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
Aircraft
Embraer’s Finances, Backlog Flying High
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer recorded first-quarter sales of $1.34 billion, a nearly 61-percent increase year-over-year, and a profit of $85 mil
Regulations and Government
GAMA: Bizjet Deliveries Climbed 40 Percent in 1Q
The business jet market has continued its spectacular rise, while turboprop shipments grew modestly and piston deliveries dropped sharply, according to fir
Training and Workforce
Job hunting: the power of networking
Want to learn how to land your dream flying job? Then Job Hunting for Pilots by Gregory Brown (Iowa State University Press; www.isupress.com; $21.
Aircraft
AIN Special Report: New Business Aircraft
Last year’s dot-com nosedive has taken its toll on the startup companies planning to build new business aircraft and seeking ever more elusive investor fun
Aircraft
In The Works: Cessna Citation Sovereign
All major milestones with the Sovereign have been completed on or ahead of schedule, according to Brad Thress, Sovereign senior product director, who added
Maintenance and Modifications
Cessna plans Citation shop expansions
“We are dedicated to expanding our worldwide Citation product network and doubling the capacity of our Cessna-owned service facilities during the next five
FBOs
Cessna fuel card promises savings
Cessna Aircraft chairman and CEO Russ Meyer (right) and Avfuel Corp.
FBOs
Mercury Opens Mega-size FBO in Kuwait
Mercury Air Group announced today that it has started flight operations at the Royal Terminal in Kuwait, the largest private aviation terminal in the Middl
Charter & Fractional
Flight Options Pilot Union Seeks Mediation
On behalf of the approximately 575 Flight Options pilots, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1108 last week filed for mediation with the Nati
Aircraft
CJ4, Cessna’s Largest CitationJet, Makes First Flight
The Cessna Citation CJ4 prototype successfully achieved a two-hour 22-minute maiden flight yesterday morning, taking off from McConnell AFB in Wichita and
Aircraft
Cessna’s new CJ3 proves to be a red-hot seller
Cessna Aircraft racked up orders for 156 Citation CJ3s (of which 100 are for NetJets and 25 for CitationShares) in the two days following its launch on the
Engines
NASA turns up the heat on cooperative turbofan research
Two NASA-industry partnerships could produce tangible benefits for aircraft operators in the near term.
Aircraft
New Business Aircraft Report
The Chinese proverb “may you live in interesting times” certainly seems appropriate for manufacturers and would-be manufacturers of new business airplanes.
Avionics
Avidyne reveals its Entegra WAAS-enabled FMS
Avidyne unveiled its Entegra FMS900W WAAS-enabled GPS navcom flight management system last month at the Sun ’n’ Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla.
Charter & Fractional
NetJets pilots seek independent union
The “Strong Union” leaders who helped NetJets pilots obtain an industry-leading contract three years ago resigned from the local representing the fractiona
Aircraft
OEMs move forward on jet singles
Piper Aircraft and Cirrus Design are in a dead heat on the progress of their respective single-engine jet prototypes, and the two airplanes could fly withi
Regulations and Government
IBT or NJASAP? NetJets Pilots To Choose Next Month
An agreement was recently reached between the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP), the la
Safety
SMS: More Than Just the Latest Buzzword in Bizav
“Safety management systems aren’t just the latest fad for corporate flight departments,” Daedalus Aviation Services president David Bjellos told the nearly
Aircraft
Hawker 4000 Deliveries Still Stalled
Deliveries of the Hawker 4000 have not yet begun, despite Hawker Beechcraft saying for more than a month that it would “soon” start shipments of the super-
Regulations and Government
DFW Tracon Managers Misclassified Controller Errors
A DOT Inspector General report published late last week reveals that FAA managers at the Dallas-Fort Worth Tracon “routinely” and “intentionally” misclassi
NBAA adds event for small aircraft operators
As the annual NBAA Convention gets ever larger, so too grows the perception that the event tends to focus on and attract operators of larger business aircr
Gulfstream Sales Continue To Soar
Sales of Gulfstream business jets in the first quarter increased 17 percent year-over-year, Nicholas Chabraja, chairman and CEO of parent company General D
Eclipse Aviation Looks To Out Blogging Critics
Eclipse Aviation is breaking new ground again, but this time it’s in the California courts.
Aircraft
Piper, Cirrus Jet Single Prototypes Near Completion
Piper Aircraft and Cirrus Design are neck and neck on progress with their respective single-engine very light jet prototypes, and the two competing airplan
Executive Shuffle at Bombardier Aerospace
Bombardier today announced substantial changes to its aerospace group leadership team, most notably naming auto industry veteran Guy Hachey Bombardier Aero
Safety
Air Charter Safety Foundation Lauds 2007 Safety Record
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) has already reviewed the 2007 preliminary aviation safety stat
Aircraft
Third Diamond D-Jet Joins Flight-test Fleet
The third flight-test D-Jet completed a one-hour 25-minute maiden flight on Tuesday from Diamond Aircraft’s London, Ontario facility, with chief test pilot
Textron: Cessna Bizjet Demand ‘Remains Unabated’
Cessna Aircraft and Bell Helicopter parent company Textron today reported revenues of $3.5 billion in the first quarter, up from $3 billion in the same per
Aircraft
More Cold-weather Limits for Bombardier Challengers
The FAA yesterday issued an Airworthiness Directive for all Bombardier Challenger business jets, as well as the derivative CRJ100 and 440 regional jets, th
