I still have the brochure from my 2001 trip to Oshkosh on the “future of personal travel”, yes it was my hopes of my own personal jet for only $850,000 or so in “2001 dollars” as they say. Yes we were in the midst of the dot com boom and money grew on trees ahh but  yes that time passed and then the real estate revolution began and again money moved from the tree to the construction from trees (homes and buildings) and land! Ahh yes but that time passed too.

Oh were the days when my balance sheet and the balance sheets of so many glowed with green and blossomed with excess and the need and had the available capital for a private jet.  No longer would I have to settle for a prop or used turbo prop, I could be a jet owner!

Well the schedule, the hopes and the expectations all seemed to be coming true Van Rayburn would not go the way of the “Tucker” he would fight and win he would be the champion of personal jet travel!  But alas it too like the excesses of the late 80′s, the mid 90′s and the real estate boom of the early millenia we must face the fact the aircraft production, ownership and management are best summed up by Howard Hughes.

To make a small fortune in aviation you must start with a large fortune.
- Howard Hughes

As the economy, the financing and apparently the FAA show it was a nice run, but the fortune or fortunes of Eclipse Aviation apparently will die as no one can afford the unknown to make it work again according to the recent information released from the bankruptcy court and the findings of its potential suitors.

Good bye for now found jet I will look for you on future horizons.

AviationWeek Article