Journal Staff Report
Eclipse Aviation on Monday announced new sales, a new executive and new features for its Eclipse 500 very light jet.
The company announced at the National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando, Fla., that Dole Food Co. Inc. and Castle & Cooke Inc., both owned by billionaire investor David H. Murdock, together have purchased three Eclipse 500 aircraft. The price was not disclosed.
Murdock said the aircraft will supplement his corporate fleet and be used for moving fewer people shorter distances economically and safely.
Eclipse also said it will locate a customer service center at Castle & Cooke Aviation Services in Van Nuys, Calif. The company has announced it will provide aircraft service in Albuquerque; Gainesville, Fla.; and Albany, N.Y. Eclipse plans a second service center in California.
Eclipse named Kenneth McNamara vice president for customer and product support. McNamara, a Navy-trained pilot, was chief operating officer of Skyplus Technologies, president of Allied Aerospace of Virginia, vice president of Rockwell Collins Passenger Systems and president of Hughes Avicom.
The company unveiled a suite of software applications, developed with Strategic Aeronautics, designed to get charts, manuals and other paper out of the cockpit. Eclipse also said Iridium Satellite communications technology will be standard on its aircraft.
The software will let Eclipse 500 operators do all preflight planning on a dedicated computer. The satellite system will provide real-time communication with Eclipse support staff and allow the aircraft to transmit operational data, such as flight status, anywhere in the world.
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