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
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.
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
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
Accidents
Global 5000 Lands Short of Runway
N50DS, a Bombardier Global 5000, landed short of a runway in the Caribbean islands on December 12 and sustained damage after hitting an airport perimeter f
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.
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
Accidents
Eclipse Avio NG certified
On December 20, Eclipse Aviation announced that it had received FAA certification of the Avio NG avionics and systems control suite for the Eclipse 500 VLJ
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
Charter & Fractional
Pogo Jet Outlines Deployment Plans
In a December 13 SEC amendment for its initial public stock offering, Pogo Jet provided more information about its planned very light jet (VLJ) charter ser
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
Closing on one deal, Sentient Eyes new one
Sentient Jet, which is buying TAG Aviation USA and all of its assets from TAG Holding, was expecting to close the acquisition around the end of last month.
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
Charter & Fractional
NetJets pilots set another high salary standard
Early last month the NetJets pilots overwhelmingly supported a major amendment and five-year extension to their collective-bargaining agreement between Net
New vision-correction alternatives for pilots
Pilots considering vision-correction surgery take note: a recent study by the U.S.
Aircraft
Speed Sells, But Who’s Buying?
In an exclusive interview with AIN, Aerion vice chairman Brian Barents discussed why he believes it’s time to bring a supersonic business
ATG’s Javelin Program Running Out of Cash
Aviation Technology Group (ATG) of Englewood, Colo., laid off 40 of its 50 employees yesterday while it struggles to stay aloft to continue development of
Aircraft
In The Works: Citation CJ1+ and CJ2+
Cessna announced last month that it is upgrading the Citation CJ1 and CJ2 to add more value to the entry-level aircraft.
Maintenance and Modifications
Dallas Airmotive Expanding Turbine Maintenance Network
BBA Aviation-owned engine repair and overhaul company Dallas Airmotive plans to open a regional turbine center next month at the Washington County Airport
Jack Pelton guides Cessna through industry recovery
Jack Pelton was appointed Cessna’s president and CEO last December.
Decision ‘Soon’ on Piper Aircraft Relocation
After the PiperJet was announced at NBAA 2006, Piper was besieged with unsolicited offers by officials from more than 60 cities to move production of the s
Aircraft
In The Works: Spirit Wing SpiritLear
At last month’s NBAA Convention, Spirit Wing Aviation of Edmond, Okla., announced that it will begin producing its “virtually new” Spirit-Lear early next y
Maintenance and Modifications
BLR King Air Winglets Flying Off the Shelf
Everett, Wash.-based BLR Aerospace late last week received two record-breaking sales for its King Air winglet systems from Elliott Aviation and Cutter Avia
Aircraft
In The Works: Aviation Technology Group Javelin
Assembly and integration of the Aviation Technology Group Javelin prototype continues to accelerate at Soloy in Olympia, Wash.
Local and regional business aviation associations flourish
The number of local business aviation advocacy groups has continued to swell to 49 associations as part of an attempt by business aviation users to involve
Aircraft
New turboprop singles for business aviation
In the past, turboprop singles used for business flying typically did not offer the speed, load capability or systems redundancy of turboprop twins, though
Charter & Fractional
Proposed contract stirs hornets’ nest at NetJets
Mount Saint Helens wasn’t the only imminent eruption last month.
Aircraft
Several OEMs announce upgrades at NBAA show
While no manufacturers actually launched new aircraft at the NBAA Convention last month, several did commit to major improvements for their existing produc
