Gulfstream Aerospace promoted Jim Tait v-p of sales operations and analysis. He started with Gulfstream in 1999 as a senior financial controller and has been the director of financial planning and analysis since 2000. Jeff Kreide was promoted to v-p of final-phase engineering. A 32-year Gulfstream employee, Kreide was previously v-p of business solutions and before that was director of product life management, leading a team responsible for the design and development of the G650 3-D model-based type design environment. The company also appointed John “Bob” Ranck as successor to Buddy Sams, senior v-p of government programs and sales. Sams will retire after the end of this year.
Lufthansa Technik appointed Dr. Johannes Bussmann the new chairman of the executive board for the company. He will take over the position from August Wilhelm Henningsen on April 1, 2015, with Henningsen due to retire in the coming year. Bussmann has been the member of the executive board responsible for human resources, engine and VIP services at the Lufthansa subsidiary since September 2012. He also held positions of v-p of marketing and sales, senior v-p of component services and senior v-p of engine services with the company.
Avcorp named Peter George CEO. He was most recently COO at Primus International.
Vincent Capezzuto was named chief technology officer and v-p of engineering for Aireon. He was most recently director of PMO air traffic systems for the FAA, where he was responsible for structuring the design of a new program management organization within the Air Traffic Organization, including a portfolio of surveillance, decision support and air traffic separation management systems.
Private Jet Services named Brian Kratt its new president. He was previously CEO of Language Scientific and v-p of sales and marketing at Black Dragon software.
Joel Frugier was promoted to general manager of Airbus Corporate Jet Centre. He was most recently head of the programs department, leading cabin completions programs.
Aero Precision named Chris McGovern v-p of supply chain management. He was most recently the company’s OEM manager for channel partner business development.
Helijet International named Ted Houston director of flight operations and safety and promoted Rick Hill to v-p of commercial and business programs. Houston has been Helijet’s chief pilot for fixed-wing operations for the past seven years and will now oversee all facets of flight and operating standards for both fixed- and rotary-wing operations.
Spirit Aeronautics named William (Bill) Highfill director of maintenance. Highfill worked at Gulfstream Aerospace, Indianapolis Jet Center (now Comlux Aviation Services) and Arinc.
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty named Gary Gardner head of aviation claims. He joined the company from Wilson Elser Moskowitz Edelman & Dicker, where he was senior equity partner and aviation practice team chairman. Frank Nelson was promoted to v-p and general manager of Jormac Aerospace. Nelson was v-p for program management at Jormac for the previous six years. Colt Mehler, vice president for project engineering, will succeed Nelson as v-p for program management.
Advent Aerospace has created two new senior management positions and appointed new leaders for its Jormac Aerospace and Cabin Innovations divisions. Harvey Ticlo was named senior v-p for corporate strategy, business development and integration. He was formerly president of the company’s cabin innovations division, located in Lewisville, Texas. Shawn Bucher was named v-p and general manager of Cabin Innovations. He was previously v-p of engineering at B/E Aerospace. Steve Jourdenais was named senior v-p for the interiors group, consisting of the Cabin Innovations and Jormac Aerospace divisions, and will be responsible for operations at both. Jourdenais was previously president of Jormac Aerospace, located in Largo, Fla.
Cari Smith joins AJW Aviation as regional sales director, heading the organization’s component sales and exchange service across North America. She was previously national account manager at GE Capital Aviation Services.
CRS Jet Spares named Don Gallisath north central sales manager. He spent more than 20 years at Raytheon Aircraft Services in various sales and managerial roles, including in aftermarket support. After leaving Raytheon, Gallisath was a regional sales manager for two aftermarket parts suppliers covering a similar region of the country.
Tom Huismann was promoted to v-p of operations for Tradewind International. He was previously the company’s director of business development. Patrick Mills joined Astronics AES as a chief mechanical engineer within the Airborne Power and Control organization in Kirkland, Wash. He was previously employed at Eaton and has 20 years of electro-mechanical aerospace experience in the field of design, material science and analysis for electrical power and distribution systems for commercial and military aircraft.
FBO Partners, a Seattle-based FBO consulting firm, named Todd Baumgartner senior partner. He was most recently senior v-p of acquisitions for the Ross Aviation FBO network and previously worked at NetJets, where he established and led the NetJets fuel and FBO relations department and also developed the NetJets Dedicated FBO concept.
Greg Johnson joined Meridian at Teterboro Airport as director of business development, with responsibilities for overseeing the development of a new Meridian FBO to be built at Hayward Executive Airport in Hayward, Calif., and expanding the aircraft management business on the West Coast. The Flight Safety Foundation named Greg Marshall acting v-p for global programs. Marshall has worked as the director of the Flight Safety Foundation’s Basic Aviation Risk Standard program in the Melbourne, Australia office since 2010. He will be replacing Rudy Quevedo, who is leaving the Flight Safety Foundation to join the International Air Transport Association as director of safety.
FINAL FLIGHTS
Jerrie Mock, the first woman to fly solo around the world, died on September 30. She was 88. Mock took off on March 19, 1964, from Columbus, Ohio in a Cessna 180. She returned on April 17, after a 23,000-mile journey that took 29 days, 11 hours and 59 minutes. She traversed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, the Mediterranean, Red Sea, Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, with stops in the Azores, Casablanca, Cairo, Karachi, Calcutta, Bangkok and Honolulu, among other places. She was stalled by high winds in Bermuda and battled rough weather between Casablanca and Bone, Algeria. Mock studied aeronautical engineering at Ohio State University but left before graduating to get married. She is survived by a daughter, Valerie Armentrout; a sister, Susan Reid; 12 grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.
Robert Poli, former president of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (Patco), died on September 15. He was 78. Citing the need for more just and effective labor relations within the FAA, Poli led air traffic controllers on strike in 1981, an action that prompted President Ronald Reagan to fire the strikers en masse. Natca rose from the rubble of Patco and continues Poli’s mission to resolve controllers’ grievances. He is survived by his wife, a daughter and four grandchildren.
AWARDS AND HONORS
Gerard van Dyk, accountable manager at Dumont Aviation, has received the FAA Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award. The award is given in appreciation of dedicated service, technical expertise, professionalism and outstanding maintenance contributions to further the cause of aviation safety. He has a 50-year aviation career, including positions with the Royal Dutch Air Force in the Netherlands, KLM Airlines, Summit Aviation and Rollins Flight Department. He was founder of Gerard van Dyk, Inc., New Castle Aviation and Elcorta. The Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award is named in honor of the first aviation mechanic in powered flight and his work for the Wright brothers.
Airbus Helicopters honored leaders of the air medical transport industry for their efforts to improve safety and quality of service. PHI Air Medical president David Motzkin was honored with the Jim Charlson Aviation Safety Award, given annually to an individual who has made significant contributions promoting aviation safety within the air medical transport community. Under Motzkin’s direction, PHI has focused on its Destination Zero program, the goal of achieving zero accidents, incidents and injuries. Tom Allenstein, COO of MedFlight of Ohio, was presented with the Program of the Year award. The award is given annually to an emergency medical services program that has demonstrated superior levels of safety consciousness, patient care and quality. Protean was honored with the Vision Zero Aviation Safety Award for development of the LZControl.com database, a free flight-safety service the company provides the air medical industry. The award recognizes a program or company that has demonstrated a commitment to aviation safety, spotlights specific safety initiatives and encourages the sharing of ideas so others in the industry can learn from them.
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2014-11-05/people-aviation