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

“Operational excellence that prioritizes preparation can transform desperate situations,” Barry “Butch” Willmore, an ex-U.S. Navy F-18 pilot and retired NASA astronaut, told attendees this morning at the 2026 Citation Jet Pilots Association convention keynote session. Willmore, a champion for aviation safety, knows desperate situations after losing seven of 12 thrusters on the Boeing Starliner during the crewed test flight while attempting to dock with the International Space Station (ISS).
“As a pilot, we aviate, navigate, and then communicate,” he said. “During the thruster failure, my focus was solely on aviating.” Fortunately, mission control was able to help him regain use of all but one thruster, permitting the space capsule to dock with the ISS. “The space station was our safe space,” given the malfunctioning thrusters, he added.
Because the cause of the failure was unknown at the time, the Starliner would not be used as intended to return him and crewmate Sunita Williams home three weeks later. Willmore and Williams were stranded for another eight months on the ISS, finally returning to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule on March 18, 2025.
While the intense prelaunch preparation didn’t simulate such an extreme thruster-failure scenario, he said this training and his wide-ranging experience helped to guide him through the incident. “Superior aviators need to use their superior preparation and judgment to avoid having to use their superior skills,” he concluded.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

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Preparation and judgement key for aviators

Speaking at the 2026 Citation Jet Pilots Association conference, retired astronaut Butch Williams said aviators should strive for “operational excellence.” 

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News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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News and issues concerning general aviation, specifically airplanes and helicopters powered by piston and alternative engines (i.e., non-turbine powered aircraft). Subjects include aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

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