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

Aviation Partners filed a <a href="http://www.aviationpartners.com/api-motion-to-dismiss/11-main.pdf">response yesterday to Airbus’s pre-emptive lawsuit</a> that seeks to invalidate an <a href="http://www.google.com/patents/US5348253?printsec=abstract#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false">Aviation Partners patent</a> for blended winglets. This patent–filed on Feb. 1, 1993, and granted Sept. 20, 1994–is for technology that is the foundation of the Seattle-based company. Since patents perish after 20 years, this one will expire in about 12 months.


In its response, Aviation Partners has requested that the <a href="http://www.ainonline.com/?q=aviation-news/ainalerts/2011-12-06/airbus-files-complaint-against-aviation-partners#en">Airbus lawsuit</a> be either dismissed or transferred to Seattle. “Airbus’s complaint pleads legal conclusions without factual support,” Aviation Partners alleges in its filing. “[The] complaint omits significant facts, including…the longstanding relationship between [Aviation Partners] and Airbus.”


According to Aviation Partners, it began discussions with Airbus in 2006 regarding the use of its blended winglets on Airbus A320s. A series of negotiations resulted in the parties entering into a memorandum of understanding in July to form a joint venture to use Aviation Partners’ blended winglets on Airbus A320s, the company noted.


Late last summer, Airbus “provided [Aviation Partners] with data and information (including engineering specifications and drawings) for Airbus’s ‘Sharklet design,’” Joe Clark said in a sworn statement. “[Aviation Partners] engineers analyzed the Airbus materials and noticed the striking similarity between API’s Blended Winglet…and the Airbus ‘Sharklet’ design.”


“Without notifying Aviation Partners, [Airbus] sought a patent in Europe for its own ‘Sharklet wingtip,’” Clark added. Airbus filed its lawsuit in early December.

Aviation Partners Fights Back Against Airbus Lawsuit

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