Piper Aircraft, in Vero Beach, FL, successfully put its new (and first) jet plane through its first airborne paces on July 30, 2008. The jet was conceived and announced in 2005-2006, while I was working at the company as a technical writer. Have a look at the company's video of the very first takeoff and landing. When I see something like that, and I recognize some of the faces involved, it makes me very happy for those involved. Even for those who are working there and weren't directly involved. A pride of place, you could say.
This was a very exciting development for me, as at the time I was more and more intrigued by the very light jets (VLJs) and business concepts such as DayJet (based in Delray Beach, FL). DayJet is an on-demand air taxi service, a hybrid aviation service model that, inconcisely, fits somewhere in between corporate jets and scheduled air carriers. It is a service that suits business travel. They use the in-production Eclipse 500 model.
The VLJ market is a new, high-end aircraft market, despite the relatively similar business-corporate jet market (which I think was launched by the legendary Lear Jet). However, VLJs are priced at the higher side of single- and twin-engine turboprop market. That is, business jets come in at around $5 mil or more while VLJs are predicted to hold a $1-2 million price tag. Not exactly the flying cars dreamed of by over-imaginative futurists of the 1950s, but certainly a new class of jet.I am extremely happy for my friends, colleagues and fellow aviation enthusiasts over there, for the progress made on this aircraft.
- Jonny O
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