ALBUQUERQUE – I’ve been an aviation fan since I was a kid. Growing up, our street was on final approach to the Hayward Airport (KHWD), I’d forever be looking to the sky and admiring the single-engine Cessnas, multi turboprop SkyKings, and the occasional, massive, Air National Guard C-130 transports descending to land. Just after arriving at Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) this week to begin a short holiday, I had the distinct privilege of touring Eclipse Aviation headquarters and final assembly hangar.
If you’re an airplane junkie like me, you’ll know that Eclipse has started nothing short of a revolution in the aviation world with the creation of the Eclipse 500 – the first Very Light Jet (VLJ) on the market. Much like the introduction of the Cessna was meant to make flying a private plane affordable for the average person, Eclipse is making a similar splash around owning and operating a private jet. The Eclipse 500 was certified by the FAA in 2006 and are rolling off the line at almost one per day. The plane is commercially viable as well and is currently in use by several air taxi companies.
The Eclipse facility is impressive, spanning four large hangars at ABQ. This isn’t Boeing, mind you, but these guys definitely know their stuff, have exacting standards, and everyone I met has a seemingly endless enthusiasm for the company and its excellent product. (Heather, my tour guide and sales support representative, is already down the track to acquiring her private pilot’s license.)
The showroom and final assembly hangar are both spotless. The showroom features the first certified Eclipse 500, which now serves as demonstrator. Also in the showroom is the Eclipse Concept Jet – a sleek, V-tailed, single-turbofan Lamborghini of the private jet world. The Concept Jet demonstrator is jaw-droppingly cool and is apparently generating quite a bit of excitement among prospective buyers…can’t get certified soon enough. Also in the showroom is a working mockup of the new avionics system. (The Eclipse 500 practically flies itself, with the fully-redundant computers doing about 80% of the heavy lifting.) The tour was nothing short of fantastic, and I owe a huge thank you to the Eclipse staff…can’t wait to return. Check out this video of the Eclipse 500 in action.
So then, perhaps one day I will join the ranks of Eclipse owners, presented with a movie of my plane through each phase of development, and then watch in awe as the hangar door slowly opens.
The Eclipse Jet represents only one of the factors in the air travel revolution mentioned in this article. Its introduction coincides with amazing developments in avionics, satelite navigation and communication, Infrastructure build out, increased security concerns, diminishing airline performance and crowded roadways. Vern Raburn has built his Eclipse Jet to catch the wave of air travel revolution not create it. As more Eclipse Jets are produced the wave should grow larger still.
If you are interested in reading more about the Eclipse and the burgeoning air taxi industry please visit http://www.taxijet.com and click the “More Info” button.