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

Accidents

Did Pilot Error Lead To 2007 Citation Crash?

An NTSB interim factual report and findings from a flight simulation issued last month suggest that pilot error, not a runaway trim condition, caused the J
Training and Workforce

Phenom Pilot Training Soaring at CAE

Nearly 50 customers have completed Phenom 100 pilot training at Embraer CAE Training Services, a joint venture between CAE and Embraer, CAE told AI
Maintenance and Modifications

EASA OKs Superjet Int’l To Perform Mx

The Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) has issued EASA/ENAC Part 145 certification to Venice, Italy-based Superjet International, allowing the regiona
Airports

Santa Monica Airport Part 16 Hearings Held

The city of Santa Monica, Calif., in late March was at an FAA Part 16 hearing in Long Beach defending its stance on trying to keep larger jets from using S

Air Chef Launches Visual Online Menu

Air Chef Holdings has launched a visual upgrade to its two Web sites–Air Culinaire (www.airculinaire.com) a
Charter & Fractional

Flight Options Gets New Investment

Directional Capital, an investment firm led by Flight Options chairman and founder Kenn Ricci, private-equity firm Resilience Capital Partners and “key mem
Safety

Pilot Pax Lands King Air after Pilot Dies

The FAA is hailing three South Florida air traffic controllers for assisting Doug White, a fixed-wing single-engine-rated private pilot and passenger, in s
Maintenance and Modifications

Gulfstream’s ‘Meet the Quote’ Program Is Back

Gulfstream Aerospace has reinstituted its “Meet the Quote” spare parts price-matching program, initially launched in March 2004, and operators have until J

Vaccination Prevents Japanese Encephalitis

Medical authorities are advising travelers to Asia–and Southeast Asia in particular–to consider being vaccinated against Japanese encephalitis, a mosquito-
Maintenance and Modifications

Chromalloy Plans $16.5 Million Tampa Expansion

Chromalloy, a supplier of components, PMA parts and specialized component repairs for turbine engines, is investing $16.5 million in an expansion of its Ta
Avionics

Cessna Mustang Gets Synthetic Vision OK

Cessna Aircraft on April 21 received FAA certification for Garmin’s Synthetic Vision Technology for the Citation Mustang.
Charter & Fractional

Furlough Mitigation Program Started at NetJets

Fractional provider NetJets and its pilots union–NJASAP, the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots–have collaborated on a voluntary furlough-mitiga
Aircraft

Cessna Shelves Citation Columbus Program

When Cessna chairman, CEO and president Jack Pelton said<
Rotorcraft

Bell Flourishes, Cessna Stumbles at Textron

Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter parent Textron yesterday reported that first-quarter revenues dropped year-over-year by 24 percent to $2.5 billion, whi

General Dynamics: Gulfstream ‘Held Its Own’ in Q1

The aerospace division at General Dynamics, which includes Gulfstream and Jet Aviation, “held its own” in the first quarter, parent company chairman and CE
Charter & Fractional

Fractional Providers Offer Creative Solutions

Fractional aircraft providers have reshaped their marketing efforts to address the difficulty of trying to get customers to buy aircraft shares during a re

Light Jet Sets New RTW Speed Record

New Jersey businessman Jared Isaacman, along with copilot Doug Demko, on April 15 shattered the world record for an eastbound global circumnavigation in a
ATC

Foundation Promotes User Fees

In a recent issue of “ATC Reform News,” Reason Foundation director of transportation studies Robert Poole uses the anti-business jet rhetoric to further pu
Regulations and Government

Will Aces Deal Bizav a Losing Hand?

The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s draft of the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (Aces) creates greenhouse gas emission standards for

Bizav Flight Activity Shows Possible Recovery

Business aircraft flight activity in March increased nearly 8 percent over February, according to data from Cincinnati-based ARG/US.

AOPA Launches GA Campaign

Long-time AOPA member, pilot and actor Harrison Ford has teamed with AOPA to promote general aviation.
Regulations and Government

Lobby Groups Welcome FAA Chief Nominee

The nomination of former Airline Pilots Association president J.

UBS: Pre-owned Bizjet Inventory Stabilizing

UBS Investment Research’s latest business jet update suggests that the pre-owned business jet market might be at or near the bottom.
Airports

New Branson Airport Nears Opening

A new privately funded $155 million, 900-acre regional airport will open May 11 in Branson, Mo.
Charter & Fractional

Exec AirShare Accepts Its First Phenom 100

Kansas City, Mo.-based regional fractional provider Executive AirShare last month took delivery of its first Embraer Phenom 100.

More Production Cuts Ahead at Bizav OEMs?

Despite an order backlog covering 5,000 aircraft, turbine business aircraft manufacturers are expected to experience the steepest decline in production of
Aircraft

Phenom 100 Gets EASA Approval

Embraer’s Phenom 100 entry-level jet received EASA certification on Friday.
Safety

ARG/US Releases First Safety Audit Report

Cincinnati-based specialized aviation services company ARG/US on Thursday released an on-site safety audit report focusing on commonly seen deficiencies in

Piper CEO: World Is Out To Ground General Aviation

While he believes the recession will end soon, Piper Aircraft president and CEO James Bass said the effect of the U.S.
Aircraft

Epic Launches Pair of Twins

Bend, Ore.-based Epic Aircraft today launched a pair of turbine twins at the Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla.