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
Cessna to open giant Wichita facility
When Cessna opened its new 159,000-sq-ft Orlando Citation Service Center on June 21, the facility became the largest in the company’s service-center networ
Charter & Fractional
How many players?
One prediction about which most fractional providers’ executives and consultants agree is that within five years there will be only two strong major provid
Charter & Fractional
Fractional VLJs?
Most of the fractional executives interviewed for this article were not optimistic that very light jets (VLJs) will enter the fractional fleet.
Charter & Fractional
Fractionals adapt to an ever-changing market...
Thirty years ago, most people would have dismissed anyone who said they’d eventually make money by selling bottled water, especially since tap water was, a
Aircraft
Cessna saddles up to build Citation Mustang
The six-seat Citation Mustang, Cessna’s newest addition to its stable of business jets, is starting to take shape.
In the works:Peering Into The Crystal Ball
The stock market is on the upswing, initial public offerings were up this year for the first time since 2000 and the business aviation industry is recoveri
Charter & Fractional
Flight options chief leaves
Flight Options insists that it’s business as usual despite last month’s unexpected departure of the company’s chairman and CEO, John Nahill.
Aircraft
In The Works: Dassault Falcon 900DX
While all eyes were on the Falcon 7X last month for its public unveiling, Dassault’s new Falcon 900DX was quietly making its way down the assembly line in
Aircraft
In The Works: Utilicraft FF1080-300
Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, a spin-off of American Utilicraft, last month gave Metalcraft Technologies (MTI) the go-ahead to construct the initial sub
Aircraft
In The Works: Eclipse 500
Eclipse Aviation last month announced that its next two FAA-conforming Model 500 very light jets, N502EA and N504EA, have completed wing mate and are stand
Aircraft
Cessna mates wing of first Citation Mustang
The first Citation Mustang conforming prototype got its wings on the morning of February 3.
Aircraft
Learjet 60 package offer extended
Bombardier Aerospace director of Learjet products Brad Nolen told AIN that the company has extended indefinitely the Learjet 60 “complete package offer,” w
Charter & Fractional
Is less more at Flight Options?
Taking a quasi-Southwest Airlines approach, Cleveland-based fractional provider Flight Options last month announced a “go-forward” plan to rationalize its
Charter & Fractional
NetJets pilots reject new work contract
On October 29, more than four out of every five of the unionized pilots at fractional provider NetJets voted to reject a tentative agreement (TA) reached i
Aircraft
SJ30-2 program on target for certification in third quarter
Sino Swearingen insists that the 2,500-nm-range SJ30-2 will be certified in the third quarter of this year, despite numerous program delays and the crash o
NIAR quietly develops technology for aviation
Mention Wichita, and most people in the business aviation industry immediately think of Cessna, Raytheon/ Beech, Learjet or Boeing.
Training and Workforce
Flyers’ online FIRC does not soar above the rest
A majority of professional pilots have earned a flight instructor rating as the first stepping stone on their aviation career path.
Aircraft
VLJ race reaches epic porportions
Bend, Ore.-based Air Investor Resources (AIR)–the parent company of Epic Aircraft, which is currently flight-testing its Epic LT turboprop single–is now te
Charter & Fractional
NetJets and FlightSafety report profits for 2004
In his annual letter to shareholders published early last month, investment mogul Warren Buffett said earnings improved last year at Berkshire Hathaway’s f
Charter & Fractional
Netjets pilots choose 'strong' voice
On December 23 NetJets pilots overwhelmingly elected the five-member master executive council (MEC) slate known as Strong Union.
Aircraft
In The Works: Citation CJ1+ and CJ2+
Last month Cessna said it had begun production line flow of its new Citation CJ2+ and would soon start production of the Citation CJ1+.
Aircraft
In The Works: Sino Swearingen SJ30-2
On March 10 Sino Swearingen received from the FAA type inspection authorizations (TIA) for systems and high-speed upsets.
Aircraft
In The Works: ATG Javelin
Aviation Technology Group of Englewood, Colo., said last month that the Javelin demonstrator prototype is undergoing final assembly at ATG’s research and d
Engines
Honeywell studies more-electric engines
One of the technologies that Honeywell says promises to revolutionize aircraft design is something known as “more electric architecture” (MEA).
Aircraft
2006: The year of the very light jet
Call them what you want–very light jets (VLJs), compact jets, minijets, microjets, personal jets or even Barbie jets–they’re no longer “paper” airplanes.
Charter & Fractional
Scheduling draws pilot ire at NetJets
While the fractional providers said publicly that switching to the more stringent rules of Part 91 Subpart K on February 17 was a nonevent, a look behind t
Aircraft
Eclipse 500 makes first flight with P&W engines
Keeping its promise, Albuquerque, N.M.-based Eclipse Aviation flew the first Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F-powered Eclipse 500 certification flight-test ai
Aircraft
Hawker Horizon earns provisional FAA approval
While the Raytheon Hawker Horizon was one of the first to blaze the super-midsize business jet trail when it was launched at the 1996 NBAA Convention in Or
Maintenance and Modifications
Cessna christens largest GA Service Center
On December 9 Cessna Aircraft claimed another record, though this one does not involve any aircraft speed or distance.
Aircraft
In The Works: Aviation Technology Group Javelin
According to Aviation Technology Group, the assembly of its Javelin demonstrator prototype is progressing rapidly at Soloy’s facilities in Olympia, Wash.
