A small jet aircraft seating 4-8 people, approved for single-pilot operation. Compared to earlier prices, this new kind of very light jet, VLJ or microjet will be so cheap, that it’s affordable to a much wider range of clients.
VLJS - Aircraft facts
VLJs will come equipped with high-tech safety and navigation equipment, which will allow them to fly into small airports – also if the weather conditions aren`t very good.. Unlike turboprops, which cruise below 30,000 feet (9,000 meters), VLJs cruise between 30,000 and 40,000 feet (9,000 and 12,000 meters) at around 430 mph. As flight times are usually very short, some of those VLJs aircrafts don`t have toilets.
- Crew: one or two pilots
- Capacity: four to six passengers, depending on cabin configuration
- Cruising speed: 370 knots (425 mph, 685 km/h)
- Empty weight: around 3550 lb to 5,550 lb (1,600 kg to 2,500 kg)
- Useful load: around 2,400 lb (1,050 kg)
- Range: around 1,295 mi (2,050 km)
- Takeoff distance: between 2,155 ft and 3,150 ft (650 m – 950 m)
- Landing distance: between 2,050 ft and 2,380 ft (620 m – 730 m)
VLJS - Advantages
The very light jet or VLJ will be much cheaper, than private jets before. That`s why private aircraft charter will be affordable to a much wider range of clients in the future. Even if you can’t afford a private jet, you might soon be able to make a business trip on one. VLJs can land on runways as short as 3,000 feet (900 meters), which will allow them to fly into small airport closer to your wanted destination. Even at major airports, private planes are handled separately. They have a special terminal and professional customer service. Depending on your flight, private aviation can be available within a few hours of your phone call.
VLJS - The market
From the beginning, the cost of acquisition and ongoing operational costs were considered in the design of the plane. Therefore the new very light jets are directly competing with high-end piston and turboprop aircraft. The private jet aircraft market has experienced for last couple of years an remarkable growth. In 2008 Sales of business jets were exspected to hit an alltime record. Unfortunately this growth has been stopped by the financial crisis, which became visible in September 2008.
VLJS - Industrie
About a dozen companies are developing VLJs. New aircraft prices vary from $1.5 million to around $3 million for some seven-to eight-passenger VLJs. Cessna Aircraft Company, delivered the first ever production VLJ, the six-seater Citation Mustang in November 2006. Adam Aircraft announced that they had an order of around 300 jets. Because of financial problems, Adam Aircraft ceased operations in the beginning of 2008 and had to declare bankruptcy. The Eclipse 500 produced by Eclipse Aviation was the second of a new class of Very Light Jets (VLJ). On 19 September 2008 Eclipse’s largest customer, DayJet, representing 1430 orders for the Eclipse 500, ceased flying operations for financial reasons and indicated that a return to flying was “unlikely”. Production of the Eclipse 500 was halted in mid-2008 due to lack of funding and the company entered bankruptcy on 25 November 2008.
VLJS - Future
The financial crisis beginning with failures of large financial institutions in the United States, has rapidly evolved into a global crisis resulting in a number of company failures and declines in various stock indexes. This also had a big impact on the aviation industry. The low-cost very light jet (VLJ) industry fell short of expectations in 2008 and also 2009 will be a very tough year. Because of the worlwide recession, the demand for very light jets will slow down.
