Eclipse Ends 2006 with First Airplane Delivery.

[Midnight Mike]

Eclipse ends 2006 with first airplane delivery
01/01/2007 11:37:32 AM

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - Eclipse Aviation delivered its first Eclipse 500 commuter plane to a customer Sunday.

The president of the Albuquerque-based company, Vern Raburn, says the delivery means the dream of opening up private jet travel to a new realm of customers is now a reality.

The first of the Albuquerque-based company’s very light jet airplanes went to co-owners David Crowe and Jet-Alliance.

Jet-Alliance is a shared jet plane ownership company in Westlake Village, California.

Eclipse says it has 37 additional planes in various stages of assembly on its production line. That includes seven being prepared for delivery.

[mirrodie]

awesome! I cant wait to see that in action!

[Nonstop2AUH]

Wonder what's going to happen to the traffic situation in the NYC area when everyone on Wall St. decides to buy one of these and park at TEB, HPN, FRG etc...

[Matt Molnar]

Very impressive set up they have going. You can build your own plane on their website: select all the options and price it out as if you were shopping for a Honda. They seem to offer everything you need in one place, including a flight training program somehow involving United Airlines, as well as maintenance services. According to their site, the next available delivery is November 2008 and they're ridiculously cheap: I built one (http://www.eclipseaviation.com/configurator/pdf.php?PS=1&SS=9&CS=3&IS=4&FO=101110111&EO=111111111&OO=11111&TW=3,774.2&TC=$1,861,974) with every option and it came out to just under $1.9 million. I'm sure they will be taking many an investment banker's 2006 bonus. Of course you get what you pay for... the range with four passengers is barely enough to fly TEB-PBI. I think I'll pass on the Eclipse and save up for my 787BBJ.