People in Aviation: April 2019

Airbus Helicopters appointed Alain Flourens as head of industry, succeeding Christian Cornille, who departed the company. Flourens is currently head of engineering and formerly was head of the A380 program for Airbus Commercial Aircraft. Stefan Thomé succeeds Flourens as head of engineering, moving over from his role as head of new business models and services at Airbus Defence and Space. Thome has also held multiple roles with Airbus Helicopters.

Gregory Bowles, v-p of global innovation and policy at the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), was appointed to a three-year term on the ASTM International board of directors, where he will work with legislators and regulators to enable emerging aviation technologies and shape and harmonize regulations and policy. Bowles, who has held positions with Keystone Helicopter and Cessna Aircraft, joined GAMA in 2005 and has previously served as director of European affairs and engineering in Brussels, Belgium, for the association.

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) elected three new members to its Board of Directors: Marc Drobny, president of Business Aviation for StandardAero; Geoffrey Heck, senior v-p operations-East, Canada, and Caribbean for Signature Flight Support; and Mike Magni, president of Monaco Air Duluth. Drobny joined StandardAero in March 2018 and before that was president of Executive Jet Management. Heck has 33 years of aviation experience including 23 with Signature. Magni has led Monaco Air Duluth as president for 13 years and previously was managing director of IT development at American Airlines’ Sabre division.

VT Group named Thomas Lydon president of aviation solutions, responsible for the integration of the company’s worldwide aviation services with the engineering and logistics capabilities of the recently acquired National Technologies Associates.

Lydon formerly was senior v-p at Sabre Systems and also has held leadership positions with Vistronix, SAIC, General Dynamics, Veridian, and Grumman Aerospace.

Panasonic Avionics named Kimberly Chainey general counsel. Chainey has more than 15 years' experience advising senior executives of Fortune 500 companies, venture businesses, and government entities, previously as associate general counsel, global M&A, strategy, and innovation for Avis Budget Group.

Duncan Aviation named Andy Richards executive v-p and COO in its Battle Creek, Michigan facility. A 22-year company veteran, Richards spent the last seven years as v-p of modifications and completions. He steps into the role formerly held by Tom Burt, who retired after 40 years with the company. Burt, who will remain involved with Duncan teaching leadership and business classes, joined the company’s Lincoln, Nebraska facility in 1979 as a mechanic on Learjets and turboprops and subsequently held sales and customer service roles of increasing responsibility.

Gulfstream Aerospace promoted v-p of flight operations Colin Miller to senior v-p of innovation, engineering and flight, and v-p of initial and final phase manufacturing Greg Collett to senior v-p of manufacturing and completions. Miller will take the baton from Dan Nale, who will retire April 1 after nearly 35 years at Gulfstream, the past six of which have seen him at the helm of innovation, engineering, and flight. Miller joined Gulfstream in 2013 as an experimental test pilot and has since been a part of the development, testing, and certification programs for the G500 and G600, as well as the development of advanced aircraft technologies. Since joining Gulfstream in 1998, Collett has held various leadership roles in operations, including oversight of initial and final phase manufacturing, new product development, and manufacturing operations.

BBA Aviation’s Global Engine Services (GES) appointed Deborah Wells v-p of strategy and business Improvement, responsible for the integration of GES’s core operations, consisting of engineering, quality, and continuous improvement. Wells previously was senior director of global Pratt & Whitney Canada.

Jet Aviation appointed Norbert Ehrich v-p of flight services for EMEA and Asia, succeeding Jürg Reuthinger, who retired after more than 35 years of service. Formerly v-p of sales for Jet Aviation Flight Services South East U.S. and South America, Ehrich has served with the company for nearly 30 years, serving various roles involving marking, FBO, charter, and MRO operations.

The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) named Jonathon Freye v-p of government and public affairs. Freye most recently was senior policy advisor for House aviation subcommittee member Rep. Dan Lipinski (D-Illinois) and also has served as the federal government affairs representative for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority as well as a legislative fellow in the office of then Senate aviation subcommittee chair Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Washington).

Castle & Cooke Aviation named Dean Williams general manager at its Everett, Washington (KPAE) location. Williams, who is responsible for directing all of the FBO activities, joins Castle & Cooke with more than 20 years of airline and airport management and operations experience, formerly serving as director of fuel administration and corporate manager of fuel operations and infrastructure with a major airline.

Kent Wong, Metrojet Limited head of safety and quality, was elected to the Standards Board for the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). Nominated by the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA), Wong oversees Metrojet’s safety management system.

Ahead of the planned summer opening of its new FBO at Dallas Love Field, Tac Air named company veteran Kip Simanek general manager at DAL. Simanek most recently headed Tac Air’s Little Rock, Arkansas, facility.

Richard Ramsden joined Ramjet Aviation as senior v-p. Ramsden, who joins the board of the firm led by his son Jeff Ramsden, recently retired from Wells Fargo Equipment Finance as v-p and territory management in the Corporate Aircraft Division and has also served with The CIT Group and Bombardier Capital during his 50 year-career.

Raphaël Fabian joined the General Aircraft Manufacturers Association as its director of European affairs. Fabian most recently with Rolls-Royce’s European affairs team in Brussels.

VREF Aircraft Reference Value & Appraisal Services added Richard “Dick” Hart as chief helicopter appraiser and Jeremy Cox as senior aircraft appraiser. Hart brings more than 40 years of helicopter experience to his new role, having conducted thousands of aircraft appraisals and heading companies such as National Helicopter Service and Engineering Company, Elite Helicopter Tours, and his family’s Aerial Motion Picture business. Cox also has 40 years of aviation experience, previously holding v-p roles for JetBrokers and a St. Louis-based FBO and MRO, as well as serving with a number of OEM service centers.

Cutter Aviation promoted David Clifton to director of technical and flight support services, responsible for its Part 145 repair stations, Part 135 charter operations, and the client relationship team. Clifton, who joined Cutter in 2005 as director of maintenance, has more than 30 years of A&P mechanic and management experience with Cutter and other operators, as well as experience as a mechanic/crew chief and air traffic controller for the U.S. Army.

West Star Aviation appointed Tommi Krell director of corporate communications. Krell brings more than five years of aviation marketing and communications experience to her new role, previously with Jet Aviation, and also has served as an account executive with CBS Radio.

Duncan Aviation named Ted Roethlisberger assistant manager of customer service at its Battle Creek, Michigan facility. Roethlisberger joined Duncan Aviation in 2008 as the manager of business process and continuous improvement and last year took the position of project manager.

Krimson, the Ethiopia-based aviation services company, named Getahun Seifeselassie flight operations supervisor. Seifeselassie, who is working on a post-graduate program in public management from the Ethiopian Civil Service University, has served as an air traffic controller at Addis Ababa Bole International Airport for 14 years and also in a variety of roles with the Ethiopian Civil Aviation Authority.

GlobalJet Services, which specializes in on-location aircraft, avionics, safety, and professional development training, added Amy Jock as sales account manager.  Jock brings a background in finance, sales, and marketing to her new role, and currently serves on the board of directors for the Avon, Connecticut Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

SolJets hired Nathan “Nate” Metzler as executive sales director for the brokerage firm. Metzler has a 15-year aviation sales background in the Parts 91 and 135 sectors, including managing training programs for Bombardier, Cessna, Dassault, and Gulfstream business jet operators.

Jill Case has joined Wing Aviation as the national director of sales. Case, who has more than 15 years of private aviation industry experience, previously was v-p of business development for Gama Aviation in Connecticut.

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) named Hugo Reyes senior underwriter, General Aviation, for North America. Reyes joins Allianz with nearly two decades of experience, including serving as assistant v-p with U.S. Aviation Insurance Group (USAIG) and v-p with Swiss Re.

FlightSafety International promoted Michelle Dodson to assistant manager of the Wichita East learning center. A former air tour and airline pilot, Dodson has served with FlightSafety since 2001, originally as a Dassault Falcon 20 instructor at the DFW North Learning Center and later as a program manager, assistant director of standard, and director of standards.

Final Flight

Peter Galvin Anderson, the former long-time president of Galvin Flying Services, has died. Anderson, the nephew of Galvin Flying Services founder Jim Galvin, had spent more than five decades in the aviation services business.

Born and raised in the Seattle area, he first went to work for his uncle shortly after he turned 16 in 1969, washing the Galvin fleet on weekends and during the summer. After graduating from high school, he joined the family business full time.

He became president of the Seattle-area FBO in 1980 and in the mid-1980s acquired the operation alongside his family. Anderson’s primary goal was to carry on the values of his uncle as he ran the business, according to the company.

Anderson sold the business in 2007 to Quantem FBO Services of Manchester, New Hampshire. The business was later then sold to Landmark Aviation in 2014 and Anderson then departed the business. But in 2015 Skip Moshner bought the flight-training end of the business and Anderson returned. the authority for light, general aviation across our community.

Over the years, Anderson became involved in the future of aviation, as well as highlighting its past in the community, through his contributions of The Museum of Flight and Youth in Aviation. He also was a founding board member of Raisbeck Aviation High School.