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
Avionics
Retrofits Hit All-time High, Lift 2017 Avionics Sales
This year-over-year increase was solely due to a 20.1 percent uptick in retrofit avionics sales, offset by lower forward-fit sales.
Aircraft
FlightSafety Begins Pilatus PC-24 Pilot, Mx Training
PC-24 simulator at the facility was recently approved for training by EASA, following similar qualification by the FAA in December.
Safety
NBAA Releases Latest Annual Bizav Safety Focus List
The identified focus areas represent the most critical safety-related risks currently facing business aircraft operators, said NBAA.
Regulations and Government
PBI Customs Now Closes Three Hours before Prez TFRs
This eliminates previous variability in closing the customs office prior to the TFR, while allowing enough time for Secret Service to do a security sweep.
Aircraft
Heated Seats Now Standard on New Daher TBM 910/930s
Daher delivered 57 TBMs in 2017, marking the second-best commercial year in the French aircraft manufacturer’s history.
Maintenance and Modifications
QTA Gets Nod for Challenger 300/350 Barrel Replacement
This offers a terminating solution to a corrosion issue involving the super-midsize jet’s aluminum inner-barrel engine inlet.
Aircraft
Bombardier Chief Bullish on Business Jet Market
The 140 business jet deliveries last year at Bombardier Aerospace were up five units from the company’s 2017 outlook, but fell 16.4 percent from 2016.
NetJets Aircraft Brokerage Arm Acquires Cerretani Group
Cerretani served as a primary broker partner for NetJets since 2013, before QS Partners launched in 2016 to cover aircraft sales and purchases in-house.
U.S., Canada Bizav Flying Off to Roaring Start in 2018
Activity has steadily increased over the past five Januarys, climbing from approximately 217,000 flights in January 2013 to 240,000 last month.
JetNet: Used Bizjet Market Swings To Seller's Market
Inventory of preowned business jets has decreased steadily from a high point of 2,938 aircraft in July 2009 to 2,143 jets in December.
Charter & Fractional
Alyssum Group Acquires RocketRoute
RocketRoute’s FlightPlan and MarketPlace platforms will be integrated into Alyssum’s connected digital marketplace.
Aircraft
Gulfstream G500 on Final Approach for Certification
G500 certification is expected by the end of the first quarter, with G600 service entry to follow later this year.
Rotorcraft
Swisshelicopter Rebrands as Kopter
Name "makes a promise to its customers: whatever the missions, whatever the times, wherever the places, Kopter will get you where you’re going."
Rotorcraft
Revenues, Civil Deliveries Rise at Bell Helicopter
Scott Donnelly, chairman and CEO of Bell Helicopter parent Textron, forecast slightly lower revenues—$3.2 billion—for the helicopter manufacturer in 2018.
Citi on Tax Law: No Immediate Bump for New Bizjet Sales
"We think 2019 is the earliest we’d see a material benefit for OEM production rates,” said Citigroup Equities Research aerospace analyst Jonathan Raviv.
Charter & Fractional
Victor Raises $18M for Charter Industry Venture
Will create an ecosystem enabling business aviation industry stakeholders to boost efficiency and profitability by sharing data and intelligence.
Aircraft
Bizjet Deliveries Up, King Airs Dip at Textron Aviation
Last year, the Wichita-based aircraft manufacturer shipped 180 Citations, up six from 2016, and 86 King Airs, 20 fewer units from the previous year.
Rotorcraft
Airbus Helicopters Delivers 1,300th EC135/H135
H135-family global fleet has accumulated a total of more than 4.5 million flight hours since service entry of the first EC135 helicopter in 1996.
Cabin Interior and Electronics
SmarkSky's 4G LTE Hardware Wins First STC
SmartSky’s 4G ATG network uses “beam forming” technology to provide high data-transmission rates to aircraft.
Aircraft
Gulfstream G280 Adds to Long List of City-pair Records
Pending approval by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association, the G280’s latest records will bring its total city-pair records to more than 60.
Maintenance and Modifications
Eclipse, Advent Launch eABS Promotion for E500s
Offer is limited to the first 10 Eclipse 500 owners that sign a maintenance request form and schedule their aircraft for the upgrade.
Regulations and Government
EBAA to EU: Keep Status Quo for UK Bizav under Brexit
Transition guidelines are expected to be signed off in Brussels today at an EU Affairs Ministers meeting.
Aircraft
Epic Aircraft Flies Second Conforming E1000 Prototype
FAA certification, which previously had been expected by the end of last year, is now planned for this summer.
ATC
NBAA Chief: ATC Privatization Battle Far from Over
NBAA and other general aviation groups have created the ATC Not for Sale program.
Gulfstream Has Full Schedule of Support Events in 2018
Schedule Includes weeklong Operators & Suppliers Conference, two customer advisory board meetings, two flight operations forums, and 11 operators forums.
Training and Workforce
First FlightSafety Gulfstream G500 Sim Gets FAA Nod
These are the first business jet simulators equipped with FlightSafety’s CrewView collimated glass mirror display.
JSSI: Global Bizav Flying Soars in Fourth Quarter
Average flight hours climbed 4.5 percent year-to-date and 6.1 percent year-over-year in the fourth quarter.
Aircraft
Gulfstream's New G500 Goes on World Tour
Tour will stop at “select cities” such as Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Milan, Moscow, Beijing, and Melbourne, Australia.
Regulations and Government
FAA/EASA Task Force To Announce MMEL Solution Soon
In November 2016, EASA began requiring all aircraft transiting European airspace to have an approved MEL for each individual aircraft.
Training and Workforce
CAE Acquires Minority Stake in Pelesys
Pelesys provides more than 30 special operations courses that would benefit business aircraft operators.
