The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has appointed Larry Soles as its new director of operations.

Soles joins ACSF with extensive experience in operational safety leadership, most recently serving as senior director of operational and system safety at Wheels Up, where he directed the safety, security and compliance teams. During his tenure, he designed and implemented an enterprise-wide safety management system (SMS), advanced investigation and root cause analysis processes, and led a comprehensive safety technology transformation.

Soles has held senior safety leadership positions with another Part 135 operator and a large regional airline, where he overhauled both SMS and continuing analysis and surveillance system programmes. He began his aviation career as an enlisted aircrew member in the United States Air Force, gaining a cross-sector foundation in safety, discipline and operational performance. He has been a featured speaker at major industry events including the American Airlines SMS Industry Forum, Aviation Safety InfoShare and the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) SafetyNet webinars.

“ACSF has long been at the forefront of advancing safety across business and charter aviation,” says Soles. “I am excited to bring my experience in building enterprise-wide safety systems, leveraging tools like QuickBase, and collaborating with operators of all sizes to help strengthen the programmes that ACSF delivers to its members and the industry.”

ACSF president Debi Carpenter comments: “Larry’s deep expertise in SMS and operational safety will be instrumental as ACSF continues to expand its programmes and resources.”

Soles will oversee ACSF’s expanding portfolio of safety programmes, supporting operators in strengthening their SMS frameworks and fostering a culture of continuous safety improvement.