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
Charter & Fractional
DayJet Calls It a Day
Boca Raton, Fla.-based DayJet–the per-seat, on-demand charter operator of the Eclipse 500– ceased operations and let go most of its approximately 150 emplo
ATC
NextGen Taking Shape at Embry-Riddle
The NextGen testbed facility at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach campus is gearing up for a demonstration in November that will advance
Accidents
Blown Tire Eyed in Learjet 60 Crash
NTSB investigators are still on scene at the Columbia (S.C.) Metropolitan Airport, sorting through the wreckage of a chartered Learjet 60SE (N999LJ) that c
Aircraft
Eclipse Downplays DayJet Shutdown
After Boca Raton, Fla.-based DayJet–the per-seat, on-demand charter operator of the Eclipse 500–on Friday ceased operations and let go most of its employee
Charter & Fractional
DayJet Parks VLJ Fleet For ‘Economic Reasons’
The fate of per-seat, on-demand air-taxi firm DayJet is up in the air, and its aircraft are not.
Aircraft
PiperJet Primed for Public Debut at NBAA
Piper Aircraft confirmed today that it will bring its PiperJet prototype to the NBAA Convention in Orlando, Fla., early next month.
Safety
APS Launches Sim-based Jet Upset Recovery Training
Mesa, Ariz.-based APS Emergency Maneuver Training recently started offering jet upset recovery training in full-motion simulators to mitigate in-flight los
ATC
NextGen Implementation a Huge Challenge for U.S.
While the need for ATC modernization is generally undisputed, DOT Inspector General Calvin Scovel III
ATC
FAA Awards ATC Training Contract to Raytheon
The FAA on Tuesday awarded a $437 million contract to Raytheon to support the agency in training air traffic controllers.
Safety
ARG/US Prevails in Charter Safety Rating Challenge
A legal issue between East Coast Jets and charter auditor ARG/US over a dropped “Platinum” rating following a fatal crash came to a swift conclusion yester
Bizjets Help Keep Bombardier Soaring Higher
On Thursday, Bombardier reported a year-over-year revenue increase of 22 percent, to $4.9 billion, in its second fiscal quarter ending July 31, thanks in l
Analysts Warn of Rising Pre-owned Bizjet Inventories
Separate reports released in the past week by JPMorgan and UBS Investment Research indicate that pre-owned business jet inventories continued to increase l
Regulations and Government
Settlement Reached in 1996 Gulfstream IV Accident
Years of litigation over a Gulfstream IV fatal crash at Palwaukee (Ill.) Municipal Airport (since renamed Chicago Executive Airport) in October 1996 finall
Safety
Fuel Icing Likely Culprit of 777 Crash at Heathrow
The UK’s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) today issued an interim report for the January 17 accident involving a British Airways Boeing 777 that l
Safety
NATA Miffed at FAA over Landing Performance ARC
In a letter sent on Wednesday to FAA Flight Standards Service director James Ballough, the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) conveyed its conc
Charter & Fractional
Sentient Flight Group Split-up Now a Done Deal
The break up of Sentient’s jet-card and charter divisions announced on August 13 was finalized over the weekend, according to the two companies involved in
Aircraft
Piperjet prototype FeelS the wind in its sails
Piper Aircraft’s single-engine PiperJet prototype has logged 12 flights since its maiden jaunt from Vero Beach (Fla.) Airport on July 30.
UBS: Bizjet Market Strong Despite Lower Flight Activity
In UBS Investment Research’s business jet update released on Tuesday, industry analyst David Strauss noted that U.S.
Regulations and Government
NATA: Varied FAR Interpretations Pose Real Cost
The National Air Transportation Association (NATA) said a survey it recently completed quantifies aircraft operators’ costs of inconsistent FAA regulatory
Regulations and Government
NBAA, NATA Lament Reduction in LGA Slots
In response to the FAA’s decision last week to reduce the number of hourly slots availa
Engines
FAA Issues Proposed AD To Prevent JT15D Flameouts
The FAA and Pratt & Whitney Canada believe they have found the cause of three high-altitude double engine flameouts on Pratt & Whitney Canada JT15D-5-power
Aircraft
Stevens Aviation Delivers First Lear4Ever Aircraft
Business aircraft maintenance, modification and completions firm Stevens Aviation today delivered the first Lear4Ever–an upgraded Learjet 35–to Dr.
Aircraft
Cessna Reaches Milestones for Mustang, CJ4
Cessna Aircraft yesterday delivered the 100th Citation Mustang at the Independence, Kan.
Eclipse Production Slowdown Trickling to Suppliers
With a strong vested interest in a revitalized Eclipse Aviation, Eclipse 500 suppliers are walking on eggshells when discussing planned production curbs of
Aircraft
Signs Point To Gulfstream G250 Launch Soon
Two weeks before Gulfstream Aerospace unveiled the G650 on March 13, a JP Morgan analyst report said the Savannah, Ga.-based aircraft manufacturer would la
Eclipse Aviation Goes Quiet; Raburn Severs All Ties
Very light jet manufacturer Eclipse Aviation late last week announced to employees and customers that the executive management team is working on “a plan t
Spectrum Aeronautical Nets Fleet Order from Starfish
Carlsbad, Calif.-based Spectrum Aeronautical earlier this week announced another fleet order for its in-development S.33 Independence very light jet and S.
Aircraft
Cessna’s Columbus Sails through Wind-tunnel Tests
Cessna yesterday said it completed a series of wind-tunnel tests for its large-cabin Citation Columbus.
Charter & Fractional
Ricci Extends Olive Branch to Flight Options Pilots
The previously chilly relations between Flight Options management and pilots appear to have thawed considerably just three weeks after the Cleveland-based
Aircraft
Epic Elite Jet Is Hostage to Georgia Conflict
The conflict between Russia and Georgia is reverberating at Bend, Ore.-based Epic Aircraft, which in late June temporarily moved its sole Epic Elite Jet pr
