Recently, Pro Airways of Plymouth, MA provided me the opportunity to review the Hawker 4000 (HA4T) SuperMid Private Jet.  My initial thought upon seeing the aircraft up close for the first time was “wow, that’s a big jet.”  I’ve reviewed Hawker 800, 800XP, 1000s before and I suppose I had already formed an opinion about the 4000 as just being a small step up from the Hawker 1000.  I could not have been more in error.  This jet is truly the class of Hawker’s fleet, and they did a great job on it.

From the overall increase in size and performance, to the use of high tech carbon-fiber building materials, this jet screams with performance, attitude, and styling.  The HA4T I viewed was configured with seating for 8 passengers in a double-club type layout.  The seats convert to berths allowing 4 passengers to travel on long overnight flights.  With nonstop range of 3300nm, flights such as New York to London or Los Angeles are easily accomplished.  Even better, the jet owns some truly outstanding short field performance, even at high altitudes – allowing nonstop range from all of the High Rocky Mountain airports popular with the skiing crowd.  Aspen, Eagle, Telluride, and Hayden are all easily accessible.  The same holds true for shorter runways in the Caribbean such as Tortola’s Beef Island Airport and St Kitts/Nevis.

A large baggage compartment solves a long-standing issue with Hawker 800/850/1000 type aircraft.  While these jets all have nice, wide, comfy interiors, baggage space has always been limited.  A close inspection of the HA4T’s available baggage space shows enough room for several pairs of skis or 4 large golf bags plus luggage.  Speaking of interior space, the HA4T has lots of it.  At 25’ long, 6’ high and 6.5’ wide the cabin closely compares to a Gulfstream G200.  I especially like the bulkhead mounted flat panel monitors usually found only on larger jets.  The all-electronic flight deck offers the crew the latest avionics and safety monitoring systems.

With the holiday ski and sun seasons rapidly approaching, I highly recommend the Hawker 4000 for all of your travel needs.  Many thanks to Pro Airways, of Plymouth, MA for the opportunity to climb aboard their jet for the tour.

This aircraft was built using the advice derived from thousands of hours of research performed by psychologists on the traveling public.  Using surveys and focus groups, researchers determined exactly what the flying public wanted, then attempted to build those answers into the 787.  Some of the features attributed to this new approach are the new larger, higher windows, the new automatic electronic dimmer for those windows, indirect ceiling lighting, personal entertainment options, larger seats, and more legroom.  Boeing has done a remarkable job of balancing the need for the jet to be profitable and the desire to provide the public an aircraft they will WANT to fly upon.

Not a movie about teens and their summer adventures, “High and Hot” refers to geographic and atmospheric conditions that limit aircraft performance.  As the temperature and altitude climbs, the air becomes thinner and generates less lift over the wings, the engines will not produce as much power, and the normal load that the jet can carry is significantly diminished.  For example in January it is common for a Hawker 800XP to depart Eagle Airport and fly nonstop directly to Teterboro, NJ with 5 passengers and baggage.  In July, that same mission profile would require a fuel stop.  These conditions take special training and demand experienced flight crew members.  Make sure to ask if your aircraft possesses the required performance for summer operations at high-altitude airports.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A CABIN DECOMPRESSES AT ALTITUDE
First it is important to note that pressurized aircraft are designed in such a way that if there is a significant structural failure, only the local area will be compromised while the rest of the structure remains solid and effective.  SW 812 was an example of this, a 3-foot hole opened up, but despite flying along at cruising speed and altitude the rupture did not get any larger or affect the pilots’ ability to control the aircraft. 
There’s a misconception that oxygen is pumped into aircraft cabins because there isn’t enough oxygen for us to breathe at high altitude. In reality, the same percentage of oxygen exists at high altitude as at sea level. But as altitude is increased, there is less pressure, which in effect leads to less oxygen available in a given breath.  Because of this, aircraft are pressurized to simulate a lower altitude inside the cabin. As an aircraft climbs to a high altitude, the cabin is pressurized, and as it descends for landing, it is gradually de-pressurized. This is similar to inflating a balloon, followed by slowly letting the air out.
If a sudden loss of cabin pressure does occur, the balloon deflates rapidly (or all at once) expelling the breathable air very quickly.  Sensors in the cabin detect the pressure loss, releasing oxygen masks above each passenger. An explosive loss of pressurization is an emergency that pilots simulate and engrain into their minds many times in training.
Some emergencies allow for a slow and methodical response, but this particular situation requires an instinctive reaction from memory. Priority No. 1 is restoring the ability of the pilots to breathe properly. In the cockpit, pilots have quick access to emergency oxygen masks, and are trained to put them on in mere seconds. Priority No. 2 is quickly and safely descending the aircraft to a lower altitude. At the lower altitude (below 10-12000’) the air pressure is sufficient to sustain consciousness.

Bedford Hanscom Airport is located approximately 20 miles from the Financial District in Boston, which is either a 20 minute drive or an hour and 20 minutes, depending on the time of day.  It is a smaller regional airport with no commercial airline activity, so any weather-related delays are minimized with only corporate and private traffic to deal with.  It is also the home for the Air Force’s 66th Air Base Group.  The car service, this time Boston Coach, dropped me off at the front door to Signature BED where I quickly checked in with the receptionist who directed me to the waiting aircrew for our night flight to Boston.  The Signature facility at Bedford is a bit smallish; however it is quite comfortably appointed and expertly staffed.  I’ve been there several times to meet clients either arriving or departing, and have always been impressed with how professional and helpful the staff has been; kudos to Signature there.  I also had a chance meeting with an old college friend who works for Airport Operations with Hanscom Airport.  He was kind enough to escort me around the ramp while I shot some video of the jet’s arrival earlier in the day.
Boston Logan International Airport, on the other hand, is a much larger and more complex facility.  Hundreds of commercial flights plus scores of private aircraft operate daily in its airspace.  The Signature facility is located at the northernmost edge of the airport property, which depending up on the runway in use can lead to lengthy departure/arrival taxi times. The lounge is quite a bit larger than BED’s facility, and a bit more nicely appointed.  Signature BOS also has an X-ray belt staffed by TSA employees as seen in the commercial terminals.  State Police troopers were also present providing over-watch security.  The indoor staff and ground personnel again showed amazing professionalism and attention to detail.  All areas of the facility were spotless and everyone seemed truly pleased to be at our service.

You may remember hearing the hubbub a couple of years ago about a new class of aircraft known as VLJs (for Very Light Jets) and their anticipated impact on the air-taxi industry.  While the timing of their arrival to the market (just before the financial market plunge in 2008 and subsequent black eye given to private aviation by congress) was unfortunate, their capabilities are proven and real.  The Eclipse is just one of these VLJs (Embraer Phenom and Citation Mustang are others) and after having ridden along on a very short flight I can assure you that the classification is right on the money.
 
With an interior cabin length and a cross-section approximating that of a mid-sized SUV, the passenger capacity is limited to 2-3.  In this particular case it was just me, and although the jet can be legally flown by one, there were two pilots.  After brief introductions to the crew at which time they checked my photo ID, I was escorted to the jet, where I quickly boarded while the crew finished the last second checks, started engines, and began to taxi.  On the way to the runway, I took a few moments to really look around the cabin – it didn’t take long!  Two of the passengers seats were removed leaving the two rearmost, one of which I occupied.  The interior was sparse, but tastefully appointed with leather seating, overhead lighting and air controls, and good sized windows, which gave the jet a larger feel.  With the two forward seats absent, I had all the legroom I could want.  The all-glass cockpit was really something to see especially in the dark of night.  Quite complex, yet thoughtfully laid out.  After a brief taxi-out at BED past much larger aircraft, we were cleared for departure.  With just the three of us, the jet quite literally leaped into the sky within what seemed like a very short runway length.  In fact this jet regularly operates from KLOM, Wings Field, in Philadelphia which is just 3700’ long.  We were vectored out west away from the city to join the trail of aircraft heading to BOS.  After about 10 minutes we were flying back east, in line, and making the approach past the Boston skyline.  Ambient noise from the jet engines was a bit loud, but certainly not uncomfortable. For a small jet, it had surprising stability during the decent through swirling winds and a 10 knot crosswind.  The approach and landing was quite smooth, with good visibility for the passengers through the front windscreen until touchdown.
 
Overall, I would highly recommend this aircraft for very short-range missions.  Charters in which you are not travelling more than 300 miles such as Boston to New York or New York to Washington, DC, with one or maybe two others, would be the best scenario.  Anything more than that and the aircraft lacks the performance to adequately measure up.  But for those regional day-trips where jet speed and the ability to get into a ridiculously short airport is essential, the Eclipse is the perfect aircraft for the job!

Many thanks to BlueBell Air for the opportunity to fly along, and to Dan and Bruce for their time and professionalism.

The Gulfstream Cabin Management System includes digital control through an Apple iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. Gulfstream developed an app that enables passengers to control lighting, temperature, speakers, monitors, entertainment equipment, window shades, the CabinView system and attendant call. According to Gulfstream the desire for passenger control of cabin systems was a recurring theme in desgin of the new G650.