I attended a Very Light Jet (VLJ) Expo yesterday at the Wilson Air Center at the Charlotte Douglas Airport. The conference (link here) had most of the VLJ players including Eclipse, Cessna, Diamond, Embraer and Piper however the only real, fully functional jets on hand were the Eclipse 500 and Cessna’s Citation CJ2+ and Citation Mustang.

Diamond had their DA-42 piston twin and Cessna also had a Columbia 400. There was a 3 foot model of the Cirrus Jet and a full mockup of the Spectrum Freedom (I think, or maybe it was the Independence). I was disappointed that the Diamond D-Jet wasn’t present.

But enough of the mockups and models I was there for VLJs.

The first jet I checked out was the Eclipse 500. It was much smaller then I thought, even on a VLJ scale, but a crowd favorite with a long line to climb inside for a look. I only got to poke my head in the cabin door. As you can imagine, the interior of all these VLJs is pretty snug but with all the style of a German sports car. I wish I would have push my way through the crowd to check out the avionics, but I really wanted to see the Citations.

Cessna had their newly acquired Columbia 400 (Cessna purchased the assets of the bankrupt Columbia Aircraft) separating the Citation CJ2+ and the new Citation Mustang. The CJ2+ is spectacular and refined. Tan leather cabin seats, plush carpeting and Collins Pro Line avionics suite. Everything needed to travel in comfort.

The Mustang is Cessna newest jet and one directed at the pilot/owner transitioning from a high performance twin piston or turboprop. It doesn’t have all the cabin refinements of the CJ2+ but it does have the Garmin G1000 avionics suite that is becoming more common in single engine pistons. With more and more GA pilots adopting the G1000 they should feel comfortable sitting at the controls of the Mustang.

I don’t have any exposer to the Garmin G1000 but a Cessna sales rep demonstrated the basics. Everything needed to fly and fly safe is encompassed in two 13 inch primary functional displays, one each for the pilot and co-pilot, and a larger 15 inch multi-functional display in the middle of the panel. The Mustang has a FADEC control system to managing engine performance. This plane has to be a blast to fly.

What was interesting about having all these aircraft together was how small the VLJs look in person. Equally interesting is how large the piston Diamond DA42 and the Columbia 400 look up close.

All I can say is the Citation Mustang is a long way from the Cessna 152 i fly, but maybe not that far.

Links:
Cessna CJ2+
Cessna Mustang
Diamond DA-42
Eclipse 500
Columbia 400

There were numerous VLJs (very light jets) demoed at Oshkosh 2007 this year, but this has to be one of my favorites. George Jetson would be so proud. More info here.