Aircraft
Vaunted Eclipse VLJ takes EU road trips
Eclipse Aviation president and CEO Vern Raburn did not wax eloquent with regard to the Avio NG (next generation) avionics upgrade program for the Eclipse 5

Eclipse Aviation president and CEO Vern Raburn did not wax eloquent with regard to the Avio NG (next generation) avionics upgrade program for the Eclipse 500, other than to say that the company is moving ahead with the project and that the first of two Avio NG-equipped test aircraft will be finished this week. Flight testing will start next week in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but the question of when the avionics system will be certified remains to be answered. Meanwhile, Eclipse is faced with a growing number of customers for whom it must provide the system later at no additional cost.

Before its arrival at EBACE, the sleek little aircraft had been performing demonstration flights at Cannes-Mandelieu Airport on the French Riviera. After the show it will continue waving the flag throughout Europe until mid-June. EBACE 2007 marks the Eclipse 500’s European show debut.