Story ID: 003May2021
People in Aviation
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: James Elian is CEO in addition to president of AirSprint, while Nick Popovich takes the role of chairman at sage-popovich
Word Count: 1710
Fractional-share provider AirSprint Private Aviation has expanded the roles of its senior leadership. James Elian has added the title of CEO in addition to his duties as president. Elian has served as president since 2015 and has been with the company for 20 years. Jared Williams, meanwhile, is now COO in addition to his previous responsibilities as v-p of operations. Williams joined AirSprint in 2017 and has more than 20 years of business aviation experience.

Petar Todorovic was promoted to president of sage-popovich, while Nick Popovich moved to the role of chairman. Todorovic, who joined sage-popovich in 2014, most recently was v-p of operations. Popovich, who is also owner of the company, had formerly served as president of the firm.

Krimson Aviation, an Addis Ababa-based flight support, charter, and aviation consultancy, promoted Helina Teshome to managing director, appointed Gideon Girma to the newly created position of commercial manager, and named Michael Mesfin concierge services manager. Teshome previously served as Krimson’s chief commercial officer. Girma joins Krimson after serving with Ethiopian Airlines and Aeroservices. Mesfin has spent nearly a decade working at travel firms and international organizations, including Carlson Wagonlit.

Global Aerospace named Sharon Holahan global head of complex claims and Michael Dobson interim director of claims. Holahan has served as executive v-p and director of claims in the U.S. since 2012. Dobson, who has been group head of claims and group general counsel, has more than 25 years of experience in the legal and claims insurance market.  

Lewis Prebble joined StandardAero as president of the company’s Airlines & Fleets division. Prebble, who has 25 years of aerospace experience, most recently served as senior v-p for the Americas for Rolls-Royce and also has held a number of senior roles with Bombardier.

Wencor Group named Josh Abelson to the newly created role of president of PMA and chief commercial officer of PMA and distribution. Abelson has more than 35 years of sales, marketing, and supply chain experience with companies including Aviall, Heico, and AeroTurbine, and most recently was president of Delta Material Services.

Hawthorne Global Aviation Services appointed Cameron Burr executive chairman of the board. Hawthorne also added Glenn Leonard and Jon Slangerup to the board. Burr, who has served on the Hawthorne board since the company's inception in 2011, is a managing partner at JetCapital. Leonard brings a background in corporate, charter, and airline operations and previously co-founded Cavok. Slangerup has more than 30 years of executive leadership experience including with Mxi Technologies, the Port of Long Beach, and FedEx.

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) added three members to its Executive Committee: David Coleal, CEO of Incora; JoeBen Bevirt, founder and CEO of Joby Aviation; and Roei Ganzarski, CEO of magniX and executive chairman of Eviation.

David Hess has joined the board of Woodward. Most recently CEO for Arconic, Hess spent 38 years at United Technologies, including as executive v-p and chief customer officer of UTC Aerospace, president of Pratt & Whitney, and president of Hamilton Sundstrand.

Derek Thomson, the commercial director and accountable manager for Air Charter Scotland, was appointed to the board of The Air Charter Association (ACA).  Thomson brings 25 years of aviation experience to his role on the ACA board, including in both rotary and fixed-wing operations and sales.

Bombardier appointed Stuart Bailey as general manager of its recently acquired Berlin Service Centre in Germany. Bailey previously spent two decades with Lufthansa, holding roles in Germany, Malta, and the U.S.

H+S Aviation appointed Len Russo as a global strategic account executive for the company’s GE Aviation T700 and CT7 engine product lines. Russo has more than 30 years of aviation industry experience, most recently focused on the GE T700 and CT7 engine lines. H+S also named Jim Payton global strategic account executive for the company’s CTS800 engine product line business. Payton has more than 35 years of aviation experience, primarily with Rolls-Royce.

Gulfstream Aerospace named Antonia Gilbert senior regional sales manager for western and southern Europe. Gilbert has more than 12 years of business aviation experience, most recently with Jet Aviation in Basel and before that as a charter broker with JetAlliance in Austria and Global Jet Concept in Geneva.

Norm Matheis has taken a business development role with Mid-Canada Mod Center. Matheis joins Mid-Canada after serving with Universal Avionics, Field Aviation, and Bombardier Aerospace and most recently as an avionics and special missions aircraft consultant.

Jet Support Services, Inc. named Pascale Barhouch director of business development for the Middle East and India. Barhouch has 13 years of experience, previously holding senior sales and marketing roles with Abjad Group, Rizon Jet, and, most recently, Gogo Business Aviation.

James Bennett joined Paslay Management Group (PMG) to provide strategic leadership. Bennett brings 40 years of airport leadership experience to his new role, holding senior positions at large and small airports including in Washington, Phoenix, and Abu Dhabi.

ACC Aviation appointed David Macdonald as head of global business development. Macdonald has more than three decades of aviation experience, including with Air Partner, Hunt & Palmer, and Oxygen Aviation.

Brad Orr joined King Aerospace as senior capture manager. Orr, who spent 22 years with the U.S. Air Force, most recently provided business development and program management for Vertex Aerospace.

ACASS appointed Chris Warton as sales director of Western/Central U.S. and Mexico. Warton joins ACASS with a background in flight operations, customer service, training, and sales, having previously served with Bombardier and CAE.

C&L Aviation Services hired Roger Daily to serve as assistant director of maintenance. Daily has 30 years of aviation experience, most recently with ExpressJet.

West Star named Michael Sichmeller avionics technical sales manager at its East Alton, Illinois facility. Sichmeller has more than 37 years of aviation experience and served in the U.S. Air Force.

Sam McRickard joined West Star Aviation as project manager at the Grand Junction, Colorado facility. McRickard previously has held research and development, design, and certification project management positions at Cirrus Aircraft.

Duncan Aviation named Jason Thuman manager of its satellite shop in Kansas City. Thuman has 14 years of experience performing avionics installations at Duncan Aviation and is finishing his bachelor’s degree in business management and leadership this quarter with work set to begin on a master’s in organizational leadership in July.

L2 Aviation appointed Steve Pascoe as engineering manager. Pascoe was a former senior engineering manager for Gogo and also has served with Global Eagle Entertainment and Collins Aerospace.

Air Charter Service named Chris Fisher business development director in the U.S. Fisher has 30 years of aviation experience, including with the U.S. Navy, a freight forwarder, and another charter company.

First Wing Charter and Management added four more pilots: Stephen “Scotty” Fairbairn, Bryan McKee, Alan Rensing, and Danielle Kaskel. In addition, Kaskel will serve as business development manager.

Fernando Quental was appointed Brazil area manager for Bristow. Quental, who brings more than 20 years of leadership experience to this role, recently was business unit director of oil, gas, chemicals, and minerals for SGS do Brasil and before that Latin America services director for Baker Hughes.

Todd Spangler joined Jetcraft as sales director for Florida and Central and South America. Spangler brings a 25-year business aviation career to his new role that has included senior sales positions at Bombardier, Elliott Jets, Hawker Beechcraft, and NetJets.

Brent Hudecek joined the avionics sales team at Duncan Aviation’s Lincoln, Nebraska, facility. Hudecek previously spent 18 years as an internal avionics sales rep for an OEM and also 10 years with an FBO in Michigan.

Flight Schedule Pro has added several new staff members. Anna Luckey is principal user experience designer; Caleb Curry is an application developer; Brittany Simmons is a marketing coordinator; Leslie Schwarz is an office manager; Trent Husak is lead technical support engineer; and Bryan Kriss is a front end application developer.

FreeFlight Systems promoted Justin Yows, Kenia Goodman, Rob Hall, and Keith Maness. Yows, who has been with the company for nine years and most recently was a manufacturing technician, is now a production supervisor. Goodman began with FreeFlight in 2017 as a temp in the shipping and receiving department and has moved to several positions since, now as a buyer and planner. Hall joined the company in 2019 with a background in electronics and now has become procurement manager. Maness began as a process engineer a year ago and is now production manager.

Awards and Honors

The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) honored four aerospace innovators and leaders—famed designer Burt Rutan, retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles McGee, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Kenyatta Ruffin, and BRS Aerospace founder Boris Popov—during its fifth annual R.A. “Bob” Hoover Trophy Awards in February.

Rutan received the highest honor, the R.A. “Bob” Hoover Trophy, for his “airmanship, leadership, and passion for aviation.” Rutan has designed 49 aircraft, including the Voyager, which flew around the world in 1986, and SpaceShipOne, which brought the first civilian astronaut to space in 2004.

AOPA presented the inaugural Brigadier General Charles E. McGee Aviation Inspiration Award to its namesake, Charles McGee, who was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. AOPA noted that McGee fought two wars simultaneously during World War II, one against fascism in Europe and another against racism in the U.S.

Ruffin, meanwhile, also received the award as an “aviator and hero in the name of General McGee.” An F–16 pilot and commander of the 71st Operations Support Squadron, Ruffin also founded a flight school, helped found a STEM summer camp, and founded the Legacy Flight Academy that works to preserve and grow the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen.

The General Aviation Safety Award was presented to Popov, who is credited with helping to drive down the general aviation fatal accident rate with his whole-airframe parachute concept. The system is believed to have saved 438 lives to date. More than 30,000 general aviation aircraft are equipped with BRS parachutes.