Turns Out DayJet Ordered 1,400 Eclipse 500s
02-May-2007
By Karen Di Piazza
Ed Iacobucci, a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, left IBM in 1989 and co-founded Citrix Systems Inc. He had a vision: implementing his version of server-based computing. He was successful in leading Citrix through all of its market and product development phases. The company was a hit; it was named to both the Nasdaq 100 and S&P 500 in record time. He served as Citrix chairman through 2000, when he retired to pursue his interests in aviation. Well, sort of. Iacobucci had bigger plans--to develop a one-of-kind online reservation system that would provide real-time booking availability--better than what the airlines have today.
In May 2000, Iacobucci and his wife, Nancy, made their Bombardier Learjet 60 available for on-demand charter operations forming Wingedfoot Services, LLC. In January 2002, the Iacobuccis established Delray, Beach, Fla. DayJet Corporation--the nation's first per-seat, on-demand charter company that will utilize a large fleet of Eclipse 500 very light jets. DayJet's advanced reservation system will be the key to its success.
But in 2002, there was another company under the Iacobucci name--the Jetson Systems, named after the Hanna-Barbera animated TV comedy show The Jetsons. For the first time on the record, DayJet told CharterX Industry Headline News that Jetson, not DayJet, first placed an order for 1,400 Eclipse 500s. In August 2005, since DayJet accounted for the majority of Eclipse Aviation Corp.'s 2,260 [claimed] orders, it prompted the New Mexico State Investment Council to commit funds from the state's private equity program to purchase $3,000,005 of Eclipse Series F preferred stock. Since that funding, the state has invested much more.
Last week, the Federal Aviation Administration issued Eclipse with its production certificate for its six-place, twin-engine jet.
During an interview with Traver Gruen-Kennedy, vice president of strategic operations at DayJet, he told CharterX Industry Headline News on May 2, although DayJet has ordered 1,400 Eclipse 500s, DayJet plans to operate 300 aircraft within a 24-month period.
"I can't really say when we'll be able to have all of our 1,400 planes flying," he said. "You're the only reporter who's called about the 1,400 aircraft orders; we really haven't talked about it in the media. But right now we only have three aircraft; those three aircraft will be used to train DayJet's pilots--all captains. We need more aircraft just for training, but that's moving along well with Eclipse. And now that Eclipse has its PC, too, production is really going to pick up."
Gruen-Kennedy was part of the Ed Iacobucci-Citrix team.
"At Citrix, at Jetson and now at DayJet, we call Ed ‘George Jetson,' Nancy is ‘Jane Jetson' and our reservation on-line system is ‘Astro.' But our advanced real-time flight system is no dog!" he laughed
To better understand how advanced DayJet's reservation system is, Gruen-Kennedy suggested some reading material, by Fast Company.
To send a news tip or feedback, email Industry Headline News editor news@charterx.com.