Very Light Jet Visionary Vern Raburn Dies at 75

Vern Raburn, who established Eclipse Aviation with the idea of carving out a new business aviation market niche powered by a low-cost very light jet, died on Saturday, April 25, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He was 75.

Raburn brought a strong technology background to the aviation market when he founded Eclipse in 1998, having served as one of Bill Gates’ first executives and ultimately executive v-p of Microsoft and president of its Consumer Products Division. His resume had also included executive v-p and general manager of Lotus Development Corp., CEO and chair of Symantec, and president of high-technology investment firm Paul Allen Group.

A pilot who learned to fly as a teenager and whose family had roots in aviation, Raburn built Eclipse on the belief that a twin jet sold for less than $1 million could spur a wave of point-to-point air taxi travel. He teamed with another technology leader, Ed Iacobucci, to pave the way. The late Iacobucci founded DayJet around this concept, notably ordering 1,400 of the EA-500s.

The first prototype of the six-place, 1,200-nm Eclipse 500 flew with Williams EJ22 turbofans on Aug. 26, 2002, but, after a redesign, a second prototype flew two years later, sporting the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F. This pushed back the certification program for the program. But the 370-knot aircraft had gained enough attention to earn Eclipse the highly coveted Collier Trophy in 2005, marking one of the few companies to receive such National Aeronautic Association recognition for a prototype.

Raburn had also gained considerable attention for employing a new manufacturing technique, friction-stir welding, which he maintained would significantly lower costs and enable the company to keep the aircraft's cost down.

Eclipse secured certification for the model in 2006 and handed over the first copy in 2007. However, the financial markets took a dramatic downturn, forcing DayJet out of business. DayJet had taken delivery of a little more than two dozen Eclipse 500s before filing Chapter 7 in late 2008. This put a significant dent into Eclipse’s orderbook, which the company said had topped 2,000.

Eclipse faced its own financial, legal, and regulatory issues (including a certification review) and filed for bankruptcy in late 2008. In August 2009, by which time the company was in Chapter 7 liquidation, Eclipse Aerospace bought the assets to maintain support of the upwards of 260 aircraft that had entered service.

While Eclipse faltered, the concept of the very light jet lived on, with Cessna Aircraft bringing the successful Citation Mustang to market. And the vision of short-hop air taxis has evolved into an entirely new market with the advent of eVTOLs. Raburn later would serve as chairman and CEO of Titan Aerospace, a drone specialist once affiliated with Google.

Raburn, meanwhile, had accumulated more than 6,500 hours of flight time, multi-engine, instrument, commercial, and rotary ratings. He was type-rated in more than 15 aircraft, types from World War II bombers to corporate jets, and owned a range of vintage aircraft. A Living Legend of Aviation, Raburn remained active in the aviation industry, serving on the board of directors of Experimental Aircraft Association, the Executive Council to the FAA's Research, Engineering and Development Advisory Committee (REDAC), and the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Presidential Advisory Board.

“Former Eclipse Aviation employees reminisce about Raburn’s creating a new family as much as a new company,” according to Fred George, long-time aviation journalist and principal of Fred George Aero. “They were challenged to be innovative, tasked with working long hours, and compelled to prove their ideas in the face of tough peer criticism. But, every Friday afternoon, Raburn would pause operations to host an all-hands hangar party for the Eclipse family with refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, praising members for their dedication and contributions.”

He is survived by his wife, Susan Brooks Raburn. A Celebration of Life is anticipated later this year.