

Flying the world's most affordable private jet

Diana Kruzman

Corrections & Clarifications: Clarifies that the Piper Seneca is a twin-engine, propeller-powered plane. 

SOMEWHERE OVER LOS ANGELES — By the time I started to move the joystick — and the plane banked in response — I was hooked.

The only thing that stopped me from ordering this personal jet were the little matters of being untrained as a pilot and not having the $2 million it lists for.

That's cheap for a personal jet. Cirrus Aircraft, based in Duluth, Minn., is marketing the new Vision SF50 as the most affordable personal jet on the market. By comparison, the Eclipse Canada, another competitor in the very light jet, or VLJ, category, is priced at $3.7 million.

As a result, the Vision Jet is the kind of plane that could Cirrus says could have a big impact on the aviation market -- bringing a jet much closer to the affordability range of many pilots who now opt for turboprop or piston planes.

With seating for five adults and two kids, the Vision Jet is on the small side as far as private jets go, but  still has impressive capability. It has a top speed of 345 miles per hour. Maximum range is 1,380 miles, putting city pairs like Denver to Atlanta within nonstop reach.

On a test flight over Los Angeles, the Vision Jet proves stable, roomy and fast. The single Williams International FJ33-5A engine, capable of producing 1,800 pounds of thrust, has us cruising at 300 mph at 14,000 feet, halfway to the maximum ceiling. By comparison, a plane like the Piper Seneca, which is powered by two propellers, cruises at about 186 mph (and costs about half as much, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association).

On the tarmac at Santa Monica Airport, past Los Angeles' western edge, the Vision Jet certainly looked small for a jet. With cherry-red accents on its clean white fuselage, the plane stands 10 feet high and is about 30 feet long — a toy-like stature dwarfed by the 50-foot jets around the airfield.

Cirrus executive Ben Kowalski, who joined us on the flight, touted the plane's “ramp appeal." Other pilots and casual passersby flash a thumbs-up and even ask to take pictures with the plane on the ground.

Once inside, the plane feels bigger than it appears — spacious, even. With a cabin that's 4.1 feet tall and 5.1 feet wide, the experience is not unlike being in a roomy SUV, a feeling supported by the plane’s smooth leather seats. Yet inside it's possible to stretch out your legs fully without bumping into anyone. Though there is no fridge and a bathroom is optional, the Vision Jet has cupholders, satellite radio and USB charging ports.

As the pilot, seated in the right-hand seat, lifted off, the engine atop the fuselage just ahead of the V-shaped tail was loud enough that noise-deadening headphones were essential. But the takeoff roll — at just over 2,000 feet — was a pleasurable experience, lacking the push-you-back-in-your-seat G forces of a big commercial jetliner.

The city sprawl unfolded below as the plane rose higher, with views of the highways packed with cars and streets lined with palm trees from the plane's extra large windows. Midway into the flight, I was invited into the pilot's seat where, because of those big windows, it felt like being suspended in midair.

Price-cutting private jet shakes up aircraft market

Buyers must have a pilot’s license to add their name to the order list, but the plane has safety features that allow even an unskilled novice to briefly take the joystick. During my test flight, the Garmin Perspective Touch electronic navigation system kept the plane on course. The envelope protection system prevented it from banking drastically, no matter how much I tilted the left-hand joystick (there's a second joystick on the other side of the cockpit for pilots who prefer right-handed controls).

The glass cockpit is modern and uncluttered. The displays feature easy-to-read screens that include all the aircraft basics, the jet’s exact position, weather for the next 100 miles, air traffic and even the major highways on the ground below.

And in a worst-case scenario, there’s always Cirrus’ whole-plane parachute, which unfolds from the nose of the jet and brings the aircraft gently to the ground. Cirrus credits the system for saving up to 90 lives from emergencies aboard its various models since its inception.

For me, however, there wouldn't be any sign of an emergency. Just a hint of what life can be like with a few million dollars in the bank and a love of aviation.

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