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

Citi Private Bank named Ford von Weise head of global aircraft finance. He succeeds Mary Schwartz, who has announced her retirement.
Tom Roche, formerly v-p of turboprops and fleets at MRO provider StandardAero, has been selected for the newly created position of v-p of customer support. He was succeeded by Alain Berube, most recently senior v-p of asset management and operations for Volvo Aero Services. StandardAero also confirmed Chris Schechter as v-p and general manager of Associated Air Center (AAC), its cabin completions center in Dallas, removing the interim designation from his title.
Bob Seidel, most recently general manager and senior v-p of Jet Aviation’s U.S. aircraft management and charter division, has joined aircraft charter and management provider JFI Jets as CEO. He replaces Bill Cripe, who will take a sabbatical leave of absence.
Odyssey Aerospace Components has named Trey Bryson president. Before this appointment he held the same position with Jet Works Air Center. The Texas-based aircraft interiors component manufacturer also added Alan Wigert, previously a sales representative with Aviation Avionics &amp; Instruments, as an account representative.
Andrei Reus, the general director of Oboronprom, was elected chairman of Russian Helicopters.
FlightSafety International has promoted several of its employees, appointing Tom Eff senior v-p, general counsel and secretary; Scott Fera senior v-p of marketing; Greg McGowan senior v-p of operations; and Ken Motschwiller senior v-p and CFO.
Bell Helicopter has named Raymond Leduc, formerly site leader at IBM Bromont, v-p of value streams at its Mirabel facility near Montreal, Canada.
London Oxford Airport has named Andi Pargeter as managing director. Before this appointment she was the airport’s head of finance.
St. Louis-based MRO specialist Avmats has promoted Rich Vollmar from director of maintenance to v-p and general manager.
Innotech Aviation has promoted Nick Fragassi from director of program management to v-p of operations. The Canadian MRO provider also appointed Michel Barrette, previously maintenance general manager for Air Canada, as director of maintenance. 
Teterboro, N.J.-based FBO services provider Meridian has appointed Robert Platten as its new outside sales executive. Most recently he was director of business development for TWC/ACM Aviation.
Gulfstream has named Edgar Orsi general manager of its recently opened service center in Sorocaba, Brazil. Most recently he served as South America aftermarket sales manager for Honeywell.
Christopher Eden, most recently a safety systems inspector at the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority, has been named by Qatar-based private aviation services provider Rizon Jet as its new director of ground operations in Doha.
Gama Aviation has appointed Richard Lineveldt as general manager of its UAE operations. Previously he headed the establishment of the company’s FBO at Sharjah International Airport.
Tony Desmond has joined Duncan Aviation as team leader of its Long Island, N.Y. business aircraft AOG engine rapid response team. Most recently he was the owner of NexGen Aircraft Management.
Colo.-based in-flight connectivity provider Aircell has appointed John Hinton regional sales manager. He was previously a principal sales manager with Rockwell Collins.
Signature Flight Support has appointed Dan Henchal director of maintenance for its TechnicAir facilities at Charles B. Wheeler Airport in Missouri and at New Century Air Center Airport in Kansas. Previously he held that same position at Signature’s St. Paul, Minn. location.
Jeremy Prost has joined Piper Aircraft as sales manager for Asia. Previously he headed Diamond Aircraft’s Beijing office.
In-flight connectivity solutions provider Latitude Technologies has hired Jeff Taberner as senior account manager for the U.S. market. Most recently he served as director of sales for Honeywell Technologies’ Sky Connect brand.
Industry auditing specialist Wyvern has promoted Del Denny from auditor to director of operations. The New Jersey-based company has also added Erin Salley and George Signoriello to its customer service staff. Both were previously with Merrill Lynch.
Washington State-based completions specialist <a href="http://www.greenpnt.com/index.xml">Greenpoint Technologies</a> has named <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/trina-huston/16/2bb/">Trina Huston, previously with B.E. Meyers, </a>as director of procurement.
Terry Watkins, previously a lead painter with Jet Aviation, has been named paint operations manager at Sabreliner’s Perryville Municipal Airport facility.
Wilmington, Del.-based aviation services provider Aero Taxi has named Michael Miller its new business development manager.
Brian Sprecher has joined Greenwich AeroGroup as mid-south regional manager for the company’s MRO operations. Most recently he was an aircraft maintenance sales manager with Landmark Aviation. Walt Marcy, previously manager of technical sales for Haggan Aviation, was named MRO avionics sales manager. The company also added Cecilia Paltán to its Matrix Aviation avionics subsidiary as sales representative for Latin America and the southeastern U.S. Most recently she was a maintenance course translator for FlightSafety International.
The International Helicopter Safety Team has added Bill Chiles, president and CEO of Bristow Group, and Capt. John Steel of the Irish Aviation Authority to its executive committee.
Stephen Johnson, most recently aircraft sales manager for Hillsboro Aviation, has been named director of business development for Timberline Helicopters.
Dallas-based Business Jet Access has appointed Rudy Morin, previously an aircraft records auditor for Omniflight Helicopters, as service planning coordinator. The aircraft services provider also named Briana Nansen as executive flight solutions representative.
Aircraft refueler manufacturer Rampmaster has hired Marcos Cajiao as director of Latin America sales and marketing.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University has appointed aerospace engineering Professor John Weavil as chair of the school’s newly formed civil engineering department. Dr. Tim Brady, dean of the College of Aviation at the flight school’s Daytona Beach campus, has joined the board of directors of the <a href="http://www.nafinet.org/">National Association of Flight Instructors</a>.
Final Flights
Jack King, Sr., 90, former managing editor of Professional Pilot magazine and long-time chief pilot for C.J. Langenfelder, died on August 6. He began working for the Glenn L. Martin Company in 1939, at the age of 17, and earned his pilot certificate the following year and his flight instructor rating soon after. Selected as a test pilot while serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, he went on to earn his A&amp;E/A&amp;P mechanic certificate and later rejoined Martin as a test pilot. He also authored several books, including Wings of Man and Corporate Flying. A charter member of the Quiet Birdmen’s Baltimore hangar, he was also a member of Boumi Flying Patrol and the American Legion.
John Henke, 65, a three-time former president of the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association, died on July 1. A pilot for nearly 50 years, he served in several flight departments, among them Anheuser-Busch’s, and was chief pilot for Million Air’s Spirit of St. Louis Airport facility as well as for a company he co-owned. He was an active member of the Quiet Birdmen, the Missouri Pilots Association, the Greater St. Louis Flight Instructors Association, the FAA’s Safety Team and the Commemorative Air Force Missouri Wing, and he served as a Falcon 20 pilot proficiency examiner.

People in Aviation: September 2012

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