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Pentastar Aviation Vice President of Flight Operations and Director of Operations Robert Rufli elected Chairman of Air Charter Safety Foundation

WATERFORD, Mich., – Robert Rufli, Vice President of Flight Operations and Director of Operations for Pentastar Aviation, has been elected Chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF). Rufli has served on the ACSF Board of Governors since 2015 and most recently served as Vice Chairman.

In his new role as Chairman, Rufli will help the ACSF’s mission to lead and support the advancement of the highest safety standards available to allow the business, charter and fractional ownership industry to offer the safest air transportation products in the world and to provide objective information about these standards and services to the public.

“I am proud to have been appointed as Chairman of the ACSF,” said Rufli. “Pentastar’s steadfast dedication to passenger safety and security is supported by a comprehensive and ongoing program of internal review and audits. My position not only reinforces that commitment to safety, but that of the entire charter industry, and I am pleased to share my expertise to support the ACSF.”

Rufli has served as Vice President of Flight Operations and Director of Operations for Pentastar for over 3 years and has over 35 years of experience in the aviation industry. He is well-versed in FAA operational certification and certificate merger projects.  His experience also includes worldwide flight experience, startup and operations of corporate shuttles, 14 CFR Part 121 initial operational certification, FAA authorized A 502 Merger of five Part 135 Certificates and implementation of cloud-based data management tools, among others.

ACSF President Bryan Burns stated: “Bob has been an invaluable member of the ACSF Executive Committee and Board of Governors. He brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience as a leader in the aviation industry. His relentless pursuit to improve and enhance the foundation’s ongoing risk management programs is admirable.”

Rufli earned his Bachelor of Science in Air Commerce from Florida Institute of Technology and completed flight training in Gulfstream III, Hawker 800XP & 700, McDonnell Douglas MD-80, Airbus A-320, Beechjet 400A and 400, Mitsubishi Diamond, Beech Starship and Merlin VIC and 300 through Flight Safety International.

Pentastar Aviation adheres to the highest standards of safety and service excellence. In addition to membership in the Air Charter Safety Foundation and their voluntary Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), Pentastar is also a member of the National Safety Council. They have also obtained the NATA Safety 1st Clean certification, have a robust Safety Management System, a well-documented Emergency Response Plan, and have earned numerous aviation safety designations.

About Pentastar Aviation

Pentastar Aviation, wholly owned by Edsel B. Ford II, is a leader in the world of business aviation, providing aircraft management, advisory services, aircraft maintenance, avionics services, interior services and award-winning Executive Terminal services. Air charter transportation services are provided by Pentastar Aviation Charter, Inc., a U.S. FAR Part 135 on-demand air carrier, or by other U.S., FAR Part 135 certificated on-demand air carriers arranged by Pentastar Aviation, LLC. Their team is committed to delivering the highest standards of safety and service excellence to their customers.

Pentastar Aviation has been servicing regional and global travelers for over 50 years and is headquartered at Oakland County International Airport (PTK). For more information, please visit www.pentastaraviation.com.

About ACSF
The ACSF has developed the industry audit standard, an all-inclusive audit tailored for Part 135 and 91K operators that acts as a detailed gap analysis of an operator’s management practices. The audit program consists of a thorough review of an operator’s processes, procedures and regulatory compliance and the operator’s implementation of and adherence to a safety management system.

Additionally, the Foundation offers a voluntary, self-reporting Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP) which helps identify and reduce possible flight safety concerns, as well as mitigate risk. The ASAP uses employee input to identify significant safety concerns and issues, operational deficiencies, non-compliance with regulations, deviations from company policies and procedures, and unusual events. Each report is investigated, and corrective actions are determined based on a non-disciplinary approach to flight safety.

For further information, contact Bryan Burns at [email protected] or go to acsf.aero.

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