Very light jets (VLJs) were the topic of intense discussion at the Corporate, Air Taxi and Personal Jets conference held at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London, in March. With the world economy on its knees, the talk was less of VLJs cluttering the skies and more about making the most of a valuable breathing space. Delegates seemed to share a desire to reflect on the experiences of the industry to date and, in particular, Eclipse Aviation, with the manufacturer having entered U.S. Chapter 7 insolvency in February.
Views expressed at the meeting ranged from those of a few who think VLJs are not a threat, are just like aircraft that have been around for 40 years and will rarely be flown by single pilots (especially in Europe), to those of many who agreed that this time it will be different and the industry has a chance, with the economic downturn, to prepare for them.
