VLJ Visionary Vern Raburn Dead at 75

Entrepreneur and tech pioneer introduced the concept of the very light jet with Eclipse Aviation.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 01:00 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Vern Raburn, who was the mind behind friction-stir welding and the concept of the very light jet, is dead at 75. [Credit: Living Legends of Aviation]

Key Takeaways:

Vern Raburn, a notable aviation entrepreneur and former executive at Microsoft and Symantec, passed away at 75.
He founded Eclipse Aviation in 1998, introducing the "very light jet" (VLJ) concept with the Eclipse 500, aiming to make point-to-point air travel more accessible and affordable.
Raburn pioneered the use of friction-stir welding in aviation manufacturing to reduce costs, although Eclipse Aviation eventually faced bankruptcy despite the Eclipse 500 receiving certification and making initial deliveries.
A lifelong aviation enthusiast with thousands of flight hours, Raburn was honored as a Living Legend of Aviation and served on various prominent aviation and advisory boards.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Vern Raburn, the aviation entrepreneur and founder of Eclipse Aviation who also served as an executive vice president of Microsoft and CEO and chairman of Symantec, died Saturday in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was 75.

Raburn, known for his keen sense of technology, enjoyed a career that included serving as executive vice president of Microsoft in the early days of the company. He would go on to become the CEO and later chairman of Symantec before joining the Paul Allen Group, where he handled investments for Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, an athletic and aviation enthusiast.