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Fax: +49 7051 967163
Email: info@businessaviation.com
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ECLIPSE 500
Eclipse 500 for Sale: Do You Really Need a Bigger Jet?
If you usually fly with two, three or four people, this is the question I would ask before looking at a larger business jet.
Do you really need one?
The Eclipse 500 was built for a very specific owner. Someone who wants a real jet, wants to fly high and fast, but does not want to operate a much larger aircraft just because it has a bigger cabin.
That idea was ahead of its time.
The business behind the aircraft did not survive. The airplane did. And that is why the Eclipse 500 is still worth a serious look on the pre-owned market.
The Eclipse 500 was never meant to be a big airplane.
You notice it immediately when you see one.
It is compact. The cabin is compact too. There is no pretending otherwise. But climb into the cockpit and the proposition becomes clearer. You have a twin-engine jet certified for single-pilot operation, with a published maximum cruise speed of 375 knots and a maximum operating altitude of 41,000 feet. The published NBAA IFR range is 1,280 nautical miles with four occupants.
For short and medium regional business trips, that is a useful combination.
If your normal mission is two or three people, a couple of bags and a flight that needs to get done today, you may not need a larger aircraft.
That is the Eclipse argument.
Simple enough.
Do you really need one?
The Eclipse 500 was built for a very specific owner. Someone who wants a real jet, wants to fly high and fast, but does not want to operate a much larger aircraft just because it has a bigger cabin.
That idea was ahead of its time.
The business behind the aircraft did not survive. The airplane did. And that is why the Eclipse 500 is still worth a serious look on the pre-owned market.
The Eclipse 500 was never meant to be a big airplane.
You notice it immediately when you see one.
It is compact. The cabin is compact too. There is no pretending otherwise. But climb into the cockpit and the proposition becomes clearer. You have a twin-engine jet certified for single-pilot operation, with a published maximum cruise speed of 375 knots and a maximum operating altitude of 41,000 feet. The published NBAA IFR range is 1,280 nautical miles with four occupants.
For short and medium regional business trips, that is a useful combination.
If your normal mission is two or three people, a couple of bags and a flight that needs to get done today, you may not need a larger aircraft.
That is the Eclipse argument.
Simple enough.
What do you actually get?
You get a small twin-engine jet with performance that is still useful for the mission it was designed around.
Published figures give the Eclipse 500 a 375-knot maximum cruise speed, 41,000-foot maximum altitude and 1,280 nm NBAA IFR range with four occupants.
The aircraft was also certified for single-pilot operation.
For an owner-pilot, that matters.
You are not buying a mini - Gulfstream. You are buying something closer to a very compact personal business jet.
And there is a certain logic to that.
If most of your trips do not require a large cabin, why carry one around?
Published figures give the Eclipse 500 a 375-knot maximum cruise speed, 41,000-foot maximum altitude and 1,280 nm NBAA IFR range with four occupants.
The aircraft was also certified for single-pilot operation.
For an owner-pilot, that matters.
You are not buying a mini - Gulfstream. You are buying something closer to a very compact personal business jet.
And there is a certain logic to that.
If most of your trips do not require a large cabin, why carry one around?
The Aircraft That Survived Its Company
Yet the Eclipse 500 didn't disappear. In 2009, Eclipse Aerospace acquired the assets for $40 million and resumed limited production as the Eclipse 550. The fleet kept flying. Today, AML Global Eclipse maintains the aircraft, and the 260 delivered units continue to serve owner-operators who value their efficiency and simplicity.
Specifications that Outlasted the Company
• Range: 2,084 km (1,125 nm);
• Speed: 685 km/h - fast for the class;
• Fuel burn: 59 - 68 gallons/hour — exceptionally efficient;
• Capacity: 4 - 6 passengers (though six means someone sits in the cockpit).
• Speed: 685 km/h - fast for the class;
• Fuel burn: 59 - 68 gallons/hour — exceptionally efficient;
• Capacity: 4 - 6 passengers (though six means someone sits in the cockpit).
The Verdict
I would put the Eclipse on the shortlist for an owner who:
Flies mainly regional business routes.
Usually travels with a small number of passengers.
Wants jet performance without moving into a larger aircraft.
Is comfortable with an older aircraft.
And is prepared to examine the records properly before buying.
If that sounds like your operation, then the Eclipse 500 becomes interesting.
If you need a large cabin, lots of baggage and long-range capability, there are better answers.
No drama. Just the right aircraft for the right mission.
Looking for a Eclipse 500 for Sale?
Give us the mission first:
Flies mainly regional business routes.
Usually travels with a small number of passengers.
Wants jet performance without moving into a larger aircraft.
Is comfortable with an older aircraft.
And is prepared to examine the records properly before buying.
If that sounds like your operation, then the Eclipse 500 becomes interesting.
If you need a large cabin, lots of baggage and long-range capability, there are better answers.
No drama. Just the right aircraft for the right mission.
Looking for a Eclipse 500 for Sale?
Give us the mission first:
- How many passengers?
- Which routes?
- How much range do you need?
- What year or configuration do you prefer?
- What are your requirements for engines, maintenance and avionics?
- Where will the aircraft be registered and operated?
ECLIPSE 500 OVERVIEW
ECLIPSE 500 ROUTE PERFOMANCE
ECLIPSE 500 VS COMPETITORS
ECLIPSE 500 vs the competition. Who really wins?
Note: Seats (max) indicates maximum seating capacity; actual seating may vary by aircraft configuration. Range is indicative and may vary depending on configuration, payload, weather, operating conditions and other factors. Price ranges reflect current market asking prices and are provided for reference only. Actual prices may vary depending on the specific aircraft, condition, configuration, maintenance status and market conditions.
FAQ | ECLIPSE 500
To buy, or not to buy?
Time is money.
Lost time costs more than the jet.
Time is money.
Lost time costs more than the jet.
Q:
Why Eclipse 500?
Support:
Because you don't always need a big jet.
Sometimes you just want to leave.
No airline schedule.
No crowded terminal.
No unnecessary ceremony.
Small jet. Big freedom.
Sometimes you just want to leave.
No airline schedule.
No crowded terminal.
No unnecessary ceremony.
Small jet. Big freedom.
Q:
Is the Eclipse 500 really a private jet / air taxi / eVTOL?
Support:
Absolutely.
It's compact. It's fast. It's yours.
Six seats. Two engines. Your schedule.
It won't give you a huge cabin.
It gives you something harder to buy:
control of your time.
It's compact. It's fast. It's yours.
Six seats. Two engines. Your schedule.
It won't give you a huge cabin.
It gives you something harder to buy:
control of your time.
Q:
Eclipse 500 or Eclipse 550?
Support:
The 550 is newer.
The 500 can be considerably less expensive.
And that's where it gets interesting.
Why spend more simply to say you bought newer?
Sometimes the smartest jet is the one nobody expected you to choose.
The 500 can be considerably less expensive.
And that's where it gets interesting.
Why spend more simply to say you bought newer?
Sometimes the smartest jet is the one nobody expected you to choose.
Q:
Eclipse 500 or Vision Jet?
Support:
The Vision Jet gives you more.
The Eclipse gives you something different:
a remarkably low entry into private jet ownership.
If you don't need the extra capability, why carry the extra cost?
Luxury is knowing what you don't need.
The Eclipse gives you something different:
a remarkably low entry into private jet ownership.
If you don't need the extra capability, why carry the extra cost?
Luxury is knowing what you don't need.
Q:
What's the catch?
Support:
It's small.
That's not a secret.
If you want a lounge, bedroom and room for everything, look elsewhere.
If you want to arrive on your own terms, the story changes.
The Eclipse was never designed to impress everyone.
Just the person sitting inside it.
That's not a secret.
If you want a lounge, bedroom and room for everything, look elsewhere.
If you want to arrive on your own terms, the story changes.
The Eclipse was never designed to impress everyone.
Just the person sitting inside it.
Q:
Is the cheapest Eclipse 500 the one to buy?
Support:
No.
The beautiful price is the one you see first.
The real price comes later.
Maintenance. Engines. Records. Inspections. Airworthiness.
A cheap jet can be a very expensive accessory.
The beautiful price is the one you see first.
The real price comes later.
Maintenance. Engines. Records. Inspections. Airworthiness.
A cheap jet can be a very expensive accessory.
Q:
Can you find one off-market?
Support:
Sometimes.
We look beyond public listings.
Private owners. Operators. Direct opportunities.
Some aircraft are sold quietly.
The interesting ones often are.
We look beyond public listings.
Private owners. Operators. Direct opportunities.
Some aircraft are sold quietly.
The interesting ones often are.
Q:
Do you just sell aircraft?
Support:
No.
We own them.
We fly them.
We manage them.
We maintain them.
So we know the part nobody photographs.
The maintenance.
The downtime.
The bills.
The decisions.
We don't sell from the outside looking in.
We own them.
We fly them.
We manage them.
We maintain them.
So we know the part nobody photographs.
The maintenance.
The downtime.
The bills.
The decisions.
We don't sell from the outside looking in.
Q:
Why BUSINESSAVIATION.com?
Support:
Because since 1995, aircraft have been more than a business to us.
We've bought them.
We've flown them.
We've managed them.
We've maintained them.
So before we recommend an Eclipse 500, we ask ourselves:
“Would we fly it ourselves?”
If yes, we'll tell you why.
If no, we'll tell you that too.
Private aviation is about freedom.
Choosing the right aircraft is about knowing what freedom is worth.
We've bought them.
We've flown them.
We've managed them.
We've maintained them.
So before we recommend an Eclipse 500, we ask ourselves:
“Would we fly it ourselves?”
If yes, we'll tell you why.
If no, we'll tell you that too.
Private aviation is about freedom.
Choosing the right aircraft is about knowing what freedom is worth.