People in Aviation: October 2016

TAG Aviation Asia appointed Jolie Howard CEO. Most recently regional v-p of CIT Business Aircraft Finance in Asia, Howard, previously spent six years as director of business development for TAG Asia.

Robert Molsbergen was named president of ExcelAire. Molsbergen has held a number of senior executive positions with aviation and manufacturing companies, including president of its Executive Jet Management (EJM) subsidiary and COO of NetJets global aircraft management, president of MD Helicopters, president of InnovationPlus and president of EMTS.

Vivek Saxena has stepped in as president and CEO of Mooney International. Saxena, who takes the role held by Jerry Chen, is a veteran senior executive in the aerospace industry, having previously served as an executive officer with ICF International and before that holding multiple roles with Pratt & Whitney, among them general manager.

Greg Principato joined the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) as president and CEO, succeeding Jonathan Gaffney. Principato has long been an aviation association official, previously serving as president and CEO of the National Association of State Aviation Officials and before that president and CEO of Airports Council International.

 John Wade, who steered Gogo’s business aviation division over the past eight years, was promoted to executive vice president and COO for Gogo. Wade brings 30 years of aviation experience to his new role, including a stint as chief technology officer for OnAir. Gogo promoted Sergio Aguirre to senior v-p and general manager of this division. Aguirre has 27 years of industry experience, beginning as a customer account manager with Gulfstream Aerospace and later working at Airshow and Securaplane.

The African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) named BestFly managing director Nuno Pereira vice chairman. Angola-based BestFly was among the founding members of AfBAA, and Pereira has been regularly involved since the association’s inception and hosted AfBAA’s members-only Rendezvous event at BestFly’s Luanda home base.

Sergio Oliveira e Silva has become the new general manager for Gama Aviation Hutchison in Hong Kong. Silva has 22 years of aviation experience, previously working as an engineering manager for Jet Aviation in Hong Kong and also holding roles with Metrojet, NetJets Europe and Air Luxor.

Gulfstream Aerospace appointed Jeannine Haas to the newly created position of chief marketing officer. Haas has a quarter century of marketing experience, most recently as the CMO for Avis Budget Group and before that with American Express and Ford Motor.

James Henderson joined XOJet as chief business officer. Henderson had been president and CEO-Americas for yacht manufacturer Ferretti and previously had served with a range of luxury goods and premium consumer products businesses. He also managed commercial operations for the Red Bull Sauber Petronas F1 team.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association promoted Greg Bowles to v-p of global innovation and policy and Joe Sambiase to director of maintenance and airworthiness. GAMA also hired Kyle Martin to serve as director of European regulatory affairs. Bowles, who had been directory of European regulatory affairs and engineering, joined GAMA in 2005 and had served as the industry co-chair of the Part 23 Reorganization Aviation rulemaking Committee. Sambiase joined GAMA in 2010 as manager of maintenance and airworthiness and before that held roles with Compass Airlines, US Airways, Independence Air and Jet Aircraft Maintenance. Based in Brussels, Martin joins GAMA from the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), where he was civil aviation manager.

Parker Aerospace promoted Steve Pitts to v-p and general manager of the Control Systems Division and James Stephens to general manager of the Aircraft Wheel & Brake Division. Pitts was most recently general manager of the company’s Stratoflex Products Division. He has also served as v-p for the Boeing Commercial Business Segment at Honeywell. Stephens previously served as business unit manager of the Parker Hannifin Hydraulic Valve Division and as global development manager of defense systems.

The International Business Aviation Council hired Bennet Walsh to become its next director of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) programs. Walsh takes over from Sonnie Bates, who recently joined Baldwin Aviation. Walsh brings a background in both operations and safety to his new role, previously serving as senior v-p vice president of safety and operations for Jet Edge International and also serving as an auditor for Argus, as a pilot and simulator instructor for Delta Air Lines, and a pilot for a corporate flight department.

Tan Sri Ravindran Menon, founder and executive director of the Skypark Group, Malaysia, has joined the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) Board of Governors as lead of the Malaysia chapter. Menon founded Skypark in 2007 in Kuala Lumpur and in 2011 launched Skypark Link, bringing together his backgrounds in rail and aviation in an intermodal project.

Kelly Murphy joined Women in Aviation International as director of communications and editor-in-chief of Aviation for Women. A WAI member since 1997, Murphy has a long background in industry public relations, marketing and journalism, including running an international women-owned aviation public relations and marketing services company, publishing the Regional Airline Association’s magazine Regional Horizons and editing Professional Pilot magazine, Commuter/Regional Airline News and Water Flying magazine.

Emery Air named David Kay director of sales and marketing for its Corporate Aircraft Maintenance and Avionics Division. Kay has 20 years of aviation industry experience and most recently held an avionics system sales position for J.A. Air Center.

Aviation Mart named Gerald Timmermans sales director for Asia-Pacific. Based in Sydney, Australia, Timmermans has 25 years of experience within the aviation sector, working with Fokker, Rockwell Collins and, most recently, Thomas Global Systems.

At FlightSafety International…  Bryan King was promoted to manager of the HondaJet training facility in Greensboro, N.C. King joined FlightSafety in 1999 in the Wichita East learning center and joined the HondaJet training team last year. Matthew De Foe was appointed assistant manager of the training facility West Palm Beach, Fla. De Foe, who has flown a variety of business aircraft and served as first officer for ExpressJet Airlines, joined FlightSafety’s Tucson, Ariz., learning center in 2008 as an instructor and most recently was assistant manager of the facility. And Darryl Prince was promoted to assistant manager of the training center in Long Beach, Calif. Prince joined FlightSafety’s Long Beach facility in 1988 as a flight simulator technician and has held a number of positions since, among them shift lead, FAA coordinator and manager of flight training devices and head of the center’s safety management system.

Constant Aviation added Jerry Sanders and Dan Frahm as avionics regional sales managers. Sanders, who has 20 years of aviation experience, most recently was avionics product director and technical sales manager for StandardAero. Frahm also has 20 years of aviation industry experience, most recently as v-p of avionics sales at Valair Aviation.

Aviation Specialties Unlimited named Sarah Pokorney marketing coordinator. Pokorney has 19 years in the military and currently serves part time in the Idaho Air National Guard.

Rob Jolly has joined West Star Aviation as regional sales manager for the western territory covering Arizona, Nevada and California. Jolly previously held roles with Sabreliner, Midcoast Aviation and Jet Aviation.

Traxxall Technologies appointed Frank Neal maintenance analyst. Neal previously was an analyst with Gulfstream CMP, where he was responsible for 90 aircraft, and also has served as a senior compliance specialist at Avtrak.

West Star Aviation appointed Jerimiah Webb landing-gear regional sales manager of the Western region. Webb has a decade of aviation sales experience, beginning with GPI as an inside sales representative and then with Beechcraft managing/selling customer repair and tool rentals.

Jorge Gonzalez has joined C&L Aerospace as regional sales manager, focusing on Hawker and Beechjet parts and support. Gonzalez has 30 years of corporate aviation experience, previously working for Private Sky and Arinc.

Central Flying Service named David Casey regional sales manager, jet group. Casey has 27 years of aviation experience, beginning with his service in the U.S. Air Force and later in a number of roles with Hawker Beechcraft Services.

Ann Lowell was appointed manager of Metro Aviation’s Operational Control Center. Lowell, who was named the 2015 Pilot of the Year by the National EMS Pilots Association, most recently was lead helicopter pilot for Air Methods and also has worked for Papillon Grand Canyon Helicopters, Helimax Aviation and Silver State Aviation, among others.

Dennis Kirkpatrick has joined Legacy Aviation Services as avionics shop manager/supervisor. Kirkpatrick brings five decades of avionics experience to his new role, beginning in 1963 working for his father’s company, Kirkpatrick Electronics, and then later with Legacy predecessor company Downtown Airpark.

Donaldson Aerospace & Defense appointed Lars Hesbjerg global director of sales. Hesbjerg, who joined parent company Donaldson in 2002 as a director of sales, most recently was global director of sales for the company’s Off-Road Engine division. o

Final Flights

William Meyer, a lifelong aircraft mechanic who was celebrated by the Professional Aviation Maintenance Association (PAMA) as a “man who could fix everything,” died July 8. He was 69. Born in California, Meyer enlisted in the U.S. Air Force after high school, joining the 50th Maintenance Squadron in Han, Germany. There, he worked on the F-111 and the F-4 Phantom.

Following his service, he joined Allied Signal Garrett AiResearch, where he remained for 23 years. While at Garrett, Meyer was instrumental in the development of a Lockheed JetStar engine conversion program, which became known as the JetStar-731. He then moved on to the Dassault Falcon 20 re-engining program with TFE731-5s.

After retiring from Garrett, he began a business with his brother Andy, American Data Plate and Aviation Collectables, and later became director of maintenance for Spears Manufacturing, where he maintained aircraft from the light-sport category to helicopters, turboprops and large business jets. Meyer was active in PAMA, serving as secretary, v-p and executive v-p of the national board of directors.

Along with brother Andy and sister Francine Freedman, he is survived by his wife, Doris Meyer; two daughters, Christa Ennis and Laura Ramirez; and four grandchildren.

Tim Corter, who was director of maintenance for Ballengee Aviation, died on August 13 at the age of 56. A graduate of the Sacramento City College Department of Aeronautic Technology, Corter had a 35-year career beginning at Mauser Aviation in 1981. A licensed airframe and powerplant mechanic, he also held positions at AAR of Oklahoma, Jet Service Enterprise, Kerr-McGee Aviation and Dallas Jet International, where he was chief of maintenance. In his most recent role at Ballengee, he oversaw maintenance of a Falcon 50EX and King Air 90. During his career, Corter was recognized with the FAA’s Ruby Award, as well as the NBAA Aviation Maintenance Technician Safety Award.

Corter is survived by his wife, Sandra Dee Corter; daughters Sarah Ann Lau and Erin Elizabeth Gibson; brother Charlie Corter; and two grandchildren.