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
Maintenance and Modifications
NASA Tech Cuts Airframe Noise by 70% on GIII Testbed
Acoustic Research Measurement (ARM) flights tested technologies such as landing gear fairings and the FlexSys morphing-wing flap
Charter & Fractional
Planet Nine In It for the Long Haul
Planet Nine positioned to be a competitive offering in the premium end of the ultra-long-range charter market.
Aircraft
Textron To Cease Production of Cessna Citation X+
Move ends a more than 21-year manufacturing run for the Mach 0.935 twinjet and its predecessor, the Citation X.
Citi Researcher: 'Lost Decade' Over for Business Jets?
"Now we hear the word ‘surreal’ with regards to the rapid market improvement without an identifiable catalyst," said Citi's Jonathan Raviv.
ATC
Aviation Groups Pan Trump Plan for ATC Privatization
“We are disappointed that the Administration continues to reintroduce a failed proposal," the six associations said.
Aircraft
Pilatus Starts Testing PC-24 Jet on Unpaved Runways
With the addition of unpaved runways, the PC-24 will be able to access almost twice as many airports worldwide compared to other jets.
Charter & Fractional
With Union Battle Over, Flexjet Plans for Expansion
Move makes acquisitions easier going forward since Flexjet won't need to get union approval.
Avionics
GPS Interference Concerns Arise over Cellular Network
Ligado now claims it has limited GPS signal disruptions to within a 500-foot diameter around transmission towers.
Charter & Fractional
Encompass Aviation Sues Surf Air for $3.1M in Damages
Encompass alleged that Surf Air is “financially distressed” and failed, virtually from the outset of the contract, to pay for flights two weeks in advance.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
Skandia's PC-12 Soundproofing Kit Gets FAA Nod
System was found in tests to reduce overall sound by 4dB (SIL) in PC-12s, as well as improve thermal insulation properties.
Maintenance and Modifications
Jet East Aviation Courting A&Ps at NBAA Regional Forum
Positions require a minimum of three years experience working on business aircraft.
Aircraft
First Production Global 7500s Now Being Outfitted
The program’s five flight test vehicles have also completed more than 2,300 flight test hours to date.
WingX: European Bizav Flights Continue To Climb
But the region’s year-to-date growth trend of 2.3 percent is trailing last year´s rate of more than 3 percent, however.
FBOs
Caribbean FBOs Detail 2017 Hurricane-relief Efforts
Bohlke International Airways and Jet Aviation San Juan were essential to Hurricane Irma and Maria relief efforts.
Maintenance and Modifications
ST Engineering Opens Florida MRO with UPS as Launch Customer
New 173,500-sq-ft Florida facility can perform heavy and line maintenance, as well as modifications, on narrowbody and widebody jets.
Training and Workforce
FlightSafety Expands Turboprop Training
Company adding PC-12NG sim in Denver and Beechcraft King Air B200 with Garmin G1000NXi in Wichita.
FBOs
Lynx To Acquire Napa Jet Center
Lynx and its parent company, Sterling Aviation Group, continue to actively seek FBO acquisitions in North America, it said.
Rotorcraft
New HeliOffshore Videos Demonstrate Safety Enhancements
Key safety programs highlighted in the videos are approach path management guidelines, line operations safety audits, and flight crew operating manuals.
FBOs
Dassault Falcon Service Unveils Revamped Paris FBO
DFS’s facility is part of the Air Elite FBO network and handles some 5,000 aircraft movements a year, serving a wide range of business aircraft.
Maintenance and Modifications
Bell Taps Ruag for Jet Ranger X Service, Reassembly
The Ruag helicopter services center earned the approval ratings for the Bell 505 under its EASA Part 145 certificate.
Aircraft
HondaJet Now For Sale in Honda's Home Country of Japan
The first HondaJet Elite is expected to be delivered in Japan during the first half of 2019.
Charter & Fractional
Millennials See Bizav Becoming Cleaner, More Accessible
Millennials’ views on business aviation are closely linked to concerns about the environment, according to a study conducted by EBAA and ThinkYoung.
Avionics
Flight Data Systems Acquired by ACR Electronics Parent
Acquisition represents the latest addition to ACR’s growing portfolio of aviation companies, which include Artex and Skytrac.
Safety
Chase Aviation Manager is FlightSafety's 100th Master Aviator
Master Aviator curriculum expands training beyond the fundamentals covered by initial and recurrent courses.
Training and Workforce
FlightSafety Expands Phased Recurrent Training Program
Program is compliant with EASA FCL (Part-ORO) and consists of two distinct training modules per year over a three-year period.
Aircraft
Pilatus Hands Over PC-24 to Former Nestlé Chief
Twinjet will be available in Europe to members of "Flying Club 24,” a new aircraft membership firm based in Sion, Switzerland.
Regulations and Government
Dart Emergency Floats for Bell 505 Get FAA Nod
This adds to Transport Canada certification it obtained in mid-February, as well as recent approval from Japan’s JCAB.
Inventory of Used Business Aircraft Continues To Shrink
Across all segments, including helicopters, there were 5,675 aircraft for sale in the quarter, down 10.7 percent, or 680 units, from a year ago.
Charter & Fractional
NBAA Releases Per-seat Charter Guidelines
Provides an overview of types of per-seat and “planeload” charter operations using aircraft operated under Part 135, as well as regulatory considerations.
Safety
App Can Help Crews Deal with In-flight Medical Issues
AirRx provides a real-time checklist and quick reference handbook to improve the way that emergent medical situations in the air are addressed.
