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With easy removal of the cabin seats, we can load up our mountain bikes for the next adventure.
integral climb profile that changes target speed as you gain altitude. With an unrestricted climb, I can rotate at 86 to 91 KIAS, climb from sea level to FL410 in at little as 32 minutes or 6 to 10 minutes longer if temperatures are above ISA. While the highest speed is obtained at FL300 to FL350, I gener- ally need range, flying at FL400 to FL410 on all but the shortest flights. On a recent 970-nm, three-hour f light from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta, our Eclipse consumed 1,240 pounds of fuel.
In cruise, the flexible avionics configurations are very useful, with the capability to split the MFD into multiple windows of information. The XM weather overlays on the MFD are some of the best available in OEM avionics. The plane has the Honeywell RDR2000, which has verti- cal scanning, however, that feature is not enabled in the Eclipse. AT FL410, the 8.3 PSID pressurization provides an 8,200-foot cabin altitude, with a sound level of 78 to 80 Db.
Descent planning is easy, with the exception that the autopilot has no VNAV capability. I use the simple VNAV planning page to estimate the required vertical speed to a single way- point. The Vref is calculated by the avionics and posted on the PFD with the push of one button. The airplane has a Vmo of 285 KIAS (0.64 MMO), enabling fast descents.
With a gear and approach flap ex- tension speed of 200 KIAS, the Eclipse mingles well with other jet aircraft in high-density terminal areas, transi- tioning from 200 KIAS 15 to 20 miles from the airport to a typical Vref of 87 to 92 KIAS. The Eclipse is also approved for LP approaches, a feature
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not available on all light jets. With the “tall chart” available with Avio 2.5 and above, you can actually see the plane descending on the Jeppesen RNAV ap- proach plates. The autopilot/FMS does have a unique “Arm Intercept” mode that can be confusing to new pilots, but a simplified procedure eliminates that issue.
Landing the plane is simple and smooth with the trailing link gear. ABS is included with Avio 2.5, and I up- graded my Avio 2.08 Eclipse with that option. The ABS works extremely well, and Eclipse factory testing showed the ability to stop the airplane in less than 1,000 feet.
Among the Competition
The Eclipse is a personal jet, fre- quently compared to various tur- boprops or light jets. Based upon service ceiling and speed, the Citation Mustang, Phenom 100 and Citation M2 are competitors. But those jets also offer much larger cabins, lon- ger range, higher payloads, and con- comitant operating costs. On a 1,000- nm flight, the Eclipse Jet would be a few minutes faster than the Mustang, the same as the Phenom 100, arrive ten minutes after the M2 – and burn up to 1,100 pounds less fuel.
Expand that comparison and you can include the Cirrus Vision Jet, the Piper M-class turboprops (M500 and M600) and TBM 940. All of these air- craft are excellent choices. From an altitude and speed perspective, the Eclipse Jet flies 10,000 to 13,000 feet higher, is quieter, and cruises faster. But, the Eclipse cabin is smaller, which can be significant if you want to fly with more passengers or simply want more room. The full fuel payload of
Company Update
December 1, 2020, was the beginning of a new chapter for Eclipse Aerospace, Inc (EAI). On that date, the assets of EAI were purchased by AML Global Eclipse LLC (AML Global) as part of the One Aviation, Inc. bankruptcy. Other assets of One Aviation were not obtained by AML Global.
When Eclipse re-opened their doors in December, they rehired virtually all EAI employees who were laid off previously by One Aviation. The company is now under new management led by CEO Mike Press, a longtime Eclipse Jet owner and co-found- er and executive vice president of EAI before the merger with Kestrel in 2015.
Both Eclipse factory services centers in Albuquerque, NM (KABQ) and Aurora, IL (KARR) also became operational on that date after just a short pause. With more than 50 employees and expanding, EAI is now rebuilding their relationships with compo- nent suppliers essential for sup- porting the fleet. While it is early in the next phase of EAI, it is clear that the leadership and employ- ees of Eclipse are positioned to support the existing Eclipse Jet fleet at a higher level than in the last several years and per- haps offer additional options in the future.
AML Global is a global aviation and jet fueling company owned and led by Christopher Harborne. Harborne has operated an Eclipse in Europe for some time, and in our conversations, it is clear that the continued support of this air- craft is an important aspect of his international corporation.
PHOTO BY AUTHOR