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
FAAC issues aviation recommendations
The Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC), whose membership represents a cross section of the aviation industry, last month presented Transportati
Regulations and Government
Legislation Delayed on FAA Funding
Congress voted for a 17th time on December 18 to extend aviation programs, taxes and Airport and Airways Trust Fund spending authority through March 31
Rotorcraft
Bell Unveils Plans To Upgrade 412EP
Bell Helicopter announced an upgrade package for its 412EP that features more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T-9 engines which will yield a 15 pe
Regulations and Government
Tax Relief Act Good for Business Aviation
On December 17, President Obama signed the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization and Job Creation Act of 2010.
Aircraft
HondaJet Achieves flight Milestone
Honda Aircraft Company announced late last month that it completed the first flight of an FAA-conforming HondaJet.
Hawker Beechcraft To Stay in Wichita
Hawker Beechcraft and the state of Kansas reached an agreement late last month that will keep the airframer in Wichita for at least the next decade.
Aircraft
Cessna’s Pelton proclaims LCC is ready for launch
“Had the show been later in the year, we definitely would have launched the Large Cabin Concept [LCC] airplane here at the NBAA Convention,” Cessna chairma
Maintenance and Modifications
Bombardier puts meter on support for older aircraft
Last month, Bombardier Aerospace launched a “classic aircraft support program” after seeing a “dramatic increase” in service and support requests ove
Charter & Fractional
Flight Options negotiations continue
Flight Options pilots are only marginally closer to having a negotiated contract nearly a year-and-a-half after voting in a union.
Avionics
Garmin 1000 migrates into more panels
In the three years since Garmin introduced the G1000 integrated avionics suite, the Olathe, Kan.
Regulations and Government
Congress steering away from GA user fee plan
General aviation late last week won a major battle, but not yet the entire war, against user fees.
T-6 Texan Deliveries Suspended
The U.S.
Cessna to open giant Wichita facility
When Cessna opened its new 159,000-sq-ft Orlando Citation Service Center on June 21, the facility became the largest in the company’s service-center networ
Charter & Fractional
How many players?
One prediction about which most fractional providers’ executives and consultants agree is that within five years there will be only two strong major provid
Charter & Fractional
Fractional VLJs?
Most of the fractional executives interviewed for this article were not optimistic that very light jets (VLJs) will enter the fractional fleet.
Charter & Fractional
Fractionals adapt to an ever-changing market...
Thirty years ago, most people would have dismissed anyone who said they’d eventually make money by selling bottled water, especially since tap water was, a
Aircraft
Cessna saddles up to build Citation Mustang
The six-seat Citation Mustang, Cessna’s newest addition to its stable of business jets, is starting to take shape.
In the works:Peering Into The Crystal Ball
The stock market is on the upswing, initial public offerings were up this year for the first time since 2000 and the business aviation industry is recoveri
Charter & Fractional
Flight options chief leaves
Flight Options insists that it’s business as usual despite last month’s unexpected departure of the company’s chairman and CEO, John Nahill.
Aircraft
In The Works: Dassault Falcon 900DX
While all eyes were on the Falcon 7X last month for its public unveiling, Dassault’s new Falcon 900DX was quietly making its way down the assembly line in
Aircraft
In The Works: Utilicraft FF1080-300
Utilicraft Aerospace Industries, a spin-off of American Utilicraft, last month gave Metalcraft Technologies (MTI) the go-ahead to construct the initial sub
Aircraft
In The Works: Eclipse 500
Eclipse Aviation last month announced that its next two FAA-conforming Model 500 very light jets, N502EA and N504EA, have completed wing mate and are stand
Aircraft
Cessna mates wing of first Citation Mustang
The first Citation Mustang conforming prototype got its wings on the morning of February 3.
Aircraft
Learjet 60 package offer extended
Bombardier Aerospace director of Learjet products Brad Nolen told AIN that the company has extended indefinitely the Learjet 60 “complete package offer,” w
Charter & Fractional
Is less more at Flight Options?
Taking a quasi-Southwest Airlines approach, Cleveland-based fractional provider Flight Options last month announced a “go-forward” plan to rationalize its
Charter & Fractional
NetJets pilots reject new work contract
On October 29, more than four out of every five of the unionized pilots at fractional provider NetJets voted to reject a tentative agreement (TA) reached i
Aircraft
SJ30-2 program on target for certification in third quarter
Sino Swearingen insists that the 2,500-nm-range SJ30-2 will be certified in the third quarter of this year, despite numerous program delays and the crash o
NIAR quietly develops technology for aviation
Mention Wichita, and most people in the business aviation industry immediately think of Cessna, Raytheon/ Beech, Learjet or Boeing.
Aircraft
VLJ race reaches epic porportions
Bend, Ore.-based Air Investor Resources (AIR)–the parent company of Epic Aircraft, which is currently flight-testing its Epic LT turboprop single–is now te
Charter & Fractional
NetJets and FlightSafety report profits for 2004
In his annual letter to shareholders published early last month, investment mogul Warren Buffett said earnings improved last year at Berkshire Hathaway’s f
