A friend of mine holding an eclipse 500 position recently forwarded a letter from Eclipse sent to all customers. It provides some insight to the certification delays, but also provides some detail on the nature of their commitment to customer satisfaction. The letter reads as follows:

After years of persevering and overcoming many obstacles, we are on the verge of gaining FAA Certification of the best jet the world has ever seen, at an unbelievable value proposition for our customers. The Eclipse 500 Type Certificate is only a few weeks away. Our target certification date assumes that all suppliers will meet their schedule commitments. The jet we deliver will be certified for day/night, IFR/VFR flight with the full envelope available. In addition, the aircraft will be certified for single pilot and RVSM operations.

As our partners, I know you share in our excitement for this historically significant event, and I also understand your eagerness for information about the final product. While it may seem that our communications have not been as frequent as in the past, it is only because we have been working very hard to develop the final definition of how the aircraft will perform when it is certified.

To that point, this is not the jet we all envisioned when we started the program. It's much, much better. Beyond the obvious improvement in engines, other upgrades and enhancements have been made as the Eclipse 500 program evolved over the past six years. You will enjoy unprecedented aircraft integration, airline-like reliability, an unmatched training experience and a comprehensive product support plan that our competitors are already trying to copy.

Sometimes, developing something as complex as an aircraft with Eclipse's level of aircraft integration requires trade-offs. The Eclipse team has been forced to make some hard decisions about what will ultimately provide customers with the best overall aircraft value, without cost and schedule changes.

The Eclipse 500 will have a maximum cruise speed of 370 knots (+/- 2%), stall speed of 69 knots, a useful load of 2,400 pounds, and a range of 1,125 nm (+/- 2%, with four occupants, NBAA IFR, 100 nm alternate). Yes, this range number is less than our minimum guarantee of 1,216 nm. As many customers have already pointed out, this small change in range will have little impact on most operations. We believe the advantages gained from the improvements to the Eclipse 500, such as increased climb rate and increased useful load, far outweigh the change in range.

To accommodate many necessary changes in our production ramp schedule, we have shifted some customers' delivery dates. Some of the effects will be positive, and yet a few customers will move back slightly. In any case, the maximum delivery change to any customer will be three months. We will send each customer an individual letter (via FedEx, going out today) that outlines everything in greater detail than this email, including any specific changes to your delivery date and/or serial number, if there are any.

If you have recently changed your contact information or should you have any questions after receiving the letter, please contact our Customer Care department (877-350-0538, 505-724-1200 outside the U.S.) or Mike McConnell, our Vice President of Marketing, Sales & Customer Care at (505) 724-1261.

I want to assure you, you will be getting a fantastic aircraft that does more at increasing safety by being easy to fly, is still less expensive to operate than many piston aircraft, and all at a price point unmatched by any existing competitive aircraft or any forthcoming very light jet. Eclipse defines value as "getting more for less" and with that in mind the Eclipse 500 still maintains its lead as the best value proposition in the history of general aviation!

As we have always stated, if the Eclipse 500 does not meet our guarantees, we will refund your deposit. We are also stepping up our commitment to our customers and adding an item that was never in our Deposit Agreements and as such we are not obligated to provide. If you request a refund, we will add interest (at 5% per annum) to your refunded deposit from the date you placed it. If you do not make your refund request in writing within thirty (30) days from the date of this letter, you will have accepted the aircraft performance as detailed in this letter and as communicated by Mike McConnell in the FedEx going out today.

Also, please note that many of you owe an additional deposit when we certify the aircraft. As soon as we certify, we will notify you and you will have 15 days to make the next payment.

We deeply appreciate your incredible loyalty and patience over the years as our valued customer. Your support of our shared vision has kept us on task, working literally day and night to bring you an aircraft that redefines the standard of price-performance. We remain confident that you are going to love your Eclipse 500, and we look forward to a long and mutually successful partnership.

Best regards,

Vern Raburn
President and CEO
Eclipse Aviation