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

Eric Hinson has been named president of flight training provider SimCom. Most recently he served as executive v-p of FlightSafety International.
BBA Aviation has promoted Maria Sastre to president of Signature Flight Support. She will keep her previous title of COO and will report to Michael Scheeringa, who is now president of the company’s flight support division, which includes Signature and ASIG. Pat Pearse, previously managing director of the company’s ASIG Europe group, was named managing director of BBA Aviation Flight Support for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The UK-based company also named former business unit CFO Doug Meador as president of its Dallas Airmotive turbine engine maintenance subsidiary. He succeeds Hugh McElroy, who will take on the new role of president of group business development. BBA also promoted Mark Taylor from general manager to managing director of its UK-based H+S Aviation subsidiary and Geoff Heck from Signature Flight Support’s regional v-p for the Midwest to senior v-p of sales and marketing.
Tony Bailey, most recently CEO of completions specialist Comlux, has taken on that same role at Texas-based aviation services provider King Aerospace. 
Aircraft remanufacturing company Nextant Aerospace has named Sean McGeough as president. Before this appointment he served as Hawker Beechcraft’s president for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific.
Kevin Hiatt was promoted from COO to president and CEO of the Flight Safety Foundation. He succeeds Bill Voss, who is returning to the FAA as an aviation safety official.
Aerodynamics technology firm Aerion has promoted Doug Nichols from COO to CEO. He will join the Nevada-based company’s board of directors. 
Jim Christiansen, most recently v-p of sales for Hawker business jets in the Eastern U.S., has joined FlightSafety International as v-p of international business development.
Private jet provider JetSuite has appointed Chuck Stumpf as its v-p of sales.
Gulfstream has appointed Allan Stanton, most recently a regional sales director for Hawker Beechcraft in the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, as regional vice president for international sales in the Middle East. The Savannah airframer also promoted Brian Schank and Darwin Stout to product support sales directors for the U.S. East and West Coasts, respectively. Before this appointment, Schank was director, business and program support, product support sales, while Stout served as a national sales manager for product support sales.
John Colucci has been appointed COO of aircraft sales, brokerage and consulting firm Leading Edge Aviation Solutions.
Gregory Schmidt has been named president and CEO of Pentastar Aviation. Previously he was the Michigan-based company’s senior v-p and CFO. He had served as interim president and CEO since October.
Business aviation consultancy The Van-Allen Group announced several changes to its leadership. Founder and managing director Pete Agur has moved to the role of chairman, while Jeff Agur, previously managing director of aircraft acquisition services, was named CEO. In addition, Don Henderson has joined the firm as managing director of consulting services. 
Aerospace and defense supply chain service provider Pattonair announced several personnel changes. Kevin Sargent, previously chief commercial officer, was promoted to COO. Richard Gayle, most recently BAE Systems senior v-p and general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, was named group commercial director and acting U.S. general manager, while Sue Williams was tapped as group supply chain director.
Milwaukee-based BMO Harris Equipment Finance has hired Joseph DiLallo, most recently v-p of Key Equipment Finance’s corporate aviation finance unit, to head its new corporate aviation finance business.
Rockwell Collins has promoted Troy Brunk from senior director of airborne communications products to vice president and general manager of airborne solutions.
Massachusetts-based aviation research and private jet brokerage firm Jet Advisors has named David Beach, former NetJets senior v-p of contracts, as v-p of contracts.
St. Louis-based JetBrokers has appointed Kandi Spangler as v-p of sales, located at the company’s new Denver office. 
California-based aircraft charter, sales and management provider Avjet announced changes to its executive staff. Mark Lefever, previously president of the company, was named COO, while Richard Hildenbrand was promoted from executive v-p to succeed Lefever.
Arinc has promoted Michael DiGeorge to managing director of the company’s Asia-Pacific division. He was formerly senior director for E-enabled programs.
Rick Rowe, the manager and co-founder of Bombardier’s Safety Standdown program, has announced his retirement after nearly 25 years of service with the company’s Learjet division.
Asian aircraft operator and maintenance provider Metrojet has promoted Tan Siah-Joo from director of corporate development to director of its commercial business.
Cabinet manufacturer Odyssey Aerospace Components has appointed John Turner as its director of engineering. 
Debbie Martin has joined Houston-based International Trip Planning Services as a sales manager for the Western U.S.
UK-based aviation consultancy International Bureau of Aviation has appointed Paul Brooker as chief technical manager.
NationAir Aviation Insurance has added Jason Little to its staff as a sales executive. He will handle the company’s general aviation insurance sales in the southeastern U.S.
Cleveland, Ohio-based MRO provider Constant Aviation has named Lance Lajara, most recently customer care manager with Honeywell, as its large fleet account manager. 
Gary Forster has been tapped as manager of ExecuJet’s FBO in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Most recently he was manager of Air BP’s Northolt facility.
MRO specialist West Star Aviation has hired David Elam as southeast regional sales manager. Most recently he served as scheduling manager at Gulfstream’s Luton Airport service facility in the UK. The company also named Joan Pompa, formerly modification sales manager with Jet Aviation (Midcoast), as interior refurbishment sales manager at its Grand Junction location.
Joerg Jakobs, formerly head of Kairos Consulting, has joined aviation insurance provider Global Aerospace. He will head a new branch office in Cologne, Germany.
Missouri-based private aviation solutions provider Aero Charter has bolstered its pilot corps with the addition of Mike Davis, Chris Klaber, Matthew Czuba and Peter Purcell.

People in Aviation: February 2013

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