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
Royal Jet Steps Up Private Flights to Iraq
Abu Dhabi-based charter operator Royal Jet is taking increasing numbers of bookings for flights into Iraq.
ATC
FAA Sets Record Straight on Ski Slot Allocation
Data from the FAA debunks the myth that fractional operators grab most of the holiday slots at the Colorado mountain airports, namely Eagle, Aspen and Rifl
Charter & Fractional
VistaJet and Flexjet Join Forces
Executive charter group VistaJet is joining forces with fractional provider Bombardier Flexjet to provide seamless access to each company’s respective serv
Charter & Fractional
Avantair Soars in Difficult Fractional Aircraft Market
Fractional provider Avantair reported revenues of $35.8 million for its fiscal year 2010 second quarter, which ended December 31.
Hawker Beechcraft Rocked by Turbulent 2009
Hawker Beechcraft on Tuesday reported an operating loss of $712 million on sales of $3.2 billion last year, compared with an operating profit of $140.3 mil
JPMorgan: Business Jet Market Continues Recovery
Last month showed further evidence of the “gradual” business jet recovery that has been under way for the past few months, including a shrinking pre-owned
Aircraft
Gulfstream G150 OK’d for Steep Approaches
The FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) last week certified the Gulfstream G150 for a steep-approach angle of up to six degrees versus the n
Bombardier’s Bizjet Orders in the Red for 2009
Bombardier on Friday announced that it logged 85 negative net orders for its Learjet, Challenger and Global business jets in the fiscal year ending January
Charter & Fractional
Flight Options Pilots Finally Have a Tentative Contract
International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1108, the union for Flight Options’ 500 pilots, this week announced that it reached a tentative agreement for
Aircraft
Aerion Study Shows Continued Interest in SSBJs
Reno, Nev.-based Aerion today said it is evaluating preliminary results of a new global market survey indicating strong demand for its supersonic business
Aviation User Fees Zapped from FY11 Budget
NBAA and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) were pleased to learn that the Obama Administration’s Fiscal Year 2011 federal budget propos
NBAA IOC Dates: March 29 to April 1
NBAA said printed brochures mailed to members for the association’s 37th annual International Operators Conference contain incorrect dates for the event.
ASA Group: Increasing Asian Bizav Demand
Hong Kong’s ASA Group–which offers business aviation/VIP security, ground handling and concierge services in Asia–said it has recently seen increased busin
$20M Verdict Against XtraJet Overturned
Saying that “the amount awarded to the plaintiffs was so great that it shocks the conscience,” a judge in the 2nd District Court of Appeals in Los Angeles
Accidents
Ohio MU-2 Accident Claims Four
A Mitsubishi MU-2 crashed on the afternoon of January 18 during approach to landing at Lorain County Regional airport in Elyria, Ohio, killing all four occ
Don Berlin Retiring from Universal Avionics
Universal Avionics Systems on January 15 announced the retirement of senior vice president and board member Donald Berlin.
Accidents
Legacy Midair Pilots Still in Legal Jungle
American charter firm ExcelAire and pilots Joe Lepore and Jan Paul Paladino remain entangled in Brazilian legal battles more than three years after the Sep
Maintenance and Modifications
Constant Aviation Launches Care Program
After building a parts and rotables inventory of 4,000 line items worth more than $25 million, Constant Aviation is now making it available to the corporat
Environment
Dayton U Gets $50M Syn Fuel Research Grant
The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) was awarded a nearly $50 million six-year research grant from the Air Force to develop advanced fuels an
India’s Mahindra Acquires Gippsland, Aerostaff
Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) of India acquired a 75.1-percent stake each in Australia’s Aerostaff Australia (AA) and Gippsland Aeronautics (GA), a dea
Safety
IS-BAO Registry Reaches 200 Operators
NBAA announced that the list of registered operators under the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) has surpassed the 200 mark.
Safety
UK Stiffens Law on Laser Attacks
A new Article 222 of UK Air Navigation Order 2009 makes it illegal “to shine any light at any aircraft in flight so as to dazzle or distract the pilot of t
Airports
TEB Finally Seeing Increased Traffic
According to the Teterboro Users Group (Tug), aircraft movements at Teterboro (N.J.) Airport in November came in at 12,834, a 3.8-percent year-over-year in
Maintenance and Modifications
Customer Support consolidated at Hawker Beechcraft
Hawker Beechcraft restructured its Hawker Beechcraft Services, Rapid and Hawker Beechcraft Customer Support into a single organization called Hawker Beechc
Cabin Interior and Electronics
New Asian Bizav Show To Launch in June
Reed Exhibitions launched Asian Business Aviation (ABA) as a new trade show that will be held for the first time in the Chinese city of Macau from June 9 t
Delta AirElite Acquires Segrave, doubles Fleet
Delta AirElite acquired Kinston, N.C.-based Segrave Aviation on January 21.
Aircraft
Embraer Legacy 450 and 500 Programs Making Headway
In a progress report issued yesterday for the Legacy 450 and 500 programs, Embraer said production of the Legacy 500’s first parts has begun at suppliers’
Arlene Elliott Dies
Elliott Aviation cofounder Arlene Elliott, 91, died on January 17 at her home in Naples, Fla., the business aviation sales and services company announced l
Rotorcraft
Eurocopter reports 2009 Deliveries
Eurocopter received net orders for 344 helicopters last year, down from an expected 450 one year ago, but kept deliveries at a high level.
