Very Light Jet Magazine

Feds Look Into NATCA Concerns About Eclipse 500 Certification
FAA Dismissed Claims VLJ Was Approved Despite Safety Concerns The US Department of Transportation is riding its FAA division pretty hard these days. The DOT's Inspector General has recently issued reports highly critical of the FAA's handling of airline maintenance enforcement and labor relations with its own employees.
2008-07-02 10:37:18 GMT

Executive AirShare agrees to positions on 18 Phenom 100 aircraft from Avantair
Robert D. Taylor, chairman and chief executive officer of Executive AirShare, announced that the regional fractional aircraft ownership company is combining its positions with 18 Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft from Clearwater, Fla.-based Avantair a nati...
2008-07-01 21:36:39 GMT

Cirrus Eyes Maiden Jet Flight.
Cirrus Design is putting its very light jet program in motion. The company has been developing The-Jet, a single-engine, V-tail airplane, and now the first test version, V1, is being readied for taxi tests. Assuming all goes well, the next big step is the maiden flight. The airplane is now in the hands of the test team...
2008-06-30 20:35:37 GMT

All systems go for Jetbird with 'no oil price worries'

CLARET Capital's Domhnal Slattery yesterday insisted his €100m air taxi firm Jetbird, can make money even with oil at $150 a barrel.
2008-06-29 13:55:42 GMT

Smart Air aims for fractional profit from D-Jets waiting list
The founder of Europe's first fractional ownership operation for Diamond D-Jets believes waiting...
2008-06-29 13:53:05 GMT

Melbourne welcomes Embraer with unanimous vote
Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has secured its long term presence at the Melbourne International Airport with yesterday's 6-0 vote by the airport authority to lease 25 acres of land on the airport for Embraer for 30 years to build a final assembly plant for the Phenom 100 very light jet and Phenom 300 light jet. "There was no way we were going to let this opportunity pass us by," said Larry Wuensch, Melbourne's director of land development, regarding the authority's failed bid in 2005 to be the North American location for EADS' KC45 tanker program. Wuensch says loss of the tanker was "painful" but taught officials "many lessons that helped
2008-06-29 13:53:05 GMT

Safety regulators applaud FAA's swift action on Eclipse jets
The US National Transportation Safety Board is commending FAA for its fast response to a request by the board to address dual engine control failures on the Eclipse 500 jet. Late yesterday the board called for inspections and regulatory action for all Eclipse 500 light jets, after one aircraft, tail number N612KB, experienced a dual-engine control failure on 5 June. Pushing the throttles forward to the power stops resulted in uncontrollable thrust at maximum levels. Shutting down one engine, however, caused the other engine to roll back to idle, forcing the crew to declare an in-flight emergency and to land at Chicago Midway Airport. "This incident demonstrated a technical safety-of-flight issue that we believe needs immediate attention," says NTSB chairman Mark V. Rosenker. The NTSB issued an urgent recommendation for the US FAA to require inspections of all Eclipse 500 throttle quadrant parts. Repl
2008-06-29 13:53:05 GMT

Eclipse gains FIKI, Commits to throttle jam fix
Eclipse Aviation has earned its flight into known icing (FIKI) certification for the Eclipse 500 very light jet, clearing the way for the aircraft to be used more effectively in all-weather air taxi operations
2008-06-29 13:53:05 GMT

Cirrus "The-Jet" Taxi Testing
Cirrus Design rolled out its "The-Jet" Thursday June 26, announcing the test aircraft - 'V1' - is ready to begin taxi tests.
2008-06-29 13:51:25 GMT

Eclipse Jet Certified to Fly in Icy Conditions.
The Federal Aviation Administration has granted certification for the Eclipse 500 jet to fly in icy conditions. Eclipse Aviation Corp. has done extensive testing since last year on its six-seat, twin-engine, very light jet to achieve the FAA's stamp of approval, called Flight Into Known Icing certification, said CEO Vern Raburn...
2008-06-29 13:51:24 GMT