David Longridge was tapped to be the next president of Boeing Business Jets. Longridge succeeds Steve Taylor, who recently was named chief pilot of Boeing Flight Services. Longridge was an original member of the BBJ team, serving as sales director for BBJ when the group was founded. Most recently, he was sales director for Boeing managing the British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and TUI accounts.
The Thales board of directors selected Patrice Caine and Henri Proglio new directors. Caine initially will serve as chairman and CEO, but Proglio will become chairman long-term. Proglio, a director of Dassault, most recently was chairman and CEO of EDF. Caine had been Thales senior executive v-p and COO.
William Ayer was named to the NBAA board of directors. Ayer, former CEO and chairman of Alaska Airlines, is on the board of directors for Honeywell and a member of the FAA’s Management Advisory Council.
Airbus Group selected Tom Williams as Airbus COO, succeeding Günter Butschek, who is leaving the company. Williams also was named a member of the Airbus Group Executive Committee. Didier Evrard will move over from his role as head of the A350 XWB program to replace Williams as Airbus executive vice president for programs. Also, Klaus Richter, chief procurement officer for Airbus and Airbus Group, was promoted to become a member of the Executive Committee and is also becoming the national representative for Airbus in Germany.
Jet Aviation named Gary Dempsey senior vice president of customer care worldwide. Succeeding Dempsey as senior vice president and general manager of U.S. Aircraft Services is Dave Paddock. Along with his new duties, Paddock will continue to oversee Jet Aviation’s Group Business Development & Strategic Planning organization.
Aoife O’Sullivan, a London-based partner at international law firm Kennedys, has joined the board of directors of Aerion. O’Sullivan specializes in aircraft finance and regulatory issues, including corporate structures, aircraft acquisitions and airline start-ups.
Gulfstream Aerospace named Mark Knall vice president and general manager of the company’s facility in Appleton, Wis. Knall previously spent nearly 20 years at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Conn.
Chris Hand joined management and charter specialist Key Air as vice president, director of operations. Hand brings a background in Part 91 and 135 operations.
Crownair Aviation appointed Rich Klunk aircraft sales manager and Eclipse Aerospace authorized sales representative, Western region.
DAC International named Karel van Meekeren European director of marketing and sales. Van Meekeren, who will oversee airline sales development in Europe and the Middle East, joins DAC from Fokker Services. The company also named Jennifer Sullivan East Coast regional sales manager. She was previously southeastern U.S. sales manager for Contractors Register.
Bell Helicopter named David Bond regional sales manager, covering the UK and northern Europe. Bond previously steered sales and business development activities in the UK for helicopter operator Bond Air Services.
Ricardo Gato has joined charter broker Victor as marketing manager. Gato previously spent seven years with NetJets.
Muhammad Shakeel was named Pakistan manager for Euro Jet Intercontinental.
Ken Hylander was named board chairman of the Flight Safety Foundation. A former Delta Air Lines executive, Hylander has been serving as chair-elect since November 2013.
Inmarsat named Mary McMillan v-p of aviation safety and operational services. She was most recently senior v-p for aerospace safety and environment at Tetra Tech AMT.
Christian Venuto was named charter sales executive at GrandView Aviation. She was previously a SEO content writer for Groove, a creative marketing company in Baltimore, and an aeronautical information specialist for Lockheed Martin.
Neil Engerran was named manager of staffing services for EMEA and Asia for Jet Professionals.
Meredith Siegfried, Nordam CEO, was appointed to the board of directors of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Janine Iannarelli, founder and president of Par Avion, has been appointed to the Texas Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee.
James Kilmetis joined Private Jet Services as business development executive. Previously he worked for Air Charter Service.
The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems named Brian Wynne president and CEO. Previously he held a senior leadership role at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America and was CEO of the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility.
Go Rentals named Bruce Woodrell area manager in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., overseeing two airports and focusing on long-term growth for the East Coast market. He joined the company from Banyan Air Service.
United Rotorcraft named Bob Youngreen account manager within the global sales and marketing department and Everett Horst director of operations at the Decatur, Texas location. Youngreen was aftermarket sales manager for MD Helicopters and director of maintenance for Omniflight Helicopters.
Cello Aviation named Sophie Smith deputy operations manager.
Ni Jiliang was promoted to general manager of Ameco Beijing, replacing Hu Yuliang. Ni joined Ameco Beijing in 1988 after graduating from college. He has held various positions with the company, including engineering department manager, engine services subdivision manager and executive director of operations.
Mike Marie has joined Sandel Avionics as North American sales representative. He has held various avionics roles with Ryan International, Avidyne and DAC International.
John Harpool joined U.S. Bank Multi Service Aviation as national sales manager. Previously he served as director of sales and marketing for Air Training International.
Steve Gulvin joined start-up EVS Aviation with responsibility for sales, marketing and strategic planning. He was most recently director of sales for Signature Flight Support Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Dallas Aeronautical Services appointed Vince Doherty northeast regional manager.
Banyan Air Service named Robert Van Riper manager of HondaJet sales for the southeast U.S.
Matt Tuohy was named director of Jacksonville University’s Davis Aviation Center. He was most recently director of managed solutions and veterans program lead with Incepture.
Jim Weaver joined Advanced Aircrew Academy as director of instructional design. He was most recently director of operations at Flight Options.
NBAA named James Buchanan and Rick Mrkacek to its Certified Aviation Manager Governing Board. Buchanan, who was named chairman, is director of flight operations and administration for AT&T. Mrkacek, who was named secretary/treasurer, is flight operations manager at Country Financial.
Mark Larsen, senior manager of safety and flight operations at NBAA, was named to the board of governors of the Air Charter Safety Foundation.
Michael Volpe joined Argus as regional manager for the eastern U.S. and eastern Canada. He was most recently v-p of client relations at Jet Aviation and has held positions with Eastern Airlines and Alitalia.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Bob Hoover received the 2014 Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy. The National Aeronautic Association presented the Wright Trophy in recognition of Hoover’s more than 50-year career in aviation. Hoover entertained audiences for decades, flying in more airshows than any other pilot. Jimmy Doolittle once called Hoover the “greatest stick-and-rudder man who ever lived.” During World War II he flew 58 combat missions before he was shot down over Germany and taken prisoner. After spending 16 months in a prisoner-of-war camp, he stole a German Focke-Wulf Fw-190 and escaped to the Netherlands. He served as a test pilot for the U.S. Air Force and later was a corporate test pilot for North American. He flew the chase plane when Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier.
The late Robert Hartzell, a neighbor of Orville Wright known for his pioneering work in aircraft propellers, was among four leaders named to the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Announced in December, the four will be enshrined on Oct. 2, 2015. Also to be enshrined are B-29 mothership and XB-49 pilot Brig. General Robert L. Cardenas, USAF; Apollo 13 mission flight director Eugene (Gene) Kranz; and the late Abe Silverstein, credited as the “Father of Apollo.”
Avfuel awarded the 2014 Avtrip Scholarship to Ryan Knopf, who will receive $2,000 for continuing aviation education of his choice. Knopf, a Challenger 300 charter pilot, plans to apply the award toward completion of his bachelor’s degree in aviation administration at Utah Valley University.
John Alvarez, special operations and missions, assessment and development director for Commuter Air Technology and a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, was inducted into the Air Commando Hall of Fame. The Air Commando Association is an organization for retired and active-duty Special Operations Forces personnel.
Dr. Simon Mitchell was awarded The British Helicopter Association’s Eric Brown award. The award is given to the individual considered to have made the greatest and most significant contribution to the British helicopter industry during the past year. Mitchell is a director of Starspeed and visiting fellow at Cranfield Safety and Accident Investigation Centre. He has been a helicopter pilot for more than 27 years, a career that has included stints as a commercial pilot flying for the offshore oil-and-gas industry and onshore with the London Metropolitan Police Service.
Jerry Johnson, a former chief pilot at PlaneSense, was presented with the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the FAA. The award recognizes pilots who have contributed and maintained safe flight operations for 50 or more consecutive years. Johnson started his career as a Marine Corps A-4 attack pilot in Vietnam. Later, he flew O-1 Bird Dogs in a close air support tour. After leaving the military, Johnson joined Northwest Airlines and retired as a 747 captain after 34 years. He joined Alpha Flying, which later became PlaneSense, where he served as chief pilot. He finished his career flying for a non-government contractor in Africa.
Richmond Nettey, associate dean at Kent State University’s College of Applied Engineering, Sustainability and Technology, has received the University Aviation Association’s William A. Wheatley Award. The award is presented to a professional educator who is involved in the University Aviation Association and has made significant contributions to aerospace education over the course of at least 10 years. Nettey received the award for his work at Kent State and on aviation committees at the National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C.
