New company to bid for Eclipse Aviation assets

Failed pioneering enterprise, Eclipse Aviation, may get a fresh lease of life if the efforts of a Eclipse 500 aircraft owner Mike Press and deposit-holder Mason Holland bear fruit. The duo have launched a new company called Eclipse Jet which will bid for the assets of bankrupt Eclipse Aviation with the intention of restoring Eclipse 500 product support.

The company will eventually aim at putting the Very Light Jet back into production. ''Many of the owners are my personal friends, whom I've introduced to Eclipse and sold them their aircraft,'' said Press. ''I am responsible for them, and Mason and I have organized an exceptional team to lead a bid to fulfill my responsibility to current Eclipse owners and depositors.''

The first priority, according to the duo, is to - maintenance support, parts supply, avionics, upgrades and pilot training. Once these objectives are achieved, production of the Eclipse 500 will then be resumed. According to Holland, existing deposit holders may be offered a lower price on the aircraft.

According to Holland, Eclipse Aviation was the company which validated the concept of the VLJ. The company ''...created a viable aircraft, now we just need to put a viable company behind it. We can't let this go to waste.''