Cirrus Design Corporation – the company that almost single-handedly revived the private prop market with their SR-22 offering – is upping their game, unveiling a first-ever “private jet” for the rest of us.
Well, the rest of us that have a cool $1 million to blow on a single-engined, parachute equipped jet that seats five adults and two children.
Prop planes are all well and good for keeping your hand in on the weekends, but the problem with them is that it takes forever to get anywhere. In fact, given time running back and forth to an airport, flight planning and preflight, you pretty much have to be going more than a hundred miles to make manning up worth the hassle, while even a short hop of 500 miles or so means 3.5 – 4 hours of flight time with a turnaround on deck somewhere in between. Anything longer than that is not so much a cross-country as it is an endurance contest.
All that is changed, changed utterly in a single-engine jet. Three hundred knots cruise and a thousand mile range makes the idea appealing to higher end operators of such dated aircraft as P210s and V35’s.
Of course, at a million bucks, they’re not exactly giving them away, are they precious?
No, precious. No they are not.
But they are at a discount compared to the Diamond D-Jet, at $1.38 mil or so the closest competitor in this space.
The training and certification issue will be non-trivial, I should think. With a service ceiling of 25,000 feet, we’re talking operations in Class A airspace, a pressurized cabin and liquid oxygen as well as the kind of physiological training most GA veterans have never needed.
Let’s see: I get a little over a thousand unique visits per day – if each one of you gave…
Ah. Never mind.
The Javelin Mk-10 from ATG is another option for your personal air force.
http://www.avtechgroup.com/aircraft.asp?sub=javelin
The training and certification issue will be non-trivial
The larger issue may well turn out to be the extreme reluctance of the insurance companies to insure a single pilot jet. As it is, the high nmuber (and high profile of at least one) of SR-20 and SR-22 accidents has increased the insurance nut on those two to a pretty high level.
The 21st century version of a “Forked Tail Doctor Killer” I fear…
aw, you’ll be able to get one after you publish your memoirs and ‘rhythms’ compilation.
“Anything longer than that is not so much a cross-country as it is an endurance contest.”
hmph – sometimes it isn’t the destination but the journey to be savoured.
- SJS
It’s not like you’d need the whole mil up front. I’m sure they have a lease option.
All who regularly visit this venerable site are my witness:
I win the lottery (i.e. the big one), and you shall receive an aircraft of your choice. No, I don’t mean a model replica.
Why? An eagle needs to fly, else they become cranky.
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
Deborah, that’d have to be some lottery ticket….last time I checked legacy Hornets weren’t going on sale any time soon.
Cap’n,
What if you became a company sales rep? That way you could sit behind the controls and enjoy the experience at company expense. Besides, think of the sales commission!
Oh, and Deborah, I will stand as your witness. IFF the good Captain takes us for a spin.
Just what we need. Personal Jihad jets. No need to hijack one…just buy one and head for Wall Street.
EnsTim, first I need to win the lottery.
There are no strings attached to my generosity, Senior D. Besides, I’d be too busy travelling across America. First, Yellowstone. Then…it’s an open itinerary.
However, the same offer applies to SteelJaw Scribe (I hope that he isn’t offended my omission in the previous post). I mean no offence to anyone else on this site, but the offer is only applicable to Lex and SteelJaw Scribe.
Lex, if you wish to begin a fund for your purchase in the meantime just say the word. With lots of hard work, I’m certain that I could pry my banks’ claws off a few of my tuppence to start the ball rolling.
I shall be thinking of you all on Canada Day, this Sunday is the 140st, and will wish that our countries always remain staunch allies…and raise a wee glass in toast. Then again on the Fourth of July, I shall raise another and toast you all and our Troops, and their families. This continues my families’ long-standing tradition of remembering to honour the close ties we share. God Bless.
Veritas et Fidelis Semper
Oh great, more slow jets up in the national airspace. That’s just so wonderful. Hopefully, we can get most of them in the northeast where they can be most in the way.
(As if the airlines aren’t already screwing things up filling the skies – particularly the skies in the DC-NY-Bos corridor with 50 seaters that are slower than everyone else.)
BTW, my understanding is the parachute is a stall recovery assist device.
Not that anyone would ever stall a private aircraft…
Nose
“Air taxi service”
per Nose’s comment, this, just across the wire:
ATCSCC ADVZY 061 DCC 06/29/2007 NEW YORK AREA HOTLINE_FYI
MESSAGE:
THE NEW YORK HOT LINE IS NOW ACTIVATED.
The $1 M is just the price of admission. I bet that burns a bit more than the 54 lbs per hour I burn in a PA-28.
BTW, the chute is probably the same as the SR-22. Not a stall recovery assist, it lowers the whole aircraft at a “survivable” speed.
Oh great, more slow jets up in the national airspace.
No, they’ll be down in Turbopropville:
With a service ceiling of 25,000 feet
Don’t even get me started on “national airspace.” It’s a public resource, not the exclusive domain of the military and airlines.
Deborah,
No worries, I hate flying. However, you could volunteer to buy me a brand new 379 Peterbuilt… spec’d out to my specifications of course. After having to take four years off because of health problems I’m more than ready to jump back up in the cab and go trailer truckin again.
Lex,
What do you mean by physiological training? It has a pressurized cockpit and all, and I would assume that it’s not really built for pulling G’s. In fact, would your regular GA pilot even want to pull G’s?
Jim C
I stand corrected on the chute thing. I looked it up and g8r is correct. “Survivable” for the people, not so much for the plane.
Dave,
Got some of that AOPA cool-ade on your upper lip.
My point is a Certain volume of sky can only hold so many airplanes and in the NE we have surpassed that volume. Airlines are the prime culprits with small jets (not regional jets when they fly 2+ hour legs) carrying
That airplane parachute thingy didn’t work for that Yankees pitcher a couple years back. Crap like that is put on for the insurance…
I’d rather ditch like Coonts, Flight of the Intruder or the Bridges at Toko-Ri….
I’ve got a bridge for sale, too.
b2
Nose,
Petition the Line to put a big ol’Roo bar on the front of your heavy so’s you can push ‘em outta da way…
jcwhitney.com
b2
Bob,
Good laugh. If wishing only made it so!
Good weekend everyone. Swim meet for us tomorrow.
Like the T-shirt says “If I only have one day left to live, I want to spend it at a swim meet. They last forever!”
N
Jim C – not sure how the airline folks do it, but the military types that fly in the way-high-up have to have recurrent training in a hyperbaric chamber to acquaint themselves with the effects of hypoxia. Most prescription and over-the-counter drugs are forbidden, since their effects at altitude have not been studied rigorously. There are also issues with blood gases, but mostly these proscribe scuba diving and pressurized flight in the same day, e.g.
That sort of thing.
And all I ever asked for was a Husky. You are right Sid … Not to sure about that Beech-y tail. But it’s a pretty little thang, huh.
Re. the SR-22 and the parachute, there was an article in Flying a couple of months back about why people weren’t going for the silk when the a/c was in extremis. Interesting study in psychology including those who thought they could recover it (all the way to the ground) to, curiously enough, concern over damage to the a/c if they went for the silk elevator.
- SJS
Lex,
Interesting. I’m assuming that the hyperbaric chamber stuff is in case of pressurization failure. I hadn’t thought about the prescription drug stuff… that makes complete sense though.
Jim C
Lex,
In the airlines, we do hyperbaric training just like in the Navy.
Except for we don’t use a chamber or have any demonstrations.
My class had a lecture from a Viet Nam era Helo pilot. Great guy, bad lecture, FAA training check-in-the-block achieved.
N
Good news story at http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/airlines/article/0,2777,DRMN_23912_5484185,00.html covering two innovative small jet outfits in the Denver area- They’re hiring…. http://adamaircraft.com/home.asp
The Yankee’s Pitcher was low with an instructor and they made a bad turn and ran out of space because of turn radius and winds. The accident report was recently published, I believe. Chute would have had no help in that instance, perhaps an inflatable bumper?
There is also another VLJ entry in the works that killed it’s test pilots a while back. Crossed the aileron linkage, a little correction of bank turned into a cartwheel on TO.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum_S-33_Independence
But really, I’m absolutely interested in the Javelin. Now that is smashing bugs in style! I have always held that I want to own/live on a yacht and own/operate an aerobatic plane. May have to change that last part to Javelin…
Another interesting thing this reminded me of was a recent article about a large shortage of pilots that is about to happen. I can only guess that with this new class about to become mainstream it’s only going to get worse.
Or better for some…
Now if I can only get out of the office to build up those hours more often…
So what’s it going to be, Lex?
You want the Guiness for your retirement party or to take the chance on all of us chipping in enough to get yourself this sweet little jet? It be a gamble…
Lex – Two words: “Fractional Ownership”
Oh great, more slow jets up in the national airspace.
No, they?
Oh great, more slow jets up in the national airspace.
No, they’ll be down in Turbopropville:
Particularly in the northeast, its the transitional altitudes that matter the most.
Don’t even get me started on “national airspace.” It’s a public resource, not the exclusive domain of the military and airlines.
Its really a matter of too much traffic for the manual ATC system (one man-one radar sector) to handle.
And its not just RJs (and other “small” aircraft) clabbering up the works either.
Nose, have you ever had the pleasure of being stuck behind one of these Aviating Hogzillas on climbout?
So, Nose, should buses have priority over smaller vehicles, on the roads? M’self, I’m partial to the slower-flying sort of airplane, as designed by Chris Heintz.
My lawyer is trying to sell me one of these Sport Cruiser things from htttp://www.airplane.cz
It claims to stall at 20-something knots, and I could learn to fly it even at my advanced age, it being so slow and requiring only a Light Sport Pilot license, or whatever they call it.
No medical required for that ticket! (Important to me, as I’m feeling a bit fragile, lately)
I think it’s better to fly slowly, than not fly at all
Lex – Wait a few years and keep an eye on Trade-a-Plane.I’m sure you’ll find one for a price a retired Navy geezer could afford. I wouldn’t worry about the traffic at the flight levels you’d fly this baby…only geese are dumb enough to be up there.
I still think a Folland Gnat is what our boy Lex needs. There are a few in private hands in this country. Problem is, they’re all getting kinda long of tooth.
JTG-
“So, Nose, should buses have priority over smaller vehicles, on the roads?”
Couple of ways to look at it-
If the busses paid for most of the road upkeep, police force, sinage, etc., would it be such a crime if they got priority?
If the ultimate destination had a limited number of roads going in and busses were given priority, would that be more efficient and ease congestion?
I’m all for bug smashing – it is one of the things that makes America great. There aren’t many places in the world where you can travel by private plane with the freedom that you can here, and that is a good thing.
The problem with the system is that airline passengers pay for ATC, Airport improvements, and Security. Small jets carrying people using Dave G’s “Public Resource” are making money and reaping the benefits without paying their fair share.
Sid, never been stuck behind an A340, but get stuck behind RJ’s all the time.
Nose
Sid, never been stuck behind an A340, but get stuck behind RJ’s all the time.
Didn’t mean to make sound they are not the biggest part of the problem with incompatible traffic sharing constrained airspace…Bet you get routinely get slowed down 6-700 miles from where you are going too…
Sid, never been stuck behind an A340, but get stuck behind RJ?
Sid, never been stuck behind an A340, but get stuck behind RJ’s all the time.
And it will get worse before it ever gets better….
http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070702/BUSINESS/707020304/1003