Chad Trautvetter
Online Editor
Chad is the editor of AINalerts, AIN's daily business aviation newsletter, and is also the news editor at AIN Media Group. He has been writing about aviation, with an emphasis on business aviation, since 1994. Chad started his writing career at The Avion, the student newspaper at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, serving as editor-in-chief before graduating with a bachelor's in aeronautical science. After a stint as managing editor at Professional Pilot magazine, he joined AIN in late 1998. Chad holds a commercial pilot certificated with instrument and multi-engine ratings, and he also is a CFI/CFII. He lives and works from his home in Venice, Florida.
Latest from Chad Trautvetter
Flight Sharing Service Offers Greener Alternative
West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Greenjets last Thursday launched a shared-ride charter jet membership service, offering a “more environmentally, socially and f
Charter & Fractional
FAA Loses Appeal of Air Trek Revocation
Charter operator Air Trek’s battle to reinstate its Part 135 certificate following an FAA attempt at revocation appears to be back on track.
GAMA: Bizjet Deliveries Down, Turboprops Up in 1Q
The number of aircraft delivered in the first quarter of this year paled in com
New Owner Sees ‘Significant Potential’ in Piper Aircraft
American Capital today sold its entire stake in Vero Beach, Fla.-based Piper Aircraft to Imprimis, a corporate finance and investment management firm that
Accidents
Did Pilot Error Lead To 2007 Citation Crash?
An NTSB interim factual report and findings from a flight simulation issued last month suggest that pilot error, not a runaway trim condition, caused the J
Training and Workforce
Phenom Pilot Training Soaring at CAE
Nearly 50 customers have completed Phenom 100 pilot training at Embraer CAE Training Services, a joint venture between CAE and Embraer, CAE told AI
Maintenance and Modifications
EASA OKs Superjet Int’l To Perform Mx
The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has issued EASA/ENAC Part 145 certification to Venice, Italy-based Superjet International, allowing the regiona
Airports
Santa Monica Airport Part 16 Hearings Held
The city of Santa Monica, Calif., in late March was at an FAA Part 16 hearing in Long Beach defending its stance on trying to keep larger jets from using S
Air Chef Launches Visual Online Menu
Air Chef Holdings has launched a visual upgrade to its two Web sites–Air Culinaire (www.airculinaire.com) a
Charter & Fractional
Flight Options Gets New Investment
Directional Capital, an investment firm led by Flight Options chairman and founder Kenn Ricci, private-equity firm Resilience Capital Partners and “key mem
Safety
Pilot Pax Lands King Air after Pilot Dies
The FAA is hailing three South Florida air traffic controllers for assisting Doug White, a fixed-wing single-engine-rated private pilot and passenger, in s
Maintenance and Modifications
Gulfstream’s ‘Meet the Quote’ Program Is Back
Gulfstream Aerospace has reinstituted its “Meet the Quote” spare parts price-matching program, initially launched in March 2004, and operators have until J
Vaccination Prevents Japanese Encephalitis
Medical authorities are advising travelers to Asia–and Southeast Asia in particular–to consider being vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis, a mosquito-
Maintenance and Modifications
Chromalloy Plans $16.5 Million Tampa Expansion
Chromalloy, a supplier of components, PMA parts and specialized component repairs for turbine engines, is investing $16.5 million in an expansion of its Ta
Avionics
Cessna Mustang Gets Synthetic Vision OK
Cessna Aircraft on April 21 received FAA certification for Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology for the Citation Mustang.
Charter & Fractional
Furlough Mitigation Program Started at NetJets
Fractional provider NetJets and its pilots union–NJASAP, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots–have collaborated on a voluntary furlough-mitiga
Aircraft
Cessna Shelves Citation Columbus Program
When Cessna chairman, CEO and president Jack Pelton said<
Rotorcraft
Bell Flourishes, Cessna Stumbles at Textron
Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter parent Textron yesterday reported that first-quarter revenues dropped year-over-year by 24 percent to $2.5 billion, whi
General Dynamics: Gulfstream ‘Held Its Own’ in Q1
The aerospace division at General Dynamics, which includes Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, “held its own” in the first quarter, parent company chairman and CE
Charter & Fractional
Fractional Providers Offer Creative Solutions
Fractional aircraft providers have reshaped their marketing efforts to address the difficulty of trying to get customers to buy aircraft shares during a re
Light Jet Sets New RTW Speed Record
New Jersey businessman Jared Isaacman, along with copilot Doug Demko, on April 15 shattered the world record for an eastbound global circumnavigation in a
ATC
Foundation Promotes User Fees
In a recent issue of “ATC Reform News,” Reason Foundation director of transportation studies Robert Poole uses the anti-business jet rhetoric to further pu
Regulations and Government
Will Aces Deal Bizav a Losing Hand?
The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s draft of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Aces) creates greenhouse gas emission standards for
Bizav Flight Activity Shows Possible Recovery
Business aircraft flight activity in March increased nearly 8 percent over February, according to data from Cincinnati-based ARG/US.
AOPA Launches GA Campaign
Long-time AOPA member, pilot and actor Harrison Ford has teamed with AOPA to promote general aviation.
Regulations and Government
Lobby Groups Welcome FAA Chief Nominee
The nomination of former Airline Pilots Association president J.
UBS: Pre-owned Bizjet Inventory Stabilizing
UBS Investment Research’s latest business jet update suggests that the pre-owned business jet market might be at or near the bottom.
Airports
New Branson Airport Nears Opening
A new privately funded $155 million, 900-acre regional airport will open May 11 in Branson, Mo.
Charter & Fractional
Exec AirShare Accepts Its First Phenom 100
Kansas City, Mo.-based regional fractional provider Executive AirShare last month took delivery of its first Embraer Phenom 100.
More Production Cuts Ahead at Bizav OEMs?
Despite an order backlog covering 5,000 aircraft, turbine business aircraft manufacturers are expected to experience the steepest decline in production of
