June 24, 2008
Gulfstream’s Latest Jet Is Fastest Yet
While Gulfstream’s corporate jets have long been popular for their range and comfort, they couldn’t keep up with the blazing close-to-supersonic speed of Cessna’s Citation X. But now, Gulfstream’s speedy new G650 jet will take the lead as the world’s fastest civilian aircraft, with a top speed of almost 700 mph. The G650 will fly 8,000 miles nonstop, carrying eight passengers in executive ease, for truly global range. The stand-up cabin is the industry’s widest, at eight feet across. Even the windows will be bigger than anyone else’s. The airplane will fly for the first time late next year, and deliveries are scheduled to start in 2012. Price is about $59 million. (912.965.4679, www.gulfstream.com)
—Mary Grady
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June 10, 2008
Astrium Ready to Rocket
If space travel for tourists seems like a far-fetched fantasy available for a small few who are willing to pay millions for the experience, EADS Astrium is making it a reality for a broader audience. Astrium, part of Europe’s biggest aerospace company, is hard at work in Munich, Germany, on a rocket plane that is targeted to fly into space by 2012. The business-jet-size vehicle features luxury interiors designed by Marc Newson, with stylish canary-yellow seats and numerous windows to enjoy the view. The craft will carry four passengers more than 60 miles high, for three minutes of weightlessness (the seats fold away to free up a play area) and a spectacular view. Take-off and climb are powered by a pair of jet engines, then a rocket engine kicks in for the final boost. The trip is expected to cost about $300,000 per person. (www.astrium.eads.net)
― Mary Grady
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May 27, 2008
Take Flight for Father’s Day
Give your father the luxury of time with Talon Air’s Father’s Day jet upgrade bonus. In honor of Dad, Talon Air is offering one complimentary class upgrade with the purchase of any of its year-long packages. In addition, a standard package also provides helicopter service to the airport, passenger visa waivers, flat rate for international travel, and flexible membership options. This luxury boutique carrier is distinguished by its first-class amenities, such as its Spa in the Sky option, and on-demand service. Talon’s core fleet is privately owned and operated, and the company employs its crew full-time to guarantee the highest level of security. Talon has exclusive access to all airports that have paved runways, and jets can be chartered with only one hour’s notice. A year of private travel, which includes 50 hours on a mid-sized jet like the Hawker 850XP, starts at $250,000. (631.753.8881, www.talonairjets.com)
―Alyson Gerber
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May 13, 2008
On-Call ConciAirge
Jetworks Jets, a Southern California-based private aviation company chartering flights for individuals and corporations since 2002, has started a new global concierge program. ConciAirge is designed to elevate Jetworks’ private jet flights to a comprehensive travel agency, from selecting the most suitable aircraft for your transportation to securing hotel arrangements and entertainment for the duration of your trip. ConciAirge is a members-only personal access card designed to give clients access to Jetworks’ team of travel experts, who are versed in a variety of milieus―from reserving private islands and yachts to booking celebrities for fundraisers. Annual membership for Jetworks charter service, which starts at $1,000, provides access to its concierge benefits. (www.conciairge.com)
―Alexandra Foster
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April 29, 2008
Mooney’s Latest Acclaim: S Is for Speed
Over the last few years, aircraft manufacturers Mooney and Columbia both claimed to have built the fastest single-engine piston-powered airplane, but with the Acclaim Type S, Mooney indisputably commands the lead. The Type S slides through the air at up to 278 mph―5 mph faster than earlier versions of the Acclaim, and 8 mph faster than the Columbia 400, now owned by Cessna Aircraft Company. Mooney credits a “series of small aerodynamic refinements” and a new propeller for the speed boost. For pilots who want to leave Chicago after breakfast and arrive in New York for lunch, the Type S provides the means. The cozy interior carries up to four in comfortable hand-stitched leather seats and has plenty of storage space. Prices start at $599,500. (800.456.3033, www.mooney.com)
―Mary Grady
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April 15, 2008
Pilatus PC-12: The Next Generation
The Pilatus PC-12 turboprop already has plenty of fans―with the simplicity of single-engine operation, the power and reliability of a turbine, and the comfort of a roomy cabin that holds up to nine passengers, it’s been a top seller in its category. Now, the Next Generation model is proving even more popular. Pilatus says demand is “unprecedented,” and it’s sold out through the end of 2009. The new PC-12 NG upgrades to an even more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine and a fully integrated Honeywell Primus Apex avionics system. The new avionics provide a bright, uncluttered instrument panel, and a fresh cockpit design by BMW Group DesignworksUSA shows it off, maximizing ergonomics and elevating aesthetics. Prices start at $3.78 million. (800.745.2887, www.pilatus-aircraft.com)
―Mary Grady
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March 25, 2008
Meet Columbus, Cessna’s Big, Fat New Jet
Cessna invested five years of market research before deciding on the final design for its newest, and largest, jet to date, the Citation Columbus. The Columbus will fly 4,000 miles nonstop―New York to Munich, London to Dubai, Sydney to Singapore―at more than 600 mph. Up to 10 passengers can ride in the back, nestled in newly designed seats or on the optional couch. “This aircraft will be Cessna’s greatest achievement,” says CEO Jack Pelton. A pair of next-generation Pratt & Whitney Canada jet engines are hailed as ultra-quiet and fuel efficient with fewer emissions. Prices start at $27 million; deliveries are expected to start in 2014. (800.4cessna, www.columbus.cessna.com)
―Mary Grady
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March 11, 2008
Future of Travel at 4,000 mph
The days of the Concorde are past, but superfast air travel could still be part of your future. A few supersonic business jets are already in the design stages, but now an even faster category called hypersonic―for Mach 5 and up―is showing promise. The European Union recently put up the equivalent of $14 million to fund further study of the A2 hypersonic design from British firm Reaction Engines Ltd. The company says it’s Scimitar engine could drive the ship at Mach 5.5, flying from London to Sydney in under four hours. The airplane would carry 300 passengers at a ticket price comparable to today’s business class, the company says, and the engines would use clean-burning hydrogen fuel. Service could start within 25 years if there is enough funding. (www.reactionengines.co.uk)
―Mary Grady
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February 26, 2008
Next Stop, Space
If you haven’t reserved your seat on Virgin Galactic yet, better stop dawdling―there are already 200 people in line ahead of you. Virgin CEO Richard Branson recently visited New York to unveil a scale model of his extraordinary two-stage space vehicle, designed by aeronautical visionary Burt Rutan. “2008 really will be the Year of the Spaceship,” Branson said, announcing that test flights of the carrier aircraft, WhiteKnightTwo, will begin this summer. SpaceShipTwo, with six passengers aboard, will hitch a ride to the stratosphere suspended beneath WhiteKnight’s massive wing. The spaceship then drops free and lights a rocket for an exhilarating ride into space. The experience will be “the most fabulous thing that you could imagine,” says Mike Melvill, and he should know―as pilot of SpaceShipOne, he was the world’s first commercial astronaut. Tickets, which can be purchased online, start at $200,000. Passenger flights could start as soon as 2009. (www.virgingalactic.com)
―Mary Grady
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February 12, 2008
Airbus A380, World’s Largest Private Jet
For those who find the interior of a Boeing 747 a bit cramped, Airbus offers a VIP model of its superjumbo A380―the largest civilian aircraft in the world―to private buyers. The A380’s two decks comprise 5,930 square feet of customizable floor space, 50 percent more than the biggest 747. So far just one of the ships, dubbed a Flying Palace, has been sold, to a Saudi billionaire who is also the world’s only private owner of a 747-400. Airbus expects the global market for the VIP version to top out at 30. Prices start at about $300 million. (www.airbus.com, +33 5 67 19 18 32)
―Mary Grady
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January 29, 2008
Two New Jets from Brazil
Brazilian jet manufacturer Embraer recently unveiled two designs that will fill a gap between its popular Phenom very-light jets and the Legacy 600 executive jet. The new mid-size jet will carry eight passengers, and the mid-light jet has room for four, and both will feature luxury interiors by BMW Group DesignworksUSA of Newbury Park, California. The six-foot stand-up cabin is outfitted with best-in-class soundproofing, a full galley, and generous baggage space. The company hasn’t yet announced a price, but said it will be somewhere between the $7 million Phenom and the $26 million Legacy 600. Deposits are being taken now for both aircraft. (+55.12.3927.1000, www.embraer.com)
―Mary Grady
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January 15, 2008
Rocket from Oklahoma to Outer Space
It’s a simple plan: Build an aircraft that can take off like an airplane, climb to 40,000 feet, ignite its rocket engine, and zoom to the edge of space at speeds up to 2,386 mph. The Rocketplane, recently unveiled in a new version, will do exactly that, its designers say, providing five tourists a four-minute, zero-gravity astronaut experience. Rocketplane Global says its aircraft will be ready to fly by 2010, launching from a new spaceport near Oklahoma City. Reservations are available now at $250,000 per seat. (www.rocketplaneglobal.com, 877.238.0057)
―Mary Grady
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January 2, 2008
Versace Takes to the Skies
The interior of a private jet should be functional as well as comfortable, but adding Versace to the mix elevates it to a whole new level. “We wanted to create a design that reflects a lifestyle and brings out the art of living, which is the essence of the Versace brand and its design philosophy,” says Bijan Khezri, managing director of TAG Aircraft Interiors, based in Switzerland. TAG and Versace have partnered to create luxury interiors for Bombardier, Gulfstream, Boeing, and Airbus business jets. The latest addition to the catalog: an ergonomic reclining armchair, upholstered in embroidered white leather, created expressly to complement a large-cabin jet interior. (www.tagai.aero, +41 79 722 17 17)
—Mary Grady
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December 11, 2007
Go Supersonic
Aerion Corp. says its eight-passenger supersonic business jet will zoom from New York to Paris in a little more than four hours, but it won’t be cheap. The company made its first sale at the recent Dubai Air Show, with a price point of $80 million. Delivery is at least five years away, and the company has yet to build a flying prototype. Competitors are already in the game. Supersonic Aerospace International is working with Lockheed Martin to develop a quiet, supersonic jet that could be ready for delivery by 2015. Gulfstream is researching technology that would suppress sonic booms. Both companies say supersonic jets would go for $80 million to $100 million. (www.aerioncorp.com
775.337.6682)
—Mary Grady
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December 4, 2007
Make a Speedy Escape
Epic Aircraft found a way to make its popular Epic LT go faster—it scaled down the size by 8 percent to create the new Epic Escape. Cruising at 420 mph, the Escape is the fastest pressurized single-engine turboprop you can buy, more so even than some light jets. The Escape carries enough fuel to zip nonstop from New York to Miami, and four to five reclining leather seats allow guests to travel in comfort. The Epic factory crew will help clients build their own Escape for under $1 million, and delivery positions are available now. Production starts in the first quarter of 2008. (888.FLY.EPIC, www.epicaircraft.com)
—Mary Grady
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November 1, 2007
Cessna Goes the Longest (Nautical) Mile
When Cessna Aircraft Company unveils plans for its first large cabin business jet, which is expected to be announced early next year, it will be the largest plane with the longest nautical mile range (estimated at about 4,000) in the company’s history. Based on customer input and wind-tunnel testing of preliminary designs, Cessna’s mock-up features a large galley and bathroom along with club and lounge seating for nine passengers. Engine suppliers, avionics, and other specifications will be defined when Cessna moves forward with the program. Only then will the company begin taking orders for the jet, expected to retail in the $21 million to $25 million range. (316.517.6056, www.cessna.com )
—Skye Mayring
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November 1, 2007
Eclipse Aviation’s Innovative Concept Jet
Eclipse Aviation, creator of the world’s first very-light jet, has developed a single-engine, turbofan-powered concept jet. The 29-foot Eclipse Concept Jet is expected to cruise at a top speed of 345 knots with a range of 1,250 nautical miles. Its innovative interior design will have a four-seat passenger cabin outfitted with 110V power plugs, LED-lit paneling, and integrated MP3 player outlets. If Eclipse gives the concept the green-light, it could immediately start taking orders for the craft, estimated to retail at around the $1 million mark. (877.375.7978, www.eclipseaviation.com)
—Skye Mayring
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November 1, 2007
Ocean Reef Club to Host 13th Annual Vintage Weekend
The Ocean Reef Club of Key Largo, Florida, will host its 13th annual Vintage Weekend November 29 through December 2. Ocean Reef is a private, member-owned club along the northern tip of Key Largo, 50 miles south of Miami. Vintage Weekend, showcasing the finest member-owned aircraft, automobiles, and motoryachts from 1900 to the 1970s, is one of Ocean Reef’s most memorable traditions. This year’s itinerary includes lunch at famed seaside restaurant Alabama Jacks, a sock hop–themed reception and dinner party, road rally and awards ceremony. Last year’s event featured 5 cars, 36 aircraft, and 22 yachts from owners and members of the exclusive community. Nonmembers are welcome to attend and can be accommodated at the club’s 142-room oceanfront inn. (800.741.7333, www.oceanreef.com)
—Alexandra Foster
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