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

David Hess, president of Pratt &amp; Whitney, announced he will retire at the end of the year. He will be succeeded by Paul Adams, currently the engine manufacturer’s COO. 
StandardAero has named Russell Ford as CEO. He joins the Arizona-based company from Precision Castparts, where he recently served as president of Carlton Forge Works and Dickson Test Group of the forged products division. The MRO provider has also promoted Marc McGowan from v-p of business development and strategy for business aviation to senior v-p of its business aviation sector. He succeeds Scott Taylor, who retired.
William Quinn, founder of Portsmouth, N.H.-based aviation consulting and aircraft acquisitions firm Aviation Management Systems (AMS) will assume his former role of president and COO after Lee Rohde departed the company.
Night-vision systems provider and installer Aviation Specialties Unlimited has hired Jim Winkel, formerly v-p of international business development with L-3 Warrior Systems, as its new president. 
Thierry Michal, chief technical director of France’s National Office for Aerospace Research and Studies (Onera), has been named interim CEO after the death of former CEO Denis Maugars.
Marco Borghesi has been named as COO at Italy-based aerospace safety equipment supplier Aero Sekur.
Aircraft painting specialist Leading Edge Aviation Services has promoted Chris Harano from president to CEO. Company founder and former CEO Mike Manclark will remain with the Costa Mesa, Calif.-based company as non-executive chairman.
<a href="http://www.bellhelicopter.com/">Bell Helicopter</a> has made several changes to its executive leadership team. Gunnar Kleveland, who most recently led the company’s supply-chain optimization efforts, will assume the role of senior v-p of integrated operations. He succeeds Pete Riley, who has announced his retirement. The Textron subsidiary also promoted Dr. Cathy Ferrie from v-p of Xworx and research, development, test and evaluation to senior v-p of engineering, while Matt Hasik, most recently the program manager for the V-22 program, will take on the position of senior v-p of commercial programs. They will replace Jeff Lowinger, formerly executive v-p of engineering and commercial programs, who has left the company.
In-flight catering provider Air Culinaire Worldwide has named John Detloff as v-p of flight attendant services. Previously he served as director of in-flight services/executive chef at Victory Aviation.
Fernando Lombo, previously with Airbus Military, has been named v-p and CFO with American Eurocopter.
Illinois-based BankFinancial has added Michael Cole, most recently an aviation insurance underwriter with Chartis Aerospace, as senior v-p of its national aviation lending division. 
Thomas Grunbeck has been named v-p of sales and marketing for South Carolina-based aviation services provider Stevens Aviation. Previously he held that same title with Safe Flight Instrument.
Gulfstream has appointed William Gibson, most recently senior manager of customer operations for Honeywell’s space and defense segment, to the newly created position of director of product support global distribution. 
Martin Fluegge was named director of maintenance for Tac Air’s maintenance facility at Shreveport Regional Airport in Louisiana.
Air medical transport provider EagleMed has named Chuck Welch, previously a critical care specialist for Aventis Pharmaceuticals, as national director of new business development. 
Florida-based aviation safety consultant <a href="http://www.capacg.com">CAPACG</a> has hired John Gauch, previously Cirrus Aircraft’s fleet sales director, as director of business development and sales.
Donaldson Aerospace &amp; Defense has promoted Mark Brandenhoff to the newly created position of global director of sales. Most recently he was sales director for the company’s gas turbine systems unit.
Bill Darbe, previously with Aircell, has joined Florida-based satellite voice and broadband data solutions provider Satcom Direct as director of dealer programs.
Jet Aviation has promoted Vitaly Aleksikov from director of engineering to general director of its Moscow Vnukovo maintenance facility. 
Will Curtis, most recently CEO of Perfect Aviation, has been selected as managing director at London Biggin Hill Airport. He will succeed Jenny Munro, who has retired.
Night vision compatible equipment, modifications and installations provider Rebtech has named Curtis Arnold, most recently manager of maintenance provider Arrow Aviation, as completions manager.
Ben Humbert has joined Landmark Aviation as general manager of its Gerald R. Ford International Airport location in Michigan. Before taking on this role, he was a safety and training manager with Atlantic Aviation.
Dallas Airmotive has named three new regional engine managers: Brad Huelsman, most recently with AV Consulting as the principal for business account and aviation technical services; Thomas Kennedy, previously Signature TechnicAir’s director of maintenance and accountable manager; and Tim Neff, formerly a maintenance and modification sales representative as well as airframe and powerplant inspector and technician with Avmats.
Hawthorne Global Aviation Services has named Jonathan Buff as general manager for its New Orleans Lakefront Airport FBO. Most recently he served as an FBO development strategic advisor for the 500 Group.
Christina Byman, previously an estimator for MRO sales of avionics and cabin modifications with Jet Aviation, has joined West Star Aviation as technical sales manager for avionics at its East Alton, Ill. location, while Morris Smith, most recently Jet Aviation’s business operations manager for Gulfstream programs, was named the location’s Gulfstream/Bombardier technical sales manager. The MRO provider also appointed Craig Winterrowd as regional sales manager in California. He previously served as national product support sales manager for Gulfstream. 
Aviation services provider Professional Aircraft Accessories announced that Ian Franklin, most recently major accounts manager for Universal Asset Management, has returned to the company as manager of inside sales and business development. The Greenwich AeroGroup subsidiary also named Adam Francisco a regional landing-gear overhaul sales representative focusing on Embraer aircraft. He most recently served as a regional sales representative with Liebherr Aerospace.
Rio de Janeiro-based Greenwich AeroGroup company Helivia Aero Taxi has hired Wilson da Silva Rocha, formerly a type-rating instructor at Líder Taxi Aereo, as its new chief pilot. 
Kim Aguirre has been promoted from COO to director of aviation for California’s Mineta San José International Airport. He succeeds Bill Sherry, who retired.
FlightSafety International has promoted Yannick Kerriou from director of training at its Paris-Le Bourget learning center to assistant manager of the facility. 
Kevin Hawley, previously v-p of business development for CAV Ice Protection, has joined Texas-based Blackhawk Modifications in the role of principal engineer.
Duncan Aviation has promoted Joe LaCorte from Pratt &amp; Whitney engine service sales to the position of regional manager for the southeast U.S. He succeeds Pete Alves, who has announced his retirement.
Ohio-based Spirit Avionics has added sales professional Corey Schoo as the company’s new sales representative.
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has appointed Greg Bowles, previously director of engineering and manufacturing at the association’s Washington headquarters, to a new position as director of European regulatory affairs and engineering. 
Teterboro, N.J.-based private aviation services provider Meridian Air Service has named Todd Schieck as aviation sales executive, heading the company’s new Colorado charter sales office.
Air Charter Service has appointed Peter Klotz as the new head of its commercial jets division in Germany. 
Final Flights
Gordon Fullerton, 76, a distinguished test pilot and astronaut, died on August 21. After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1958. Following duty tours flying fighters and bombers, he attended the Air Force Aerospace Research Pilot School at Edwards in 1964, and was later assigned by the Air Force to NASA’s astronaut corps at the Johnson Space Center. He was part of one of two crews who flew the space shuttle prototype Enterprise during its glide testing in 1977. Fullerton logged 382 hours in space flight on two space shuttle missions during his astronaut career, which lasted from 1969 to 1986. He then transferred to NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, where he served for 22 years as a research test pilot on a variety of high-profile projects. In latter years of his career he served as associate director of flight operations and as chief of the directorate’s flight crew branch before his 2007 retirement. He piloted more than 135 different types of aircraft during his Air Force and NASA career, amassing more than 16,000 flight hours (among them some time at the controls of the Russian Tupolev Tu-144 SST). Among his honors, he was inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2005, the International Space Hall of Fame in 1982 and was a Fellow of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots.
Denis Maugars, 57, CEO of France’s National Office for Aerospace Research and Studies (Onera), died suddenly on August 8 while on vacation in France. He graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique in 1975 and later held various jobs at French ministries, including the ministry of industry and the ministry in charge of research and universities, before joining Aerospatiale, an EADS predecessor, for a position in the space business. He served as Onera’s head since 2003, and during his tenure he raised the agency’s profile by forging partnerships with local small businesses as well as international institutions and companies.

People in Aviation: October 2013

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