Author
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.
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Latest from Chad Trautvetter
FBOs
NBAA Offers Fuel-cost Savings Strategies
NBAA believes higher fuel prices are here to stay, but its new white paper, “Ten Critical Strategies for Long-Term Fuel Savings,” provides business aircraf
Avionics
Honeywell To Provide Storm Warning Upgrades
Honeywell won a $49 million contract to upgrade the National Weather Service’s ground-radar, wind-profiler network that will predict severe storms earlier
Phenom Fly-in Draws Owners and Operators
About 30 people attended an Embraer Phenom owners and operators fly-in that was held in Naples, Fla., in late March.
Maintenance and Modifications
‘Total Eclipse’ Program Bridges the Gap
Eclipse Aerospace started a program dubbed “Total Eclipse,” which allows customers to purchase final-configuration, pre-owned Eclipse 500s directly from th
Engines
GE Begins Certification Testing for H80 T-prop
The first GE H80 turboprop engine recently began testing in a test cell at the GE Aviation Czech facility in Prague.
Accidents
NTSB Investigating Near-midair over SFO
The NTSB is investigating a near-midair between a United Airlines Boeing 777 and a Cessna 182 over San Francisco on March 27.
NBAA Challenges Portrayal of Barr
As news outlets such as USA Today picked up on ProPublica’s story on blocked aircraft registrations last month, NBAA stepped up to make a case for its Bloc
Engines
GE Opening ‘More Electric’ R&D Center
GE Aviation plans to create an Electrical Power Integrated Systems Research & Development Center near Dayton, Ohio, to research more-electric aircraft
Charter & Fractional
NTSB: Charter Accidents Down in 2009
According to the Safety Board, on-demand Part 135 operations had the lowest number of accidents and fatal accidents last year compared with any other time
Training and Workforce
Norton Aviation Adds E500, Phenom Training
The FAA designated Tom Norton as one of only two Eclipse 500 pilot examiners in the world, allowing Sarasota, Fla.-based Norton Aviation to offer in-aircra
Charter & Fractional
NFAA Suspends Darby’s Part 135 Certificate
The FAA issued an emergency order of suspension to Part 135 charter operator Darby Aviation/AlphaJet International on April 8.
Aircraft
G650 May Spawn G450/550 Replacements
AIN has learned that Gulfstream Aerospace is working on new designs that may leverage elements of the new G650.
Charter & Fractional
Avantair Plans To Double Its Fleet by 2014
Avantair continues to take deliveries of new Avanti II turboprop twins and expects to more than double the size of its all-Avanti fleet over the next three
Airbus Sees Asia as Important Bizjet Market
Airbus forecasts a market for about five large business jets a year in the Asia-Pacific region, the majority of them in mainland China.
Washington Decides Against Aircraft Tax
NBAA applauded the Washington State legislature’s decision to scuttle a provision for an “onerous” tax proposal for aircraft in its annual spending bill.
Aircraft
Mtow Increase OK’d for Kodiak
Sandpoint, Idaho-based Quest Aircraft received FAA approval to increase the mtow for its Kodiak turboprop single to 7,225 pounds, up from the existing 6,75
Aircraft
FAA Proposes More Testing for Smaller VLJs
The FAA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would revise the requirement for function and reliability (F&R) flight testing to include tu
Aircraft
Cessna certifies, delivers CJ4; Europe deliveries start in ’11
Cessna Aircraft delivered the first Citation CJ4 on April 15, just a month after obtaining type approval for the light twinjet from the U.S.
ATC
ADS-B Now Active in Philadelphia Area
ADS-B, one of the cornerstones of the FAA’s air traffic control modernization plan known as NextGen, was declared operational in the Philadelphia area yest
ATA Declares 2010 ‘Day on the Hill’ a Success
The National Air Transportation Association’s (NATA) annual “Day on the Hill” attracted nearly 100 association members to the Capitol building in Washingto
Darby Aviation Fights FAA Suspension Order
In a five-page response to the FAA’s April 23 emergency order to suspend Darby Aviation’s Part 135 charter certificate, the company’s lawyers–Anderson and
FAA to Pilots: Avoid Cockpit Distractions
While directed at the airlines, the FAA’s call yesterday for operators to create and enforce policies that will limit distractions in the cockpit and keep
Charter & Fractional
Per-seat Aircraft Charter Concept Flying at Greenjets
West Palm Beach, Fla.-based Greenjets said its shared-ride charter jet membership service has been growing quickly since it was launched a year ago.
Charter & Fractional
Avantair Still Growing, Plans To Double Fleet by 2014
Fractional Piaggio Avanti operator Avantair late last week announced more fleet expansion, further growth and new personnel hires.
Safety
European Safety Standdown Set for May 2 and 3
Bombardier Aerospace, the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) and NBAA yesterday announced that the fourth annual European Safety Standdown will
Embraer Bullish on Bizjets This Decade
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer released a 10-year business jet forecast at the Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla., yesterday that calls for 10,0
Regulations and Government
Washington State Aircraft Tax Killed
NBAA applauded the Washington State legislature’s decision to scuttle a provision for an “onerous” tax proposal for aircraft in its annual spending bill.
Aircraft
PiperJet Enters Detailed Design Phase
Piper Aircraft president and CEO Kevin Gould said this week at the Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla., that the PiperJet program is on track for certific
Aircraft
Kestrel Program Could Fly with Liberty Aero’s Help
Farnborough Aircraft business development director Adrian Norris told AIN yesterday at the Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla., that his UK-based c
Safety
NTSB: Aircraft Charter Accidents Fall Sharply in 2009
Preliminary 2009 aviation accident statistics released by the NTSB late last week show an overall decrease in aviation accidents for general aviation and o
