John,
Some folks enjoy the buying and selling process more than others.
Some guys have the same attitude about their relationships with women.
Some folks build houses, move in, and put up a "for sale" sign.
And start building again.
Others make a considered decision and stick with it.
I doubt either sort can make sense of the other.

I think the op is selling his and buying a new eclipse, hence "some are selling thier eclipse" in order to buy a new one.

Oh, I see.

OK I feel better now.

But I'm pretty sure I failed, the test that is.

Anyway, I like my Aerostar so much, I'm NOT selling it.

Jgreen

Andy,

So you're saying your 550 is a completely new build? Not a DayJet refurbish, and not a bankruptcy line unfinished airframe?

I am curious what happened with manufacturing after Sikorsky/PZL pulled out and the equipment was shipped from Poland back to...? Where? Albuquerque? What's your airframe life limit now? And why didn't you upgrade your existing TE to a 550?

Was yours built in ABQ at the main facility? New Eclipse sold the Double Eagle II training building, right?



Warren

Warren,
Happy Thanksgiving.

Unfortunately I am not getting a new 550 but thought it was a good story. Guy bought an TE, got his type flew 125 hours in 6 months and had absoulutly no issues. He liked it so much that he traded on a brand new airplane.

His bird was built from the ground up by the new Eclipse as are all of them with the 1000 series serial numbers.

I don't know what happened with the equipment that went to Poland I do know that they still have the equipment in ABQ to make the airplane.

All the supported air-frames just need an inspection to remove the life limit so that in my mind is no longer an issue.

I don't have a TE but have updated my bird to plus configuration so I can get ADSB but have auto-throttles and antilock brakes. Love those auto-throttles.

You are correct the training building out at double eagle has been sold to the city of ABQ.

Based on postings on the owners site seems like Eclipse is having sales success.
Folks like that on factory sales you get all maintenance covered for years.

I hope I answered all you questions and let me know if you have any more.

Agreed that the life limit is a commercial hostage situation and not a technical/aeronautical/safety of flight concern.

Agreed that the life limit is a commercial hostage situation and not a technical/aeronautical/safety of flight concern.

Jim,
I understand that is your perception, I know that Eclipse is worried that the original air-frames without FIKI,etc present too much risk in their minds of an accident ruining the airplanes perfect safety record.

I think the non upgraded planes are primarily flown in good weather and out of the ice. I also believe that the pilots flying them are sharp because you must be fully involved at all times including hand flying approaches. FUN to do so I'm not complaining. The IFMS is a button pushing airplane, much less pilot involvement/complacency but also plenty more tools like radar, traffic and fiki. The anti lock brakes are not a safety improvement yet and possibly directly caused that recent runway over run. I knew my brakes were lousy and treated it accordingly but had no issues going into 3000 feet.

So, I think the real issue with the imminent grounding of early Eclipses has nothing to do with safety and more to do with stealing airframes cheaply from owners by holding them hostage with a technicality and then upgrading them and reselling them at a $1 million dollar profit. YES I am bitter.

I think they will continue this strategy eventually to include all early IFMS and less versions. Just my opinion.



"Andy Boniface"]Agreed that the life limit is a commercial hostage situation and not a technical/aeronautical/safety of flight concern.
Jim,
I understand that is your perception, I know that Eclipse is worried that the original air-frames without FIKI,etc present too much risk in their minds of an accident ruining the airplanes perfect safety record.

Mike,
I heard directly from the President of Eclipse that he was worried about the non upgraded planes.

And wasn't it you that posted that your airplane was "trying to kill you" sounds like you agree.

I don't understand why you are bitter you knew going in what the deal was and you had fun for the year and at the end of the day you got all your money back out.

You did far better most folks who buy planes these days. From afar you have done well.

I am not actually bitter, I just miss her!

However, by the we are grounding you to protect you logic, most all used aircraft without the latest glass cockpits would get grounded.

If Eclipse offered a $250k upgrade then most all Eclipses would get upgraded. However no incentive to do that when they can buy up cheap airframes and resell them.

I get that "new Eclipse" has to make money to survive, but having talked to two Eclipse owners on my field over the years, I don't have any great love for how they're going about it and certainly no desire to place myself under their thumb. There were two for sale a couple years ago with an asking price starting with a "7", so of course I looked and started scheming about how to fly a jet... That's when I met these two owners and I can't recall any single story from new Eclipse that made me think Eclipse was customer focused or thought of their customers as anything other than flying wallets.

Maybe that's the reality of the "jet world" and the two owner/operators are too accustomed to the piston aircraft world and expenditures, who knows.
Both admit to loving the airplane when it's working; they just hate it when it's in the maintenance hangar.

Thanks for the insight Andy... I stopped following the Eclipse drama.

I lurk over at EJOPA semi-regularly. I also understand the airplane's to be rather reliable. More so than my Baron... I really do like the airplane's, airframes, and mission profile, and feel they meet a very unique niche in the marketplace.

I've been fortunately enough to have flown the AVIO, NG, TE, and 550 airplane's. I like them a lot -- enough that my wife and I viewed a DayJet refurb with New Eclipse (and got a very compelling price offer). We went with our Baron. I still flip through controller, looking at the prices. Maybe someday. Still sitting on the fence, seeing if New Eclipse / One Aviation will survive.



Warren

FIFY....

FIFY