet Aviation, has joined West Star Aviation as general manager at its East Alton, Ill. facility. The MRO specialist also announced that Mike Sapanara, previously a regional sales manager with Rockwell Collins, has joined the company as avionics technical sales lead.


Industry insurance provider Global Aerospace has named Sharon Holahan, daughter of AIN cofounder Jim Holahan, to its board of directors and promoted her from co-director of claims to executive v-p and director of claims. She succeeds Kevin Hillard, who has retired. The firm also promoted Anthony Moschetta from senior v-p to general counsel. He replaces Leonidas Demas, who moved to a part-time role in the company’s legal department.


Andy Richards has been promoted from OEM program manager to v-p of completions and modifications at Duncan Aviation’s Battle Creek, Mich. facility.


Jet Aviation has appointed Judith Moreton v-p and general manager of the company’s FBO and maintenance facility at London Biggin Hill Airport.


Jean-Pascal Méo, previously head of corporate matters within Eurocopter’s legal division, has been named the OEM’s general counsel. He replaces Georges Richelme, who has been elected president of the Commercial Court of Marseilles.


FlightSafety International has made several personnel changes. John Brasfield, most recently assistant manager of the company’s Wichita Cessna Learning Center, has been promoted to manager. He is succeeded by Randy Annett, formerly assistant director of training at the Hawker Beechcraft Learning Center in Wichita. The company also promoted Nancy Ritter from assistant manager responsible for all Part 141, 142 and 61 flight training at the FlightSafety Academy in Vero Beach, to manager of the facility. She replaces Daniel Greenhill, who left the company. Winston Leong has been promoted to marketing manager for commercial simulation for the Asia-Pacific region. Most recently he served as the training provider’s remote assets manager.


Brian Lindquist, formerly MRO sales manager for Western Aircraft, has joined Dallas Airmotive as regional engine manager for the Northwestern U.S. The BBA Aviation subsidiary also announced that Gerardo Gomez, formerly maintenance manager at Mexico’s Aeromundo Ejecutivo, has joined the company’s engine repair and overhaul group as territory sales manager for Mexico.


Aircraft services provider Elliott Aviation has promoted Greg Stutzman from interior shop supervisor to paint and interior sales representative. The Moline, Ill.-based company also hired Veta Traxler as paint and interior lead designer.


Chicago-based NationAir Aviation Insurance has added insurance consultant Bob Cox to its team as a sales executive for the southeast region.


John Sheehan, secretary general of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations for the past 15 years, announced his retirement. AOPA v-p for operations and international affairs Craig Spence will succeed him as acting secretary general.


Fractional ownership provider Executive AirShare has promoted Jeff Long from managed aircraft manager to director of safety.


Aviation industry safety and compliance information provider ATP has named Ted Haugner director of sales. Most recently he served as area v-p with Ikon Office Solutions.


Denver-based Newmont Mining has appointed Keith Fritz, most recently aviation safety auditor withGeneral Electric’s corporate flight department, as manager of global aviation.


Awards and Honors


The Aeronautical Repair Station Association (Arsa) recognized House aviation subcommittee chairman Rep. Tom Petri (R-Wis.) with its Legislative Leadership award for his role in passing a new long-term FAA reauthorization bill. Arsa also presented former FAA aircraft maintenance division manager Carol Giles with the association’s Leo Weston Award for helping to promulgate realistic regulation and ensure standard enforcement.


At the National Air Transportation Association’s March 28 Industry Excellence Awards Dinner in Washington, D.C., Kenn Ricci, chairman of Flight Options, was presented with the William A. “Bill” Ong Memorial Award for extraordinary achievement and extended meritorious service to the general aviation industry. He began his career in 1980 with the founding of Corporate Wings and served as CEO of Mercury Air Centers until its sale to Macquarie Infrastructure Trust in 2007. He founded Flight Options in 1998 and his leadership took it from inception to annual sales of more than $600 million in a period of four years.


Mary Miller, v-p of industry and government affairs for both Signature Flight Support and parent company BBA Aviation, received NATA’s Distinguished Service Award for her outstanding service and ongoing contributions to the industry. She was an integral part of the process to reopen Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to business aviation traffic in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and her efforts have brought much needed positive attention to the integral role of business and general aviation in the global economy.


Final Flights


Sanford “Sandy” McDonnell, 89, the former chairman and CEO of McDonnell Douglas Aircraft, died on March 19 at his home. The nephew of McDonnell Aircraft founder James McDonnell, he served in the U.S. Army during WWII, a part of the top-secret project team that created the atomic bomb. He joined his uncle’s company in 1948 and worked his way up the corporate ladder, playing a key role in the development of the F-4 Phantom. After the company’s merger with Douglas Aircraft he was named president of the corporation that produced the Saturn V rocket, among other vehicles. He then served as CEO and eventually chairman in 1980 after his uncle’s death. He retired in 1988 and devoted his later years to furthering education in St. Louis-area schools.


Dean Welch, 57, technical director for J. Mesinger Corporate Jet Sales, died on March 16 in Savannah, from injuries sustained after an accidental fall from a stairway. A company employee since 1999, he was an ATP with ratings in six different corporate jet types and had logged more than 14,000 hours of flight time. He had accumulated more than 30 years in flight department management and operational experience.

People in Aviation: May 2012

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