A multi-engine, instrument rated pilot, James Wynbrandt has been an AIN and Business Jet Traveler contributor since 2003. His in-depth reporting and insightful features have won more than a dozen editorial honors, including two National Business Aviation Association Gold Wing Awards (2019; 2021), and his articles have also appeared in the New York Times, Barron’s, Fortune, Forbes, and Smithsonian Air &amp; Space. He has flown his Mooney M20K 252 on assignments throughout North and Central America and the Caribbean. Wynbrandt is also the author of Flying High (Wiley &amp; Sons), a biography of Jet Blue founder David Neeleman, as well as histories, references works, and books on a variety of other topics from major publishers. He lives in New York City.

Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

Eclipse Aerospace of Albuquerque, N.M., delivered its sixth Eclipse 550 light twinjet this week at the Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, Fla. Purchased by an undisclosed customer in Chicago, the aircraft is on display throughout the show, which closes on Sunday evening. The Eclipse 550 was certified on February 28 and the first copy was delivered on March 12. “We think we can produce, sell and deliver 16 to 20 [550s] this year, and we’d like to do more than that in the future,” said Eclipse CEO Mason Holland.


At $2.895 million, the Eclipse 550 has the lowest acquisition cost, and has the quietest cabin of any twinjet. Seating in the six-place aircraft is completely reconfigurable, since any seat other than the pilot’s can be removed or replaced–an operation that the pilot can perform quickly and easily before flight.


Holland told AIN the company plans to supplement sales of new jets with maintenance and refurbishment services. “We want to take care of customers for life,” he said. For current owners of legacy Eclipse 500 aircraft produced by now-defunct Eclipse Aviation, Eclipse Aerospace offers the 500 Plus upgrade, incorporating many features of the 550. Priced at $499,950, the 500 Plus includes all new avionics display screens and anti-skid brakes, with additional options such as glass windshield and weight reduction packages also available. The company also sells refurbished and upgraded Eclipse 500s, also incorporating features of the 550, its “Total Eclipse” offering, for $2.15 million.


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Eclipse delivers Sixth E550 Twinjet at Sun ’n’ Fun Fly-In

Eclipse Aerospace delivered the sixth Eclipse 500 and plans to supplement sales with MRO and refurbishment services.

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