Vern Raburn and his then-teenage buddy, William Henry Gates, used to drag race the streets of Albuquerque, a pastime that gave Bill Gates many speeding tickets before he became the world’s richest man.
In turn, Raburn became the 18th employee at his pal’s company, Microsoft, and when he retired with a pot of money, he could buy a jet. But he had a vision: a pocket rocket that was faster than turboprops, could land at 10,000 small airports nationwide and was as comfortable as bigger jets.
By creating the Eclipse in 2006, Raburn became the father of the very light jet, or VLJ, which has revolutionized aviation. No surprise, Cessna jumped on the VLJ bandwagon with its CJ, followed by the Cirrus Vision, Embraer Phenom and even Detroit’s nemesis, the HondaJet.
“Very light jets have opened the door to private aviation for travelers who want efficiency, privacy and flexibility, especially for short regional trips,” says Richard Zaher, founder and CEO of Paramount Business Jets. “In a market like Florida, they’re a perfect fit.”
(Courtesy of Embraer SA)
Carrying four to seven passengers, a VLJ is certified for single-pilot operation, although charter companies such as Argus-rated Paramount, the highest safety standard, use two pilots. “It is,” says Cirrus representative Nate Delaney, “a luxury SUV that flies,” and Florida is a top-three market for Cirrus, with many Vision jets in local airspace.
VLJ owners and passengers avoid airport hassles: no TSA, no lost luggage and the ability to drive right to the plane. Ryan Gucwa, CEO of Tampa-based Odyssey Air, has a local client with both a Cessna VLJ and a much larger Falcon 50. He notes, “The VLJ is his little sports car. It costs a fraction of a larger jet, and it cruises at 365 knots, making trips a short hop. You get jet speeds at prop costs.”
Honda Aircraft)
Imagine being able to climb aboard your own jet and fly at close to commercial airliner speeds, while still landing at tiny island airports throughout the Caribbean. Or when you hear that sailfish are biting off the Carolinas, you can be baiting a hook in a couple of hours.
Is there a VLJ in your future? Yes. If you’re hesitating, don’t.
Chris Caswell is an award-winning writer and the former editor of several yachting magazines. He has appeared on Oprah as a boating lifestyle expert and hosted the Marine Voyager series on the Speed Channel.
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