Safire Aircraft Company has selected a yoke configuration for its new light jet. The company also said, for a very limited time, it is offering delivery positions at 15 per cent off the list price of $1,395,000.

Safire senior vice president of engineering and program management, Joe Furnish, said the through-panel mounted yoke configuration was selected over the column mounted yoke, the

sidestick controller and the conventional stick as a result of a comprehensive study that examined the various tradeoffs, including pilot preferences, cockpit access and egress, design and manufacturing considerations and cost.

“While the conventional stick had distinct advantages in weight and design, a survey of pilots showed a strong preference for the through-panel yoke,” he said. When asked which flight control system they prefer, 56.4 per cent of the pilots surveyed said they preferred the through-panel yoke, 22.3 per cent preferred the sidestick, 15.3 per cent the centre stick, and 5.9 per cent the column-mounted yoke.

The company said the offering of 15 per cent off the list price is part of a program to launch a firm order book. The program requires a first payment of $180,000, which will go into a protected escrow account. These firm orders will be for delivery positions in the second year of production. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in mid-2006.

The Safire Jet will carry five passengers and a pilot and will include a private lavatory. It will travel at speeds up to 380 knots and at altitudes up to 41,000 feet. It will have a maximum range of 1,300 nautical miles and will be able to operate at airports with runways of 2,500 feet upwards. It is expected to gain FAA certification this December.