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
N. American Bizav Flying Continues Post-Covid Climbout
North American business aircraft flight activity gained back another one-third of Covid-19-related losses in June, as flying increased 40 percent from May.
Charter & Fractional
Qatar Executive Launches Fixed-rate Charter Program
Qatar Executive's new Diamond Agreement program allows customers to pre-purchase flight time at fixed-hourly rates on its long- and ultra-long-range jets.
Avionics
Honeywell Gets TSO Approval for RDR-7000 Wx Radar
Honeywell Aerospace has received FAA TSO approval for its IntuVue RDR-7000 weather radar and is now working to complete STCs for 15 aircraft by year-end.
Aircraft
Trio of Flight-test Dassault Falcon 6Xs Taking Shape
The first three pre-production Falcon 6Xs are taking shape, and the program is on track to achieve first flight early next year.
Fuel
AINdebrief Episode 16 | July 10, 2020
NASA X-59, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, FlightAware Partners on Microsoft Flight Simulator
U.S. Bizav Flying Boosted by July 4 Holiday Traffic
Business aviation traffic in the U.S. was down only 7 percent over the extended Independence Day holiday weekend, according to data from WingX Advance.
Aircraft
Bombardier Delivers 350th Challenger 350
Bombardier is celebrating the 350th delivery of its super-midsize Challenger 350, a milestone reached six years after the 3,200-nm twinjet entered service.
Global Bizav Flying Now 70% of Normal, Says WingX
Global business aircraft activity continued its post-Covid-19 recovery last month, with traffic down 30 percent from year-ago levels, said WingX Advance.
Aircraft
AINdebrief Episode 15 | July 3, 2020
NBAA Cancels BACE, 737 Max Resumes Flight Testing, Global 7500 Gets Green Papers, Farnborough Airshow Goes Virtual, OSHA Proposes Fine at Textron Aviation
Aircraft
200th Gulfstream G280 Enters Service
Gulfstream Aerospace has delivered the 200th G280, a milestone reached some eight years after the super-midsize business jet entered service.
NBAA-BACE 2020 Go/No-go Decision Could Come This Week
With the Covid-19 crisis looming in the background, NBAA could make a decision this week on whether to hold its annual convention.
AINdebrief Episode 14 | June 26, 2020
NBAA-BACE 2020, Bizav Traffic Recovery, Pilot Records Proposal, Pakistan Accident, Lufthansa and Qantas Plot Comebacks from Covid
FlightAware: U.S. Bizav Flying Sees YOY Rise on June 20
Business aviation fliying continues to mount a substantial post-Covid-19 recovery, with U.S. traffic on June 20 actually increasing 2.5% from a year ago.
Rotorcraft
Kopter Resumes Flight Testing of SH09 Helicopter
Leonardo subsidiary Kopter said flight testing of the third SH09 light helicopter prototype restarted in Pozzallo, Italy, after a Covid-incuded pause.
AINdebrief Episode 13 | June 19, 2020
IATA Sounds Off on Covid Travel Restrictions, Gulfstream Ending G550 Production, GE Progresses on Catalyst, Supersonic Is Just Starting Point for Aerion.
Argus Sees U.S. Bizav Flying at 83% of Normal in July
U.S. business aviation flying is expected to return to 73 percent of normal this month and 83 percent of normal in July and August, according to Argus.
Aircraft
Preowned Business Aircraft Values Fall 15% in Covid Era
Average preowned business aircraft values have fallen 10 to 15 percent so far during the pandemic, with some individual makes and models down 20+ percent.
Citi Research: Bizjet Flying Continues Rebound
Citi Equity Research said bizjet traffic continues to improve, citing data that shows U.S. flights on Sunday down only 12 percent year-over-year.
Charter & Fractional
Magellan Jets Launches Membership Program
Boston-based air charter broker Magellan Jets has launched a membership program, expanding its previous on-demand and jet card offerings.
AINdebrief Episode 12 | June 12, 2020
Hangar foam fire suppression debate, EU relaxing travel Covid travel ban, EASA certifies first electric aircraft, eVTOL news
Engines
Rolls-Royce Deutschland Delivers 8,000th Engine
Rolls-Royce has delivered the 8,000th engine manufactured at its Dahlewitz, Germany facility. Gulfstream took the milestone engine, a BR725 powerplant.
N. American Bizav Flying Regains Third of Covid Losses
North American business aviation flight activity reclaimed a third of the Covid-19-induced losses last month, rising 84 percent month-over month
AINdebrief Episode 11 | June 5, 2020
Embraer partnerships; airline traffic rising; UK imposes quarantine; Flexjet optimistic; ADS-B installs continue; flurry of FBO openings/expansions.
Charter & Fractional
Flexjet Postpones European Expansion, Citing Covid-19
Flexjet planned to announce a “significant expansion” in Europe two weeks ago at what would have been EBACE 2020, but Covid-19 pushed it to next spring.
WingX: N. America Continues Lead in Bizav Covid Recovery
Global business aviation activity May and the first few days of June are trailing the same period last year by 51 percent, according to WingX.
Avionics
NTSB Calls On Helo OEMs To Install Recording Systems
The NTSB wants helicopter manufacturers to equip turbine-powered helicopters with crash-resistant systems to record data, audio, and images.
Avionics
Avcon Taps SD as Preferred Connectivity Supplier
Satcom Direct inked a deal to be the preferred airborne connectivity supplier for Austrian aircraft management and charter operator Avcon Jet.
Charter & Fractional
Flexjet Chief Sees 'Upside' for Bizav Post-Covid
Flying at Flexjet has doubled over the past three weeks as the fractional provider recovers post-Covid-19, while sale inquiries are "off the charts."
AINdebrief Episode 10 | May 29, 2020
GAMA Q1 deliveries, A380 outlook, EHang gets China nod, AeroTEC flies electric Caravan, and ForeFlight partners with FlightAware,
Global Bizav Activity Continues Comeback, Says WingX
Business aviation activity through May 26 was about half of normal from a year ago, but continues to show more resilience than the airlines, said WingX.
