Chad is the editor of AINalerts, AIN's daily business aviation newsletter, and is also the news editor at AIN Media Group.&nbsp;He has been writing about aviation, with an emphasis on business aviation, since 1994. Chad started his writing career at The Avion,&nbsp;the&nbsp;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&nbsp;magazine, he joined&nbsp;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.

Online Editor

Chad Trautvetter

Connectsix has introduced a subscription-based service, dubbed SayWxAir, for airports with its SayWeather automated weather advisory systems to provide up-to-the-minute weather data to pilots via text messaging and ForeFlight. While SayWeather provides advisory-only weather information, it provides live updates on demand&nbsp;at a fraction of the cost of certified AWOS systems (about $45,000 all-in).
SayWxAir costs airports $79 a month and adds several more ways to distribute SayWeather information beyond the click-to-transmit option over an airport’s common traffic advisory frequency. With SayWxAir, pilots can request METAR information from SayWeather-equipped airports via text by sending “M” followed by the airport ICAO code to 727-4SAYWX4. For Missouri’s Dexter Municipal Airport (KDXE), that would be “M KDXE.”&nbsp;
In addition, pilots can request threshold alert texts when variables such as visibility or wind&nbsp;reach a certain range. For example, to be alerted when winds at KDXE become less than 20 knots, text “KDXE w&lt;20” to the aforementioned number, and the system will monitor winds and send a text when that threshold is met. Airport operators can also receive SayWeather equipment failure notices via text.
Meanwhile, ForeFlight users can now view an airport’s SayWeather advisory data in the same manner they do for any ASOS/AWOS-equipped airport. But SayWxAir advisory METARs for EFBs are updated every 10 minutes instead of once per hour with most published METARs.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

SayWeather Adds Text, ForeFlight Aviation Weather Delivery Options

The new SayWxAir service adds on-demand weather information via text message and the ForeFlight electronic flight bag app.

SayWeather Adds Text, ForeFlight Delivery Options

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Amy Wilder

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Altitude and course deviation, traffic proximity remain top categories

ACSF Data Shows Stable Bizav Risk Amid 2026 Pressures

Kerry Lynch

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

Aircraft remained within separation guidance but neared each other after the presidential helicopter was unable to alert ATC

Faulty Comms Preceded Marine One/Envoy Close Call

Graham leaving agency within months of confirmation to another term

NTSB Vice Chair Michael Graham To Retire October 2

Stuart “Kipp” Lau

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

UK CAA concerned over rise in unstable approaches continuing to land

AINsight: Go-arounds Are a Normal and Expected Outcome

News about significant aircraft accidents and information from accident reports.

News and issues regarding all manner of civil and military rotorcraft and their powerplants, including helicopters, tilt rotors and unmanned air vehicles.

Helicopters more than twice as vulnerable to loss of visual reference accidents than airplanes

TSB: Rotorcraft More Prone To Loss-of-visual-reference Accidents

Charlotte Bailey

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

Sun 'n Fun 2023

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NTSB Vice Chair Michael Graham To Retire October 2

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European air safety agency calls for more comprehensive studies into phenomenon

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Numbers are rising and the risk of a serious incident is increasing

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