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

Since it acquired 14 simulators from FlightSafety International on August 17, SimCom Flight Centers has been busy relocating, refurbishing and returning these devices to service at its Dallas and Orlando training centers. Once all of these newly obtained sims are up and running, SimCom will have 59 simulators in total at its four training center locations.
“We are really pleased with the efficiency and timeliness of returning these simulators to service,” said SimCom founder and CEO Wally David. “We have a number of former FlightSafety customers depending on us to be ready in a timely manner so their training schedules can be maintained. We are certain those customers and pilots will like what they see when they come to SimCom for their next training event.”
The list of devices and programs acquired by SimCom includes the King Air 90B and B200; Cessna 210, 421C, 425 and Conquest I and II; Piper Navajo and Cheyenne I/II and III; turboprop Twin Commander 690A and 1000; Beechcraft Baron 58; and Saab 2000. The simulators range from advanced flight training devices for the piston-powered models to level-B full-motion simulators for the turboprops. Transfer of the simulators and courseware from FlightSafety to SimCom began immediately after the deal was finalized and is expected to be completed by year-end.
The majority of the acquired equipment was located at FlightSafety’s learning center in Lakeland, Fla. FlightSafety said this facility will be closed once the simulators are removed. FlightSafety offered the 25 employees at the Lakeland facility jobs at its other locations.
The eight Twin Commander, Cessna and Cheyenne III simulators and training programs will be relocated to SimCom’s training facility in Dallas. The remaining King Air, Cheyenne I/II, Navajo, Beech Baron and Saab 2000 simulators and training programs will be positioned in the company’s Orlando center.
“We are very excited to be adding additional simulators and training capabilities,” said David. “Even though we have tended to add Level C and D full-motion jet simulators over the past few years, we will always consider turboprop and piston pilots to be a very important part of our business.&nbsp; We are confident these aircraft and their operators will continue to play a major role in the future of general aviation. In fact, many of our customers tell us they are flying turboprops and pistons more than ever due to their utility and cost of operation.”
SimCom’s move continues a string of growth by acquisitions that started in 2008 after the economic downturn began, David told AIN at NBAA 2011 in Las Vegas. “We believe in the general aviation market, and we foresaw good buying opportunities in a down market,” he said. In fact, earlier this year SimCom bought PrestoSim’s entire operation in Dallas.

News about simulators and training procedures, as well as workforce.

SimCom Assimilating Former FlightSafety Simulators

SimCom Flight Centers has been busy relocating, refurbishing and returning these devices to service at its Dallas and Orlando training centers.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charles Alcock

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

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

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.

Austrian manufacturer has yet to say which rotorcraft types it will support 

Axis Announces Plans for Helicopter Training Systems

AIN Staff

In a Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit (CALS) roundtable on retention, an aviation staffing expert and flight department leaders traded hard-won lessons on money, culture, and knowing who you’re really competing with.

The Retention Stool Has Four Legs: What Flight Departments Get Wrong about Keeping Talent

Across three separate CALS sessions, flight department leaders worked through the same hard questions about earning trust, leading individuals, and holding the line.

Leadership from the Cockpit to the Department: What Three Days of Roundtables Revealed

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

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.

The lack of 3D data is holding back some aspects of manufacturing 

Tapping Data to Safely Drive Up Aerospace Productivity

Matt Thurber

Draper to stay until the end of the year to smooth the transition

Rohloff New Textron Aviation CEO as Ron Draper Retires

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

More In Training and Workforce

Axis Announces Plans for Helicopter Training Systems

Austrian manufacturer has yet to say which rotorcraft types it will support

The Retention Stool Has Four Legs: What Flight Departments Get Wrong about Keeping Talent

In a Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit (CALS) roundtable on retention, an aviation staffing expert and flight department leaders traded hard-won lessons on money, culture, and knowing who you’re really competing with.

Leadership from the Cockpit to the Department: What Three Days of Roundtables Revealed

Across three separate CALS sessions, flight department leaders worked through the same hard questions about earning trust, leading individuals, and holding the line.

Tapping Data to Safely Drive Up Aerospace Productivity

The lack of 3D data is holding back some aspects of manufacturing

Rohloff New Textron Aviation CEO as Ron Draper Retires

Draper to stay until the end of the year to smooth the transition

Air Charter Association Expands NextGen Group

Saxon Air executive Rachel Harvey chairs the group for young charter professionals

AINsight: Your Team Is Always Recruiting

Building recruiting reputations for your company long before a job is posted

Kawasaki To Deploy 1st Asia-Pac Loft H145 VR Simulator

Virtual-reality device allows pilots and crew to practice realistic emergency scenarios

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