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

Landmark Aviation has made several additions to its executive staff. Ben Murray, former president of XOJet, has joined the company as president of its aircraft management and charter division. The service provider also named Skip Madsen, previously Jet Aviation’s v-p for MRO operations, to its newly created v-p of MRO. Tyson Goetz was selected as company v-p. Most recently he was a senior regional manager for Atlantic Aviation.
Kriya Shortt has been named as Cessna’s senior vice president of sales. She is succeeded in her role as the Textron subsidiary’s v-p of sales for Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) by Tom Perry, who formerly headed up the airframer’s sales efforts in the UK, Benelux and Nordic regions.
Connecticut-based aviation services provider Key Air has promoted Greg Kinsella from v-p of business development to president and CEO. He succeeds Bob Marinace, who took on the position of executive v-p with Solairus Aviation. 
Eric Fast, CEO of Crane Aerospace and Electronics parent Crane, will retire in January. He will be succeeded by Max Mitchell, currently president and COO.
Aviation services provider Elliott Aviation has promoted Greg Sahr from v-p of sales, marketing and business development to president. 
Susan Aselage has been promoted from vice chairman and v-p to president at Missouri-based MRO provider Sabreliner.
South Carolina-based Tempus Jets has promoted Sheldon Early from senior v-p to president. Robert Oliver, previously president of TWC Aviation, has joined the aviation services provider as COO. 
Anthony Moreland, most recently head of the North America and global accounts team at Sikorsky Aircraft, has rejoined Bell Helicopter as managing director for North America. The rotorcraft manufacturer named Sameer Rehman director of international trade support for commercial sales and marketing. He was previously managing director for the Textron subsidiary’s Asia-Pacific commercial business. To succeed him, Bell promoted C.M. Hwang, formerly commercial business development manager for Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Singapore.
MRO specialist StandardAero appointed Rob Higby, previously v-p of worldwide airline sales for GE Aviation, as its new v-p of sales and marketing for its airlines and fleets division. The Arizona-based company also named Keow Keong Low as the new Asia regional sales manager. Previously he served that role in the company’s airlines and fleets division.
Michael Scheeringa, president and CEO of BBA Aviation’s Flight Support division, was named chairman of the National Air Transportation Association’s board of directors. The association selected Gary Dempsey, president of Jet Aviation’s Americas flight services, as vice chairman. Also elected to the board were Clara Bennett, manager of Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport; Andy Priester, president and CEO of Priester Aviation; and Gregory Schmidt, president and CEO of Pentastar Aviation.
XOJet has appointed Shari Jones, formerly Levi’s head of marketing, as chief marketing officer and senior v-p.
Rockwell Collins has promoted Alan Prowse from senior director of government systems sales and business development operations to v-p and managing director for the Americas. Scott Gunnufson, most recently v-p and general manager of international and service solutions, has been appointed v-p of sales, marketing and support for commercial systems.
Parker Aerospace has named Andy Weeks v-p of operations. Most recently, he was senior v-p and general manager of Eaton’s fluid and motion control systems division.
Bjarki Arnarson, formerly CEO at Aviasia Aviation Solutions, has joined Shanghai-based Easyfly Aviation as senior v-p.
Fractional aircraft provider Avantair has named C.Z. Sean Anthony, previously v-p of maintenance development with Presidential Aviation, as v-p of maintenance.
UK-based aircraft interiors supplier Andrew Muirhead &amp; Son has named Dominic Duffy, formerly Asian territory manager for Zodiac, v-p of sales for Asia.
Jalil Jatip has joined Texas-based Superior Air Parts as director of quality assurance. Before this appointment, he was the quality fabrication department manager for Lockheed Martin.
FlightSafety International has promoted David Welch from director of training at the company’s learning center in Lafayette, La., to manager of the facility. He replaces Amparo Calatayud, who was named manager of the Learning Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. Calatayud succeeds Gil Schnabel, who was promoted to regional director of regulatory affairs. The global training provider also tapped Nigel Warren, most recently an air ambulance pilot for Jet Logistics, as regional sales manager for Northern Europe. 
John Daut, most recently senior v-p of sales for NetJets, was named as Nextant Aerospace’s U.S. regional sales director for the Northeast. 
Brian Reid has been tapped as American Eurocopter’s director of support and service sales. Before this appointment he was v-p of sales and marketing with MD Helicopters.
BBA subsidiary Dallas Airmotive has hired two new regional engine managers. Dave Newton, most recently regional senior field service manager for Beechcraft, will handle Central and North Florida, while Wolfgang Heuberger, previously a regional sales manager for Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada, will cover the South Florida region.
Dennis Fox, senior v-p of operations for Executive Jet Management, and William Mayo, president and CEO of Mayo Aviation, have joined the Air Charter Safety Foundation’s executive committee.
MRO specialist West Star Aviation has hired Mark Ferguson as environmental/health/safety manager for the East Alton, Ill. and Chesterfield, Mo. locations.
Former Cessna Aircraft executives Tim and Dianne White have acquired aviation sales and consulting firm Kansas Aircraft.
California-based aircraft charter management provider CTP Aviation named Cheri Koppenal, previously director of charter operations for XOJet, director of business development. Carmen Cruz, formerly with SP Aviation, has joined the organization as charter sales representative, and Bani Mendoza, most recently an aircraft mechanic for Z-Line Designs, was hired as maintenance technician.
Gary Harpster, a senior avionics sales representative for Duncan Aviation in Lincoln, Neb., was selected as the new Aircraft Electronics Association chairman, while David Loso, manager of avionics sales forJet Aviation St. Louis, was elected by the board to serve asits new vice chairman. Seven other members also were elected to serve on the board: Chuck Freeland, Otto Instrument Service; Tom Harper, Avidyne; Garry Joyce, IAE; Michael Kus, Avionics 2000; Mike LaConto, Epps Aviation; Rick Peavley, Vero Beach Avionics; and Brian Wilson, Banyan Air Services.
ViaSat has named Ken Peterman, previously president and CEO of SpyGlass Group, as general manager of its government systems segment. 
Cobham Satcom has appointed Scott Beutel to its aeronautical sales team as U.S. regional sales manager for business aviation. Most recently he was corporate aviation sales manager for Carlisle Interconnect Technologies. 
Greenwich AeroGroup subsidiary Atlantic Aero has added Gordon Morrison as its aircraft sales manager. Most recently he was a Beechcraft sales associate with Carolina Aircraft. The company’s Western Aircraft business has hired Mark Woods, most recently with Delta Aviation, as regional director of aircraft sales for its Pilatus dealership. 
John Hunt, formerly executive v-p of dealership operations with Flightline Group, has joined Cutter Aviation as regional sales manager and director of business development for its aircraft service and avionics business unit.
Charter and aircraft management provider STAjets has appointed Zach Rutledge as director of business development. Most recently he was director of charter at Desert Jet. Erik Neiderman, previously Desert Jet’s chief pilot, has joined the California-based company as director of operations.
Retired USAF Lt. Colonel Sharief Fahmy has been named CEO of Dubai Airshow and MEBA organizer F&amp;E Aerospace. Michele van Akelijen, most recently aerospace director at F&amp;E Aerospace, has been promoted to managing director.
Arinc Managed Services announced that Philip Watkiss has joined the company as its new sales director for the Americas region. Most recently, he was a senior global account manager with Sita. 
Awards &amp; Honors
Kalena Glover, a senior at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Ariz., and William McAleer of Birmingham, Ala., a junior at Auburn University, have been named recipients of this year’s EAA/Daher-Socata International Scholarships. Each recipient receives a five-week internship at the airframer’s Tarbes facility in France, followed by a week at the EAA Air Academy in Oshkosh, where they’ll assist the airframer during EAA AirVenture 2013.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association has presented Nicholas Funkhouser of Jackson High School in Jackson, Mich., with the Edward W. Stimpson “Aviation Excellence” Award, given to a graduating high school senior who has been accepted and will be enrolled in an aviation degree core program at his or her chosen university or college. The association’s Dr. Harold S. Wood Award for Excellence, given annually to a college student who is a flight team member at a National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) member school, was awarded to Kayan Todiwalla, a sophomore at Lewis University majoring in both aviation flight management and aviation administration.

People in Aviation: June 2013

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