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 uses new data to hone air-taxi model
Boca Raton, Fla.-based DayJet last month reached its 100th day since starting per-seat on-demand service in the Southeast with its fleet of 28 Eclipse 500
Bombardier: Bizjet Demand Strong but Shifting
Bombardier Aerospace president Pierre Beaudoin on Tuesday told attendees at a meeting of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal that he believes the r
Charter & Fractional
Sentient Finalizes TAG USA Buy, Forms New Division
Sentient Flight Group today completed the acquisition of TAG Aviation USA from Switzerland-based TAG Aviation Holding, a deal announced in late October not
Rotorcraft
Bell Cutting Four Helos from Product Line
Bell Helicopter is “optimizing” its product line to accelerate deliveries of its high-demand aircraft, namely the Bell 407, 412 and 429.
Avionics
Gulfstream Gets Double Vision
Gulfstream Aerospace announced yesterday that its synthetic-vision system and second-generation enhanced-vision system (known as EVS II) are now FAA certif
Training and Workforce
Sabena Offering Third-Party Eclipse 500 Training
Mesa (Ariz.) Falcon Field-based Sabena Airline Training Center (SATC) yesterday received Eclipse 500 type-rating training approval from the FAA, making it
Safety
UK Safety Board Concerned about Avionics Corrosion
The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) recently issued a sweeping recommendation that the EASA, FAA, Transport Canada and other aviation agencies
Charter & Fractional
VLJs ‘Not Revolutionary,’ but Do Enable Air Taxis
Despite one aircraft manufacturer’s claims, “very light jets are only evolutionary, not revolutionary,” noted Arie-Willem Van Doome, COO of Netherlands-bas
Textron: Cessna Can Weather Worst-case Downturn
With a year-end record backlog of $12.6 billion, up 48 percent from $8.5 billion at the end of 2006, Cessna will be able to weather any economic storm, par
Aircraft
Cessna Launches Large-cabin Citation
Cessna Aircraft today announced it has received the green light from parent company Textron for development of a large-cabin, intercontinental aircraft tha
Aircraft
Upgraded TBM 850 Makes Debut
An upgraded EADS Socata TBM 850 turboprop single was unveiled late last week during a “discovery show” held at the company’s factory in Tarbes, France.
Funding Is Front and Center at Adam
Adam Aircraft’s financial predicament is apparently more dire than the company let on
FBOs
Banyan Completes VIP 747 Cabin Electronics Upgrade
Banyan Air Service’s Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based avionics department recently completed a major avionics modification on a VIP Boeing 747SP.
Accidents
Marlin Air Sues UM over Contract Dispute
Charter operator Marlin Air of Belleville, Mich., filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million from the University of Michigan (UM) after the college terminated its
Safety
DOT IG: Runway Status Lights Reduce Incursions
In a report released this week, the DOT Inspector General has f
Safety
London City Has a Magnetic Personality
A UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch report issued this month indicates that magnetic interference at London City Airport (LCY) was responsible for “sig
Charter & Fractional
NetJets Europe Climbing Strongly
Due to increasing customer demand, fractional aircraft provider NetJets Europe yesterday said it has worked with aircraft manufacturers to accelerate deliv
ATC
Honeywell OK’d for RNP SAAAR Consulting
Honeywell late last week received FAA designation as a consultant for Required Navigation Performance Special Aircraft and Aircrew Authorization Required (
ATC
DayJet Marks First 100 Days of VLJ Air-taxi Service
On Saturday, Boca Raton, Fla.-based DayJet reached its 100th day since starting per-seat on-demand service in the Southeast with its fleet of 28 Eclipse 50
Charter & Fractional
DayJet Adds DayPorts, Expands Reach to South Carolina
Per-seat, on-demand very light jet air-taxi firm DayJet yesterday added Naples, Fla., and Savannah, Ga., as DayPorts, augmenting the five initial DayPorts
Aircraft
Adam A700 Passes Initial Cold Weather Tests
Adam Aircraft successfully completed initial environmental testing of its A700 very light jet at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin AFB in Florida.
Regulations and Government
Navajo Crash Probe Focusing on Baggage Door
The crash of a Piper Navajo Chieftain in Kodiak, Alaska, on Saturday might have been precipitated by the unexpected opening of a nose baggage door just aft
Aircraft
Eclipse 500 Retrofit Plan Unveiled
Now that the Avio NG avionics have been certified, Albuquerque, N.M.-based Eclipse Aviation is ready to tackle the promised upgrades for in-service Eclipse
Charter & Fractional
DayJet Widens Network
Some 60 days after it began its per-seat, on-demand air service, Boca Raton, Fla.-based DayJet last month added to its very light jet air-taxi network 28 n
Aircraft
Piper plans new construction technique for personal jet
Piper Aircraft is patenting a new metal-bonding technique that will be key to the manufacture of the all-aluminum, $2.2 million PiperJet.
Big Sky To Close, MAIR To Liquidate
MAIR Holdings announced late last month that its Big Sky Airlines subsidiary will end all its Delta Connection service on the East Coast as of midnight, Ja
FBOs
USAF C-17 Flies Using Synthetic Fuel Blend
On December 17 a C-17 Globemaster III heavy airlift airplane touched down at McGuire AFB in New Jersey, completing the type’s first transcontinental flight
Aircraft
Lack of funding halts Javelin program
Aviation Technology Group (ATG) of Englewood, Colo., laid off 40 of its 50 employees on December 17 and announced a day later that it has halted developmen
