It ain’t all beer and skittles in the entrepreneurial world, mes amis. Back in April, Eclipse Aviation, maker of very light jets (VLJs), sought a court order forcing Google to reveal the names of contributors to website critical of the company hosted by Google’s Blogger service. CEO Vern Rayburn said that he intended neither to censure nor to censor, but only to “find out where it’s coming from.” A lawyer for one of the site’s contributors obtained an injunction against the order on 1st Amendment grounds, Rayburn resigned as a part of a deal with a European financing company, and the new management dropped the case against Google and the bloggers.
Today, Eclipse told workers at the Albuquerque headquarters that they would not be paid for their last two weeks of completed labor.
One consultant’s report on the company concluded:
The Eclipse program was designed from the outset to be revolutionary and unique. In Teal Group’s estimation, the people behind Eclipse have attained this objective. This program is the single worst aviation program Teal Group has ever covered.
It isn’t the aircraft itself. Rather, it was a business plan that makes no sense, except to attract investors who don’t know much about the aviation business. The plan called for 1,000 deliveries per year. As a reference point, in 2007 the world’s manufacturers delivered a total of about 4,000 turbine-powered aircraft of all types and models. This one company, an unknown start-up, proposed to grow that global figure by 25%, admitting that it couldn’t survive if it merely built 450 planes per year (100 aircraft more than any other turbine-powered aircraft model).
So whether the company’s failure was due to harassing bloggers, or an absurdly optimistic business plan is very much in question.
But do you want to take that chance?
Update: Speaking of 1st Amendment rights -
A Marine veteran whose anti-terrorist and anti-Islam vehicle decals hindered him in visiting the grave of his fallen son at Arlington National Cemetery has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the military order which rebuked his display of the decals.
Jesse Nieto, a 25-year Marine veteran, served two combat tours in Vietnam. His youngest son, Marc, was one of the seventeen sailors killed in the terrorist bombing of the U.S.S. Cole in October of 2000.
“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” - George Orwell
“If you can’t assign the blame, you’re out of the game!”
As far as the retired Marine, those “security guards” should be thankful he didn’t go Full Metal Jacket DI on them.
I like the Orwell quip, I’m going to use it often, thanks.
They’d have stopped me over my cold dead body. The Marine should have told those blithering idiots, “This stickers insult the same people that killed my SON, YOU A#######S”
I wonder where the ACLU is on this Free Speech issue? I am sure if he had something Pro- artsy-f artsy light in the loafer type sticker and that was banned they would have jumped in a heartbeat.
I am sure the “moderate” Muslims out there are disappointed too – nope, sorry none of them out there.
BT: Jimmy T sends.
YGBSM!
Must…..remember….. ask.Doc. up. blood. pressure. meds….
“Today, Eclipse told workers at the Albuquerque headquarters that they would not be paid for their last two weeks of completed labor.”
This one hit a little close to home:
http://blogs.timesunion.com/business/?p=5301
Eclipse Aviation misses payroll, sends Colonie employees home
November 13, 2008 at 7:00 pm by Eric Anderson, Deputy business editor
The two dozen employees of Eclipse Aviation’s service center at Albany International Airport were sent home today after the company was unable to make its payroll companywide. “This was a total surprise,” said John O’Donnell, the airport’s chief executive officer. “We’re hoping they will identify a funding stream quickly. We do want that operation here.” Albuquerque, N.M.-based Eclipse, the first to market a new generation of six-seat, very light jets, told employees at its factory in Albuquerque that it had encountered last-minute problems getting financing to pay them for the past two weeks of work.That announcement left many employees feeling frustrated and angry, according to the Associated Press.
Eclipse’s $8 million maintenance facility at Albany International Airport was built with $1.6 million in state assistance, and opened in February. The building is owned by the Albany County Airport Authority.
Local rumor has it Eclipse employees will be paid on Monday. We’ll see.