Two owners of Eclipse E500 jets, Mason Holland and Mike Press, have submitted a bid of about $40 million to take over the assets of the bankrupt Eclipse Aviation in Albuquerque, N.M. Holland told AVweb that he and Press have formed a company called Eclipse Aerospace that would be based in Albuquerque, and would offer sales and service for the fleet. In a letter to E500 owners, Holland and Press said they have been working hard to put together a business plan, solid financial backing, and a strong support team. They are expecting that the auction will take place in August, and if they are successful, they could take ownership within a few weeks.
In their letter to owners, the two said their first priority would be to return AOG E500s to service. Eclipse Aerospace also would provide training and modifications such as FIKI and avionics upgrades.
