See inside the $2 million Cirrus Vision SF50 that costs $3,000 an hour
The company started with three aircraft, but within two years expanded to 40 aircraft. VeriJet also built a crew of 18 skilled pilots in less than two years. To be hired, pilots need 1,500 flying hours and an air transport pilot certification.
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VeriJet founder and CEO Richard Keane told Insider that the Cirrus SF50’s high safety and efficiency is the reason the company chose the single-engine business jet.
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With its $2 million list price, the SF50 is the cheapest private jet on the market, but despite its low cost, the plane doesn’t skimp on comfort and performance.
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According to Kane, the SF50 can fly at Mach 0.53 and has a range of 1,277 nautical miles (1,470 miles). This means that small towns in the United States that commercial airlines cannot access can easily be connected.
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This is because major airlines typically fly to a central hub before continuing to smaller markets, such as Huntsville, Alabama, or Cody, Wyoming. In fact, Ken told Insider that one of his clients lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, which is not served by any airline.
Delta Air Lines Embraer 170 regional aircraft.
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Instead of driving an hour northeast to Birmingham and flying through a hub, they use a VeriJet to fly directly from Tuscaloosa to their destination. Moreover, the customer can travel to the meeting and back on the same day.
Tuscaloosa Airport during the University of Alabama football games.
Tuscaloosa Airport
Ken told Insider that VeriJet rentals cost $3,000 an hour, but that’s reduced to $2,750 with the company’s jet card when the buyer commits to 100 hours.
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While VeriJet may be more expensive than commercial flying, those who can afford it find the convenience and time saved worth the money, according to Kane.
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Insider took a test flight on one of VeriJet’s Cirrus Vision SF50 aircraft with Ken as pilot to see what passengers can expect – take a look.
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I met with the CEO at Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Bridgeport, Connecticut, on Friday for a demo.
Bridgeport Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Connecticut.
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We departed from Three Wing Aviation, an airport fixed operating company (FBO) that provides things like fuel and maintenance for general aviation aircraft.
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Kane emphasized that the single engine was safe and that the system emailed status information to the pilot after each flight, indicating whether the engine was perfect or needed servicing.
Taylor Raines / Inside
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