Light jet gains FAA clearance

ALBUQUERQUE -- Eclipse Aviation Corp. said its E500 ``very light jet" has been fully certified by the Federal Aviation Administration -- meaning the small aircraft are cleared for delivery .

Eclipse spokesman Andrew Broom said in a statement released Saturday that 23 of the aircraft are in production, in addition to two that already have rolled off the assembly line. He said the first delivery would take place in days.

The so-called Type Certificate was presented to Eclipse at its Albuquerque headquarters.

Over the next few years, the company will aim to fulfill more than 2,500 orders customers have placed for this jet, which some believe will revolutionize the way people think about air travel. In July, Eclipse successfully tested the first production aircraft slated for delivery to a customer. The airplane flew 1 1/2 hours and climbed to its maximum altitude of 41,000 feet. The twin-engine, six-seat jet will cost about $1.5 million.

The company believes the E500 will radically change the aircraft industry, saying it costs one-third less than other small jet aircraft. The company said it will be safer and easier to operate, with the lowest cost of ownership ever in a jet aircraft.