Eclipse Aviation’s order book for the lightweight, six-place, Eclipse 500 jet now totals 2,072 aircraft. With 1,357 firm orders and 715 options, the company has secured more than $65,000,000 in non-refundable deposits for its twin jet.

“Demand for the Eclipse 500 jet has been exceptionally strong, demonstrating the market creation and expansion made possible through not only the compelling purchase price, but more importantly, the low direct operating cost of this aircraft,” said Vern Raburn, president and ceo of Eclipse Aviation. “To our knowledge, the Eclipse 500 order book is greater than that of any single civilian jet in the history of aviation.”

Included in the order book are deposits from individual customers for the purchase of 530 owner-flown aircraft. First customer deliveries are scheduled to occur in January 2004. To date, approximately the first two-and-a-half years of production aircraft have been sold-out. The company says prospects interested in making a deposit toward the purchase of an Eclipse 500 today will be granted a mid-2006 delivery position. Fleet customer aircraft delivery commitments extend through 2008.

The Eclipse 500 sells for $837,500 (in June 2000 dollars). It flies at 355 knots and can travel 1,300 nautical miles (about the distance between Boston and Miami) at what the company says is a cost

of approximately 56 cents a mile to operate.

It expects to deliver approximately 140 aircraft in 2004, 500 aircraft in 2005 and 900 aircraft in 2006.