Any of you guys own a private jet or ever look into it?

[Joe Valentino]

I realize even a cheap one like the Cirrus will run over $1.5 million with operating costs of $300,000 year, but do any of you big timers and heavy business travelers think about it? Maybe buy one for personal use and put it in a jetshare program? Serious answers only please. Thanks.

Dude, I cant even afford a Harley, camon Man... loooool

[Joe Valentino]

I dont own one, but I am a pilot, I fly all over the world meeting up with beautiful women.
I once flew to 3 countries in one day, I only realised when I landed in country 3 that I wasn't even in an aeroplane..it was pec power alone that took me.

Damn, Jeffrey, this is a serious post   lOOL

[seCrawler]

I realize even a cheap one like the Cirrus will run over $1.5 million with operating costs of $300,000 year, but do any of you big timers and heavy business travelers think about it? Maybe buy one for personal use and put it in a jetshare program? Serious answers only please. Thanks.

i accumulate 3-5 (combo of coach n 1st) domestic flights per year. it's a start vs getbigs high rollers. points are off but u get the idea.    

Redemption   Cash value   points required
Domestic coach   $400   40,000
Domestic first class   $1,000   80,000
Trans-Atlantic coach   $1,500   95,000
Trans-Atlantic business   $3,000   200,000
3 more rows

[Agnostic007]

Rich people charter a private plane. Owning one is a money pit.

word

[ProudVirgin69]

First time a thread title made me laugh out loud

[Irongrip400]

If you are serious. Check out Flexjet. Buying a jet just doesn't make financial sense to me when there are much better options

This isn't a bad idea. Although part of my reasoning would be to leave and go whenever I wanted. Most of these have at least 48 hour notices.

If you have a big family, flying isn't cheap anyway. Just trying to stop some of the bleeding.

[Palumboism]

I realize even a cheap one like the Cirrus will run over $1.5 million with operating costs of $300,000 year, but do any of you big timers and heavy business travelers think about it? Maybe buy one for personal use and put it in a jetshare program? Serious answers only please. Thanks.

I actually believe the Eclipse jet is better than the Cirrus.  One Aviation acquired the Eclipse jet after their bankruptcy and is stretching the wings and fuselage and adding more powerful Williams engines.  

The Cirrus is in the $2 million dollar range and the Eclipse is in the $3 million dollar range.  The Cessna M2, Honda jet, and Phenom 100 all start at $4.5 million.  I'm not saying I could afford any of these, but I'm glad they exist.  

Really, it was Cessna that started the VLJ category with the Mustang.  The bang for the buck was fantastic.  The problem was the Mustang wasn't up to the standards of the other Cessnas, so It was changed to the M2, which is a vastly improve airplane based on the CJ Citation.

The problem with all these entry level jets is they don't have the payload, range and speed to make them proper jets.  For example, with a full tank of fuel the payload of the Cirrus jet is only 340 lbs.  That's one off season pro bodybuilder.  That's two million dollars to move 340 lbs of people and baggage.  The Eclipse jet isn't much better at 600 lbs of payload at full fuel.

[Palumboism]

Eclipse EA550 and EA700

[Fuzzy Nuts]

If you are serious. Check out Flexjet. Buying a jet just doesn't make financial sense to me when there are much better options

This, or most go in on partnerships. My neighbor is a part owner of a small jet with some other business owners.

[Irongrip400]

Eclipse EA550 and EA700

The red one is actually the one that made me start the thread. It looks a bit goofy though. I wish I could afford the 5-6 window jet.

[Agnostic007]

a friend of mine has one. It is convenient to some extent certainly. But the time you save going through lines and the convenience is somewhat diluted by the obvious cost, then the fact it takes 2.5 hrs to fly from Austin Tx to Vegas on a commercial line, but 5 hrs on the smaller plane. I'm not a fan of being on a plane twice as long, no matter how cool and convenient it is unless it's totally tricked out and comes with groupies.

[13B-T]

I work on Gulfstream aircraft if that counts? G150, G280, G450/550, G650 and then now G500/600 releasing.

[Agnostic007]

I work on Gulfstream aircraft if that counts? G150, G280, G450/550, G650 and then now G500/600 releasing.

absolutely counts

[che]

This isn't a bad idea. Although part of my reasoning would be to leave and go whenever I wanted. Most of these have at least 48 hour notices.

If you have a big family, flying isn't cheap anyway. Just trying to stop some of the bleeding.

You aren't  wealthy enough to have a private jet ,I hope this helps .

[Palumboism]

Cirrus has a backlog of 600 Vision SF50 jets and they expect to produce 100 a year, making it the best selling private jet.  About ten years from now a used SF50 will probably run about $600K.

Both the wings and fuselage of the SF50 are carbon fiber, which means most of these air frames will still be around in forty years and maintenance cost for corrosion will be minimal.  

Cirrus did not intend this jet to be a business jet or an air taxi, but when people start to see the capabilities of this jet, they will find new uses for them.  for example, it can fly 690 mi with a 1,200 lb payload and can seat up to seven with only one pilot required.  In addition, Cirrus has made it very easy for pilots of their piston powered airplanes to transition to this jet.  In fact they say it's easier to fly than their current airplanes.  

Looks like the passengers get more room than on a commercial airplane.

[Zillotch]

wouldn't flying around in one of those, b like driving around in one of these:



kinda embarrassing?

[Palumboism]

It used to be that flying a jet required great skill and was limited to a few.  With the advances in aviation and the Cirrus SF50 anyone can fly a jet.  They say the SF50 is actually easier to fly than the Cirrus SR22 piston airplane.  One journalist commented that with the autopilot he didn't feel like he was piloting the airplane, but more operating it.  I see the SF50 becoming a great trainer for jet pilots.

Flying a 707 was work and you had to know what you were doing and there were three people in the cockpit.
707 Cockpit


Flying the Cirrus jet is easy and it's single pilot rated.  You engage autopilot five hundred feet off the ground and don't disengage it until five hundred feet before you land. 
Cirrus Vision cockpit

[Agnostic007]

It used to be that flying a jet required great skill and was limited to a few.  With the advances in aviation and the Cirrus SF50 anyone can fly a jet.  They say the SF50 is actually easier to fly than the Cirrus SR22 piston airplane.  One journalist commented that with the autopilot he didn't feel like he was piloting the airplane, but more operating it.  I see the SF50 becoming a great trainer for jet pilots.

Flying a 707 was work and you had to know what you were doing and there were three people in the cockpit.
707 Cockpit


Flying the Cirrus jet is easy and it's single pilot rated.  You engage autopilot five hundred feet off the ground and don't disengage it until five hundred feet before you land. 
Cirrus Vision cockpit

I'm sold! can I pick the colors and where do I pick it up?

[Palumboism]

I'm sold! can I pick the colors and where do I pick it up?

It comes standard with Garmin G3000, the same system used in the $8 million dollar Embraer Phenom 300.  In addition, the cabin's  11.5 feet long and as wide as a Cessna CJ4, a jet costing $9 million dollars.   Cirrus will paint it any color you want, but expect to wait six years because of the 600 order backlog.  

The climb to 28,000 feet takes just 17 minutes and burns 23 gallons of fuel.  Cruising at 345 mph burns 65 gallons per hour with a 285 gallon fuel capacity.  Takeoff distance is just 2,036 ft (ANY small airport) and Max takeoff weight is 6000 pounds.

[Agnostic007]

It comes standard with Garmin G3000, the same system used in the $8 million dollar Embraer Phenom 300.  In addition, the cabin's  11.5 feet long and as wide as a Cessna CJ4, a jet costing $9 million dollars.   Cirrus will paint it any color you want, but expect to wait six years because of the 600 order backlog.  

The climb to 28,000 feet takes just 17 minutes and burns 23 gallons of fuel.  Cruising at 345 mph burns 65 gallons per hour with a 285 gallon fuel capacity.  Takeoff distance is just 2,036 ft (ANY small airport) and Max takeoff weight is 6000 pounds.

Impressive! but I'm concerned my color tastes will change in 6 years

[Irongrip400]

You aren't  wealthy enough to have a private jet ,I hope this helps .

Yes, very true as I've learned.