The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has appointed Kent Stauffer, vice president of safety for Flexjet, as its new chairman and Michael Wootton, director of operations for Advanced Air, as vice chairman, effective 1 January, 2025. Stauffer will succeed Todd Weeber, whose term expires the end of December 2024.

Stauffer is a leading aviation safety professional who heads safety for fractional operator Flexjet. He is a pilot, UAS pilot and A&P mechanic. He holds several accreditations in aviation science, aviation maintenance and accident investigation. His broad background in aviation safety specialises in human factors, risk management, flight and ground operations, safety management systems and accident investigation.

Stauffer serves on several industry and FAA work groups and is an active member of the FAA Safety Team (FAAST). He participates as an aviation advisory board member for several Part 147 and 141 schools and colleges, and chairs the NBAA Maintenance Safety Sub-Committee. Stauffer is a recognised speaker within the industry as well as in health care systems, educating their care-giver teams in aviation safety and culture concepts.

Wootton has built and maintained a close working relationship with the FAA while developing the flight operations department and operational capabilities of Advanced Air, a Californian Part 135 charter company. He is a certified Airline Transport Pilot with several type ratings in business jets. Wootton has served as a chief pilot, check pilot and instructor on several aircraft types. He also serves as a captain on Gulfstream 550 and Dornier 328Jet aircraft. He studied criminology at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin.

“We are excited to welcome Kent and Mike into their new leadership roles at ACSF,” says CEO and president Bryan Burns. “Their vast experience and dedication to aviation safety will be a tremendous asset as we continue to promote the highest safety standards in the business and air charter industry.”