2 January 2007
Eclipse Aviation kept its promise – just – to make its first delivery of an Eclipse 500 during 2006 by handing over a jet to David Crowe of California on 31 December.
Crowe, who will use the VLJ mainly for ‘recreation’, has entered into an owner partnership with Jet Alliance, which will use the jet for its customers. “Although the vision of an affordable jet may have seemed like a risky investment to some back in 2000, I never doubted this day would come,” he said. The aircraft is registered as N508JA – JA for Jet Alliance.
Eclipse has had to overcome a number of difficulties (see <a href=’newsfeed2.php?artnum=369′ target=’_blank’>here</a>) in the last part of 2006 in order to get to the delivery stage of its programme. Eclipse is now ramping up production of its jets. It has 2,500 on order. 37 of these are now on the assembly line, with seven having completed final assembly and awaiting delivery.
