Submitted by chalete on February 21, 2011.

This is a very expensive toy that even wealthy people found it very difficult to buy as it lacks range and has no toilet. How can a family of four living in say Atlanta that wants to spend a week-end in the Bahamas about 2 hours away consider taking this airplane. Or how could the dreamer at DayJet thought that there was a future with this; I was told that the hangars that passed for "terminals" at Boca Ratón and other places had a sign warning passengers, loud and clear to go to the toilet before boarding. Suppose that Mother Nature made a call to one passenger or 25% of the payload in the middle of a flight from say Opa Locka to Tallahasee, what was the solution drop flaps and gear and land ASAP, costing a lot of time and money to DayJet and a terrible nuisance to the other 3 passengers, or else let him face the consequences. Anyway you look at this, the Eclipse 500 was doomed as Flying said right from the begining and will remain so. Now the Sikorsky rescue effort is going to backfire as it is bringing a (forced) lifeline to this airplane which somehow competes with the Cessnas, Pipers, Bombardiers, etc. Do you honestly think they these guys are going to continue buying P&W engines if they can avoid it.

80%
Good comment?
yes
no

Submitted by airgeeker on February 17, 2011.

Having worked for Eclipse Aviation before and during the delivery of all 259 aircraft, I can tell you that many, many talented engineers, technicians, management and support folks dedicated their lives to make this airplane a reality. It migth have been Vern Rayburn's dream, but it was the ingenuity, blood, sweat and sacrifices of the those of us in the trenches, and our families, that made it happen. Notwitstanding the Race to the Moon, the Eclipse jet is an example of American ingeniuty and resolve at it's finest.

56%
Good comment?
yes
no

Submitted by Wrightthing on February 18, 2011.

To all of those honest and hard working Eclipse employees of the past who made this happen, finally your sweat, tears and fears have given life to this airplane.
Shame on those who were involved in the "Bernie Madoff lifestlye" and to your demise.
Congrats Eclipse Aerospace for saving a truely wonderful airplane, just make sure that it will last the long run with all it's inherent design and build flaws.
And to the FAA who should be absolutely ashamed at the greed and politics that you (San Antonio MIDO, Fort Worth MIDO and Colorado ACO) got so wrapped up in, just keep watching reruns of Utube on the Senate hearings till you finally figure out where you went wrong!

"Do The Wright Thing"

60%
Good comment?
yes
no

Submitted by Wrightthing on February 18, 2011.

To OhNo500: Wright On! Been there, and I walked out, to the aghast of the FAA!
Thank you for
your honest comment and truth that must be told before someone gets hurt.
"Always Do The Wright Thing For Aviation"

57%
Good comment?
yes
no

Submitted by robert goyer on February 27, 2011.

It is a nice airplane, and there are any number of private airplanes that lack a potty and that take longer to get to the destination than the 500.

60%
Good comment?
yes
no

Submitted by chalete on March 14, 2011.

For Robert Goyer, indeed there are a lot of airplanes that do not have a potty and are slower and the first to come to mind is the Cessna 152 and others even twins, but they cost just a fraction of the Eclipse 500. The 500 is a nice plane for short flights say an hour or less and to cough up almost $ 3 million for owning one?. That is why it is doomed for ever no mater how you slice it.

67%
Good comment?
yes
no

Submitted by chalete on March 15, 2011.

Wikipedia comes up with a very factual rendition of the saga of this aircraft covering both pros and cons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eclipse_500 . And it is up to date including the recently FAA ordered restriction to fly at or below FL300 due to engine carbon accumulation that could shut one or both engines (obviously this is a P&W problem so they have to solve it).

60%
Good comment?
yes
no