While Cessna and Embraer dominate the market, it is a positive sign for VLJs that the Phenom and Mustang production lines are not seeing any cutbacks in production

Arguably the world’s first Very Light Jet (VLJ), the Eclipse 500 was frequently cited at the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Corporate, Air Taxi & Personal Jets conference held in London on March 18 and 19. Yet, the pioneer of a new segment in the business jet world has become a victim of its own success. In 1998, entrepreneur Vern Raburn founded Eclipse Aviation with the goal of a $1 million (Rs 5 crore) jet. In 2006, Eclipse received the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) certification for the VLJ. Yet, the European Aviation Safety Agency certification did not come until February 2009, and after some 260 aircraft deliveries, the company filed for bankruptcy. While it is not all doom and gloom in the present VLJ market, there are key issues that need to be addressed by operators, owners and the regulatory authorities. A recurring theme at the conference was that of safety and pilot training. Admittedly, compared to Europe, the ratio of owner/pilots for VLJs is far superior in the US; however, there’s no denying the potential problems stepping up to the next level.

When the concept of a VLJ was first mooted, it was speculated that the skies would darken and that these aircraft would be falling out of the sky. At the conference, Captain John Cox of the Flight Operations Group at the Royal Aeronautical Society said a VLJ is just another jet, but it was single pilot operations that compound the risk. Statistical accident data corroborated that aircraft operated by a single pilot have a 50 per cent higher accident rate over a two-crew aircraft. Cox pointed out that this trend applies even when the single pilot has more experience than a typical First Officer of a two-crew aircraft.

Vern Raburn, however, insisted that single pilot operations would be safer, drawing flak from Cox, who commented on the Eclipse 500: Flying a jet is about drag management. The Eclipse (500) has no spoilers or anti-skid. How much harder do we want to make it for the pilot? Yet, for Wing Commander Rupert Clark of the Royal Air Force’s Flying Training Fast-Jet SO1, HQ22 (Training) Group, the issues pertaining to training Hawk pilots apply to VLJs, too. Crucially, Wing Commander Clark pointed out that given the aircraft is low drag, inexperienced pilots will find it all the more difficult to handle emergency landings such as those that are flapless. A flapless circuit detail in the Hawk will always elicit many debrief points (because of the difficulty in executing such a circuit).

Training Is the Achilles Heel of VLJs
Several initiatives could address the training aspects. An operator or owner with just a single aircraft does not generally have access to a safety or a training department. Captain Bob Scott, Director, Business Development at Scott Consulting Services in the UK, said, Training is the Achilles heel of VLJs. You are going to allow single pilot operations in complex and crowded airspace—everything is going to backfire. The VLJ may well become the widow-maker rather than the winged Ferrari that the hype makes it out to be. He did concede that the credit crunch did have its advantages for the UK vis-à-vis VLJs. It is giving us time to put the infrastructure into place.

Eclipse, though unsuccessful in solving its manufacturing woes, did take a pioneering step with regard to pilot training. The aircraft’s certified flight manual stated a need for recurrent training. Because it is in the flight manual the recurrent training has to be carried out, explained Robert Barnes of Robert Barnes Associates. Insisting on training programme validation, Barnes pointed out that there were no controlled studies of VLJ training programmes, further contending: Today’s regulatory environment for both training and licencing is a hodgepodge. Someone needs to take the leadership and address the issues. Insurers are happy to treat each pilot as a unique case. Manufacturers have a basic training model which is being implemented in different ways, but with unknown results.

For manufacturers, though, the outlook is different. Where does the responsibility lie for adequate standardised VLJ pilot training? Certainly, CAE has three grading levels that it applies to VLJ type-training applicants as part of its CAE Embraer Training Services joint venture. OEM Manager and Head of Training Sven Lepschy said the grading enabled CAE to better tailor the training.

ETIRC Aviation’s Managing Director Matthijs de Haan explained that he had undergone Eclipse’s grading test and was told he was not ready for the step up to the jet because of a relative lack of recent IR experience. I was told to fly and build up my IFR experience. I did that for a year and now have a type rating on the Eclipse, explained de Haan. There are steps being taken to ensure that as more of these aircraft enter our skies the standards of safety do not drop. But while industry sceptics and diehard fans engage in battle, the manufacturers continue to spot potentials in a market despite the recent spectacular failures and a woeful economic climate.

The Whole Popular Concept of the VLJ Has Disappeared
Brazilian manufacturer Embraer certified and delivered the first Phenom 100 in late December last year. But even the Phenom 100 is having problems with its well-documented flap control issue. The company is addressing the issue and plans to begin retrofitting the Phenom 100s already delivered in the US with new flap control unit logic and other upgrades from April to correct problems at the centre of a Brazilian emergency airworthiness directive. The US FAA issued a final advisory that prohibits operators from using full flaps on landing, unless flying at recommended higher airspeeds that are called for in icing conditions to overcome the potential interference of the stick pusher giving un-commanded inputs. However, its prospects still remain strong.