The Hawker 1000 is out of production but the first deliveries of the Hawker 4000 were made in the US in the summer of 2008 and then orders were fulfilled in Venezuela, the UK and South Africa.

The aircraft, based on composite construction, was chosen by champion golfer Sergio Garcia who ordered it to replace his Hawker 850XP.

Garcia says the aircraft's accessible storage space is a big plus. A flat floor runs the entire length of the aircraft, leading to a baggage area that can take 900 lbs and is accessible during flight and on the ground through an exterior door. "My schedule takes me to four continents and routinely back and forth from Europe to the United States."

His Hawker 4000, Garcia adds, enabled him to participate in the recent HSBC Championship in Shanghai and the UBS Championship in Hong Kong, and then travel to Dubai with plenty of time to get acclimatised and prepare for the Dubai World Championship.

Garcia says: "With my previous aeroplane, a Hawker 850XP, I never missed a tournament. This made it a simple decision to purchase a Hawker 4000 and it too is proving to be an exceptional aeroplane."

He says he is happy with the support and availability of spare parts, range and cruise speed. Garcia also points out that the Hawker 4000 needs only one stop to complete journeys of more than 4,000 nm having a range of around 3,130 nm.

He says it delivers superior cruise and range performance, has take-off field length of just 5,169 feet and points out that the climb rate is exhilarating, going from sea level to 37,000 feet in just over 14 minutes.

The Hawker 4000 is a traditional super mid size and can be configured for eight or nine passengers. It features a composite fuselage and a 6 ft stand-up cabin with a 6 ft 5.5 ins width and amenities include a full refreshment centre and fully enclosed aft lavatory.

It is one of many popular jets already established in the category. However manufacturers looking at demand for future super mid aircraft might gravitate towards aircraft with a longer range and larger cabin