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ANN REALTIME REPORTING 07.27.06 1315 EDT: It's official! The very first VLJ to receive FAA certification is the Eclipse 500... as was announced moments ago at AirVenture 2006

The idea that small is beautiful seems to have been lost on the aviation industry. But while most attention is lavished on the Airbus A380, the giant pterosaur of the skies, many think that the new, diminutive Eclipse 500, a mere bumblebee by comparison, is the aeroplane with the real potential to transform air travel. The Eclipse 500 is the first of a new kind of small aircraft called the very light jet (VLJ). It seats five passengers and a pilot, weighs 3,536lb (1,603kg) when empty and is so petite that seven of them could fit along the wings of...

A revolutionary and time-consuming project, one that literally reshapes the paradigm for light jet transportation, is proving to be just a tad more time-consuming (like most revolutions are) than its adherents had hoped... Eclipse Aviation has confirmed for ANN that it expects to achieve FAA certification of the Eclipse 500 jet in the next few weeks, but not (as hoped) within the next few days. While the company was anticipating FAA certification in late June, the thorny issue of continued supplier delays have pushed the schedule back. "We are on the verge of achieving FAA certification, and are thrilled...

New, Smaller Planes Crowding Skies Once Left to Big Jets By MATTHEW L. WALD WASHINGTON, March 6 — For years the skies have been crowded with airplanes, but the planes' capabilities have kept them at different altitudes, with small, piston-driven models a few thousand feet above ground, commuter turboprops in the 20,000-foot range and jet airliners at 30,000 feet or higher. Now, to the dismay of aviation experts, an increasing number of planes may begin competing for space at the same higher altitudes. The turboprops are disappearing and being replaced by "regional jets," which fly at big-jet altitudes. Some...

When Burt Rutan rolled out the SpaceShipOne suborbital spacecraft earlier this month (see “Rutan aims for space: A look at SpaceShipOne”, April 21, 2003), one of the biggest surprises had nothing to do with the vehicle’s unique design or flight profile. Instead, despite the fact that the vehicle seemed ideal to win the X Prize and usher in the era of suborbital space tourism, Rutan made it clear there were no plans to put the vehicle into commercial service. SpaceShipOne would fly under an “experimental research and development glider” license on a series of flights to determine what the operating...

July 28, 2003 Democrats Nominate Richardson To Lead 2004 Convention By Jennifer Peter The Associated Press    BOSTON   —   Democratic Party leaders nominated New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to be chairman of their 2004 national convention on Monday, a move to appeal to Hispanic voters increasingly targeted by Republicans.     "I think it's a recognition that Hispanics are major players in the presidential race," Richardson said in an interview with The Associated Press shortly after the announcement.     He added, "I think there's going to be strong initiatives accompanying this appointment for the Hispanic community."     Democratic National Committee...

<p>ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- Imagine someday calling a taxicab in the shape of a tiny jet that seats six and can pick you up at your local municipal airport and deliver you to where you want to go for about the cost of an airline coach seat.</p>

Vern Raburn has this habit of finding the next big thing — way too soon. In 1976, he opened the third computer store in Los Angeles, years before PCs came to the masses. Struck with the computer bug, he headed to Albuquerque, N.M., where he joined up with some guys who wanted to sell software. That happened to be Bill Gates and Paul Allen, and Raburn was one of the first employees at Microsoft (a partner in MSNBC). But he bailed when Gates shipped the company north to Redmond, Wash., and moved on. So what is he doing back in...