By Andrew Webb
Of the Journal
TECH BYTES: The microjet-powered air taxi business got off to an official start last week, and industry watchers are watching closely to see if it will fly.
Boca Raton, Fla.-based DayJet Corp., billed as the world's first "per seat, on demand" jet service, officially launched Wednesday, serving five Sunshine State cities with a fleet of 12 Eclipse 500 twin engine jets.
"We are embarking on a new era in regional transportation that, for the first time, brings the benefits of on-demand jet service to the average business traveler," DayJet president and CEO Ed Iacobucci said in a statement last week.
Though the company is making prices known only to its 1,500 members, who pay an annual fee for access to DayJet's Internet-based reservation and payment system, Iacobucci has said the prices would be comparable to full-fare airline coach fares.
The company— and the as-yet untested air taxi industry— hope to lure passengers who would otherwise use conventional air travel, pay thousands of dollars to charter an entire jet, or drive hundreds of miles between cities.
"They can decide how much their time is worth and dictate a travel itinerary that increases their productivity and enhances their quality of life," Iacobucci said.
On Wednesday, DayJet said it expected to be flying 30 Eclipse jets by year-end, 300 in two years, and that it has a five-year order for more than 1,000 Eclipse jets.
"The Eclipse 500 very light jet's value proposition has inspired a new layer of affordable regional air transportation that will allow travelers to save time and be more productive," Eclipse founder and CEO Vern Raburn said.
DayJet said it has raised more than $200 million in debt and equity investment, making it one of the most highly capitalized pre-operational passenger air carriers in U.S. aviation history.
Eclipse, which says it has raised upwards of $1 billion in investment and debt funding, aims to eventually produce 1,000 of the twin-engine, 6-seat jets in Albuquerque annually.
Raburn has said Eclipse could do fine without an air taxi industry, but some industry watchers have said that without it, there could never be that many customers for the $1.5 million aircraft.
DayJet has been flying paying customers since September to test its aircraft positioning, reservation and pricing systems, leading up to the official launch.
CVI ACQUIRES UK INFRARED OPTICS FIRM: Expanding Albuquerque lens and optical component maker CVI Melles Griot has acquired Coherent Imaging Optics, a 25-year-old maker of optical components for thermal imaging and other systems.
The purchase, terms of which were not disclosed, was the latest of several recent acquisitions made by the company aimed at expanding its product line and bolstering its presence overseas.
"This acquisition increases our infrared optics manufacturing capability, brings us unique coating technologies, and further strengthens our European manufacturing presence," CVI Melles Griot CEO Stuart Schoenmann said in a statement.
Coherent Imaging Optics, based in Whetstone, Leicester, U.K., was a subsidiary of Santa Clara, Calif.-based Coherent Inc., which makes laser instruments for commercial and scientific markets.
NOVINT FALCON AT COMPUSA: Beginning today, the Novint Falcon, a video game controller designed in Albuquerque that simulates the sense of touch, will be on shelves at retailer CompUSA.
"We're pleased to be the first national retailer to make this innovative game controller available to customers," Paul Ewert, Executive Vice President and General Merchandising Manager for CompUSA, said in a news release. "The Falcon brings a new level of interactivity to PC gaming that will appeal to CompUSA's tech enthusiast customers.
The Falcon, when used with enabled games, allows players to feel texture, shape weight, motion and force effects. Participating CompUSA stores nationwide will feature in-store demonstrations of the system.
Novint is also midway through a multi-state "Swoop" tour to demonstrate the Falcon at college campuses, stores and other locations. It will visit the University of New Mexico on Nov. 5.
Priced at $239, the system comes bundled with games, and drivers to make other games, such as Half-Life 2, work with the Falcon are available at Novint's Web site, at www.novint.com.
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