Very light jet
A very light jet (VLJ), previously known as a microjet, is a small jet aircraft approved for single-pilot operation, seating 4-8 people, with a maximum take-off weight of under 10,000 pounds (4,540 kg). They are lighter than what is commonly termed business or private jets and are designed to be flown by single pilot owners.
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| The Eclipse 500 was heavily marketed as a very light jet |
By late 2009 the term Very Light Jet had become so tainted by the "billion-dollar debacle" of Eclipse Aviation who trumpeted that term widely, that within the industry "entry level jet" has become the preferred term over VLJ. The NBAA's Brian Foley said:
"The term VLJ was at times tainted by...unrealistic expectations and even failure. The industry would do well to drop hyped words in order to improve credibility with users."
Even the ones manufacturing the planes disliked associating their "craft" with the term. Cessna never used the term to describe its Mustang, Embraer labels its Phenom 100 an "entry-level jet" and Stratos has described their jet as "not a VLJ...but a very light personal jet."
In December 2010 AvWeb's Paul Bertorelli explained that the term is not used anymore, "personal jet is the description du jour. You don't hear the term VLJ—very light jet--much anymore and some people in the industry tell me they think it's because that term was too tightly coupled to Eclipse, a failure that the remaining players want to, understandably, distance themselves from."
As of 2010, business jet sales were suffering due to the on-going late 2000s recession. The General Aviation Manufacturers Association reported in November 2010 that third quarter business jet sales were down 20.3% over the same period in 2009, with light jets suffering the most.
Amenities
A New York Times article from August 29, 2006 posed the question:
A July 2006 NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams broadcast also discussed the issue of the Eclipse 500's lack of a toilet. Passengers who need to relieve themselves on the Eclipse 500 are required to bring along a portable container. What were they thinking when they made Eclipse??? Eclipse Aviation's CEO Vern Raburn suggested that most of his company's customers would use the VLJ for short flights of 300 to 500 miles and 40 to 80 minutes duration, and that the lavatory issue is not a problem for VLJ customers. The Eclipse 500 has the option of an electric flush, remove-to-service lavatory with a privacy curtain, but this option comes at the expense of one passenger seat.
"People are not going to get on a plane without a bathroom, at least they are not going to do it more than once".The Adam A700 has a 7-seat configuration with rear lavatory with a privacy curtain. The Cessna Mustang also has an emergency toilet, but it is located between the cockpit and cabin. The Embraer Phenom 100 offers a fully enclosed lavatory with a solid door. These toilet-equipped planes are considerably more expensive than the Eclipse was when it was in production, but they may be preferable for owners, especially those planning on using their jet's full range. The new air taxi service companies, which made up the bulk of the undelivered Eclipse orders, have done surveys that show that having a toilet is not a concern for most of their passengers. Before its bankruptcy, the CEO of DayJet said that even if his company outgrew the Eclipse 500, he intended that his company's larger planes be configured without a toilet.
Lots of stereotypes in the world huh? VLJ or no VLJ, they're all jets, right? But I guess terminologies are important in the business world. Words are, after all, deadlier than swords. (Now where did that come from?!) And personally, I don't want to take any chances with the lavatory issue. Mother Nature has her way of calling us, right? What will you do if you're way up there and she suddenly calls you up, huh? What, you gonna go look for a plastic bag? Haha! XD
Source: wikipedia.org
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