April 1, 2007 Big Day For DayJet: First Three Eclipse 500s Delivered |
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By Chad Trautvetter, Editor In Chief
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 On Saturday, Eclipse Aviation delivered three Eclipse 500s to DayJet
-- the planned per-seat, on-demand air-taxi operator -- at the
manufacturer's headquarters in Albuquerque, N.M. According to Eclipse
spokesman Andrew Broom, these three very light jets do not yet have
the required backup air data/attitude and heading reference system
(ADAHRS) display needed for Part 135 operations, but the airplanes
will allow DayJet to start training pilots under Part 91 rules while
Eclipse continues to pursue FAA approval for the backup system, which
is expected soon. DayJet, which has firm orders for 239 Eclipse 500s
and options for 70 more, plans to start air service with the VLJs by
the end of June. "Today is a major milestone for DayJet, as we begin
to take delivery of our Eclipse 500 jets," said DayJet President and
CEO Ed Iacobucci. "Like many great innovations in history,
there is a confluence of hardware and software advances that
together, promise radical change and benefit to thousands of regional
business travelers." Also on Saturday, Eclipse sent a letter to customers along with a draft copy of the aircraft flight manual's
Section 5 that outlines the final Eclipse 500 aircraft configuration,
meaning the large aluminum tiptanks, the new Avio NG avionics and all
aerodynamic refinements. "You will see from these data that the
Eclipse 500 aircraft meets its performance guarantees and performs
like we have always told you it would," notes Raburn. According to
this data, the Eclipse 500 will cruise at more than 370 knots, have a
1,130-nm NBAA IFR range with four occupants and have a stall speed as
low as 60 knots. Some takeoff and landing numbers are just shy of the
guaranteed performance in the draft section, but Eclipse says it is
working to meet or exceed these goals.
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