輕型公務機的世界

經常要與客戶面對面洽談，要親赴投資地點選址建工廠的企業的商務人士，常會遭遇這樣的尷尬。從北京到宜賓、株洲、恩施等一大批三線城市，他根本找不到直達的航班，或者只有極少直達航班。不論怎么飛，他都需要在一兩個機場轉機，前前后后耗在路上的時間可能要七八個小時。假如選擇坐火車，即使是高鐵，也會耗費與之相當甚至更多時間。

這種情況下，類似于灣流G550這類能乘坐10人以上的豪華大型公務機明顯沒有了優勢。因為只有那些實力雄厚的大公司才能耗資數億元人民幣購買這類飛機。而實際上，使用大型公務機帶來的收益和購買、運營的支出是否被精確地計算和考量過，不得而知。而且鑒于飛行成本，這類大飛機頻繁用于小人數的短途飛行也非常不劃算。

面對這種情況，最適合的無疑是輕型公務機。一般來說，乘坐3至8名乘客的公務機被稱作輕型公務機，其航程通常在2500千米以下（個別輕型公務機能飛到4000千米）。雖然這種公務機體積小，但它具有噴氣式飛機在速度、性能上的所有優勢，航速與大型公務機相差無幾。

輕型公務機的價格通常在200萬美元至900萬美元之間。許多公司花費5000萬美元以上的價格購買一架大型公務機，同樣的資金，可以采購10架輕型公務機。二者之間采購成本的懸殊一目了然。在使用成本上，輕型公務機每小時飛行的油耗成本、托管成本都比中、大型公務機要低得多，維修也簡單得多。如果一家公司在國內有較為頻繁的2至4人公務出行需求，一架輕型公務機具有相當大的成本優勢。

在美國，由少數行業精英構成的，擁有最前沿的技術或創意的創新型公司是輕型公務機的主要使用群體之一。某種意義上說，大量創新型公司涌現的社會，會需要更多的輕型公務機。

體驗輕型公務機

乘坐輕型公務機的體驗是怎樣的呢？多年來，制造商們一直在努力提高輕型公務機的舒適度。不過對于乘客而言，依然不應拿它們與灣流G650、環球快車6000這類大型公務機的乘坐體驗相比較。

一般輕型公務機艙頂最高點的高度也只有1.5米左右，最寬敞的輕型公務機只能達到1.7米左右，所以成年人在輕型公務機內沒法站直身子。而像灣流G650這類大型公務機的頂高通常接近2米，艙內寬度也大得多。大多數輕型公務機設有4到6個沙發座椅，寬敞的定義是你能舒服地伸直雙腿，而非自由地起身活動。輕型公務機一般都配有衛生間，但設計得都非常緊湊。

你或許覺得這樣的設計有點局促，但考慮到輕型公務機的功能特點，這些設計是很合理的。輕型公務機一般的續航時間在2至3小時，航程在2500千米以下，它們屬于“短途”交通工具，從北京飛到武漢、從上海飛到成都只需一個小時出頭。所以它們無需像灣流G650、環球快車6000這些經常進行10多個小時越洋飛行的飛機那樣，需要配備廚房、臥床。如果將大型公務機視作“空中宅邸”，那么輕型公務機更像“空中豪華轎車”。比起轎車，輕型公務機的空間已然更加寬敞、舒適了。

不過，“短途性”也令許多中國買家在購買輕型公務機時造成了疑慮。受航程所限，超過2500千米的長途飛行，例如從北京直飛三亞、從上海直飛烏魯木齊，許多輕型公務機都無法完成。在機場林立、中途加油非常便利的美國，這樣的困難就像轎車行駛在高速路上一樣易于克服。在通用航空起步較晚的中國，購買輕型公務機前必須更仔細地考慮自己的使用需求。

美國創新型企業緣何青睞輕型公務機？

一家不愿透露姓名的美國創新型企業負責人，在接受本刊采訪時，向本刊解釋了他們青睞輕型公務機的原因。

首先，輕型公務機適用于精英小團隊。對于我們這樣的創新型公司，擁有少數行業精英、擁有最前沿的技術或創意，這是取得商業成功的基本原則。我們的團隊屬于精英團隊，不會太龐大，所以我們不需要中、大型公務機。尤其是現在，美國的醫療改革增加了公司的人事成本。所以用輕型公務機來運送一個小團隊是經濟的，并且輕型公務機也限制了團隊人數的不合理膨脹，這一點是股東們樂意看到的。某種意義上說，大量創新型公司批量涌現的社會，會需要更多的輕型公務機。

其次，很多公司因為公務機呈現在財務報表的資產欄中，從而引起股東的審議，特別是奢華的大型公務機，他們認為巨大的投入和產出不對等，并且覺得這是在利用股東的錢進行享樂。不止我們公司，每當媒體問及某公司公務機使用情況時，大家一般都會說：“我們希望在公務機使用情況上盡量保持低調”。所以當我們選擇輕型公務機時，來自股東的壓力會小一些。

最后，是美國的經濟情況促使很多公司選擇輕型公務機。一方面幾年前的經濟危機令很多企業賣掉了大型飛機。另一方面，因為美國國內的消費市場很大，所以對于大量業務范圍在美國境內的公司來說，使用輕型公務機更加經濟。

相比之下，中國目前良好的大型公務機市場，既是中國良好的經濟勢頭促成的，也和中國企業規?；?、創新性型企業尚未批量涌現有關。

輕型公務機HondaJet是日本汽車制造商本田與美國飛機制造商Piper合作設計、制造的一款輕型公務機。因為它的發動機被置于兩個機翼的上端，所以樣子顯得非常奇特。這一革新性的設計被稱作OTWEM布局（Over-the-Wing-Engine-Mount），能夠提高飛機的氣動效率、減少油耗。

HondaJet機艙高1.51米，長5.43米，寬1.52米，最多可以容納2名駕駛員和5名乘客（或者1名駕駛員和6名乘客），前后行李艙的總容積為1.867立方米。它的最大航程為2037千米，最高航速為778千米/小時。其飛行半徑略微小于日食550，從北京或上海起飛，它同樣能直飛中國絕大多數大城市，而且速度高于日食550和飛鴻100。HondaJet已在美國拿到適航證，并已接到100多架的訂單，其售價大約在450萬美元左右，預計在2014年年底或2015年年初交付。

這款超輕型公務機在中國尚未拿到型號認可證，不過已有不少買家對它產生了興趣。而HondaJet也同樣看好中國市場。如果在中國大陸接到訂單，本田公務機公司就會向中國民航局申請型號認可證，程序問題不會對客戶接收、使用飛機造成延誤。

最小巧的輕型公務機——獎狀野馬

獎狀野馬（Citation Mustand）是賽斯納最小的噴氣式公務機，可容納2名飛行員、4名乘客，艙內長度為2.97米，高度為1.37米，寬度為1.4米，雖然客艙不大，但俱樂部式的座椅、班臺、茶幾一應俱全。獎狀野馬最大航程為2130千米，與前面幾款輕型公務機處在同一層次。其飛行速度為630千米/小時，售價大約為328萬美元。除了作為公務機，獎狀野馬還是出色的教練機。不少飛行愛好者視其為體驗飛行樂趣的大玩具。

不過，賽斯納對中國輕型公務機市場并不積極（雖然2013年云南瑞鋒通用航空公司剛剛購買了2架獎狀野馬）。不僅對于獎狀野馬，對于新推出的輕型公務機獎狀M2，賽斯納暫時也不會將其作為中國市場的推廣重點。

革命性機型——皮拉圖斯PC-24

這款由跨國飛機巨頭瑞士皮拉圖斯（Pilatus）公司設計的公務機，被稱為是輕型公務機中的“超級多功能公務機”。

PC-24可以乘坐2名飛行員和6名乘客。雖然機身看起來不大，但它的艙內高度為1.55米，寬度為1.71米，14.5立方米的艙內容積令它比一般輕型公務機更寬敞。其2.55立方米的行李倉也是輕型公務機中的佼佼者。其舷窗的尺寸即使對比大型公務機，也毫不遜色。

PC-24的最高航速為787千米/小時，最高航程為3611千米，遠超前面幾款輕型公務機。也就是說，它可以從中國境內任何地點直飛到另外一地。而且因為PC-24的起落架有兩個主輪并具有防滑剎車，這令它可以在全世界21000個跑道上起降。

因為以上種種卓越的性能，PC-24的預計售價高達900萬美元，超出前面幾款公務機數倍。不過對于2至4人的國內旅行，它的運營成本依然遠低于大型公務機。所以說，選擇公務機首先要看自己的用途，然后據此決定所選機型的大小和航程。

首家皮拉圖斯PC-24預計將會在2017年正式交付客戶。中國買家如果現在下訂單，PC-24同樣能在交付前完成所有的國內認證。

急速超遠程輕型公務機——SyberJet SJ30

SJ30是SyberJet Aircraft公司的產品，SyberJet Aircraft是美國MSC Aerospace集團旗下的分公司。SyberJet SJ30輕型公務機1986年首次發布，2007年才交付第一架，整個過程一波三折。不過在輕型公務機家族中，它絕對是航程最長、速度最快的一款飛機。

SyberJet SJ30能容納2名飛行員、6名乘客，最大航程為4630千米。這意味著它不僅可以在國內縱橫馳騁，還可以從上海直飛東南亞各國。SyberJet SJ30的最大航速為980千米/小時，其速度比許多大型公務機更快。

SyberJet SJ30的艙內長度為3.81米，高度為1.34米，寬度為1.4米。和它長途奔襲的能力相比，機艙顯得有些局促。不過輕型公務機在追求超遠航程、更高航速時做出一些犧牲是難免的。好在高速度能讓你坐在飛機里的時間更短，更早到達目的地。而且SyberJet SJ30機身與機翼的設計令它在極速飛行中更加省油，運營成本更低。SyberJet SJ30的售價大約為800萬美元。

Business people who need to meet customer or visit investment sites face-to-face on a regular basis often face the following situation： If they need to travel from Beijing to a secondary or third tier city where there is no direct flight， they will have to take connecting flights via more than one airport or take high-speed railway， but either way， they will have to spend 7 to 8 hours on the road.

For them， large business jets such as G550 will not be an viable option， because not every company have the luxury to buy and use large business jets. In fact， companoes should carefuuly consider the value of large business jet on balance sheet. Do they really bring long-term benefits？ Besides， it is not a cost-effective option to fly short haul with large business jets.

This is where light business jets come in handy. Light business jets refer to jets that could seat 3 to 8 passengers and has a range of less than 2500 km （although some could reach 4，000km）. Although smaller in size， light business jets are no less in speed or performance than large business jets.

Light business jets are priced between 2 million USD to 9 million USD. Companies that spend 50 million USD for a large business jet may as well use the money to buy 10 light ones. Apart form purchase cost， light business jets also incurs a lower operation cost， including fuel， management， and maintenance cost， than large or medium-sized jets. If a company has to send 2-4 people on frequent domestic travel， a light business jet can be a very cost efficient solution.

There are over 15，000 business jets in service today around the world， more than half are light jets. This is particular true for innovative enterprises in Europe and the U.S. In China， the number of light jets can be counted with two hands in contrast to the large number of large and medium-sized jets. So far some Chinese companies are using business jets as a status symbol which can somehow strengthen their confidence and reputation when they go out for business negociation， ect..However， this is not the only function of business jets.

Manufacturers have different views on the future of light business jets in China. One manufacturer U-Jet interviewed stated that it has no business development plan in China. But demand in China is growing. The Embraer Phonem 100 has received type certificate in China. Yunnan Ruifeng General Aviation Co.， Ltd. has purchased two Cessna Citation Mustand in 2013 to offer charter services. Gulfstream G150 has also received type certification in China.

Customer Experience of Light Business Jets

How is the customer experience of light business jets？ Manufacturers has been improving the comfort of light business jets. But still we cannot compare light jets with large business jets such as G650 or Global 6000.

The cabin of a light business jet is on average 1.5 meters high， or at most 1.7 meters， where a grown-up could barely stand still， whereas the cabin height of a large business jet such as G650 is close to 2 meters. Most light jets are configured with 4 to 6 seats with only enough legroom for you to seat comfortably. Lavatories are often configured， but very space efficient.

It might not be spacious， but functionally， it represents the most rational design. Light business jets are designed to fly short haul， 2-3 hours and less than 2500 km. A flight between the busiest Chinese cities， such as from Beijing to Wuhan， or Shanghai to Chengdu， only takes a little over an hour. So it is not necessary for light business jets to configure kitchen and bedroom as in G60 or Global 6000. If large business jets are in-the-air residences， light business jets are more like in-the-air luxury cars， but much spacious “cars”.

But In China， the short range feature of light business jets could send some buyers away， because the distance between some cities， such as from Beijing to Sanya， or Shanghai to Urumqi， is more than 2，500km. It might not be much a problem in the U.S. where it is convenient to stopover and refuel， but in China where general aviation has only just started to develop， customers have to consider their needs carefully before they make any decisions.

Why U.S. Innovative Enterprises Favor Light Business Jets？

An U.S. innovative enterprise which wants to keep a low profile of its jet use tell us the reasons it chose light business jet. The head of the enterprise shares with U-Jet why they favor light business jets？

Firstly， light business jet is the best option for elite teams. Innovative enterprises like us own a few number of industry elites and cutting edge technologies or ideas. We follows an elite culture， our team is small， which means we do not need medium -sized or large business jet， especially now that labor cost has increased in the U.S. due to the healthcare reform. It is very cost efficient to transport our small team with light business jet， and the jet also serves to control the size of our team， which is good news to our shareholders. To some extend， economies where innovative companies grow in number will have higher demand for light business jets.

Secondly， shareholders will look at balance sheet and raise questions about the investment and return on business jets， especially on large business jet. When asked about the usage of business jets， most companies， including us， would say， “we would like to keep a low profile on the usage of business jets.” But our lives would be easier if we choose light business jets.

Last but not least， the choice over light business jets is influenced by the U.S. economy. Many companies sold large their business jets due to recession， but the demand for travel is still there， so light business jet offers a more economical choice.

In China， the booming large business jet market is attributable to its economical growth and economies of scale achieved by Chinese enterprises. Innovative enterprises are yet to develop to create demand for light business jets.

When a Lawyer is Calculating His Time

Mark Tate，The Founder and Partner of the Tate Law Group

Consider the flight path of attorney Mark Tate of the Tate Law Group. The lawyer typically flies from his base in Savannah， Ga.， to anywhere on the East Coast or as far west as Chicago， generally a trip of up to three hours. The occasional trip to the Cayman Islands requires a stop， and usually another lawyer or a paralegal flies with him.

Tate， who has a pilot， previously owned a single-engine Piper Meridian turboprop， and tried the TBM 700 and a Pilatus PC-12. But none of these properly suited Tate's mission profile. He also tried Cessna's Mustang， but the higher purchase and operating costs meant it wasn't \"the right fit.\"

But now Tate contentedly owns an Eclipse 500 and is trading that in for a new Eclipse 550 later this year， which will cost him around $2.9 million. Like Tate， about 30% of Eclipse owners employ professional pilots， claims Holland.

What makes the Eclipse work for Tate is that its cost of operation， about $800 per hour， is a third that of larger jets. And he doesn't feel that the ability to stand up and walk around the cabin is worth the extra cost. \"This allows you to get where you need to go，\" he says.

A typical trip for Tate is from Savannah to Atlanta. To fly on an airline， he has to leave the office 1？ hours before the flight， go through the security theater at the TSA checkpoint， and endure the inevitable delays. In his private jet， it's another experience altogether. Tate is in the air soon after he leaves his office and can land at one of the less busy Atlanta-area airports. Even though the cost of an airline ticket may be $500， he says， \"at what I bill at， it costs me more to fly commercial than [to use] my airplane.\"

Tate averages 152 hours a year in his private jet. \"Private aviation is not about saving dollars，\" he says. \"It's about maximizing your revenue potential. It means I can take on clients all over the country. My waiting for an [airliner] is a prescription for revenue failure. There are tax benefits [to flying privately]， but the best [benefit] is management of time.\"

And while Tate employs the private jet primarily as a business tool， he also uses the plane for family jaunts. His 16-year-old son， who is six feet tall； 12-year-old daughter； and wife all fit in the small jet. \"They are comfortable with it，\" he says.

One of the Most Delivered Business Jet - Phonem 100

The Embraer Phonem 100 has become one of the most delivered light business jet over the past few years. It is also one of the very few light business jets that have obtained CAAC type certification.

Phonem 100 can seat 2 pilots and 4 passengers. With a maximum range of 2，182 meters and maximum speed of 727km/h， it could fly nonstop from Beijing to any provincial capital city in China except for Urumqi， Lhasa， and Haikou， or from Shanghai to any provincial capital city except for Urumqi and Lhasa. Its short haul capability and 2.98 million price makes it a popular jet in countries at similar size of China， including the U.S. and Brazil. It is the most delivered business jet in 2010.

In cooperation with BMW DesignworksUSA， Embraer offers 7 interior configurations for Phonem 100 customers. The jet has a 1.5 meters high， 3.4 meters long， and 1.55 meters wide cabin， and a 2.01 cubic meters baggage space that could fit in golf kits， ski equipments， and baggages. In 2011， an American couple completed an round the world trip with a Phonem 100.

Phonem 100 will be a very competitive business jet for the growing number of light business jet customers in China.

Most Delivered Business Jets - Eclipse 550

Eclipse 500 is the world’s first and most ordered light business jet designed and made by American manufacturer， Eclipse.

The aspiration of Eclipse 500 is to offer business jet service at first class price while ensuring safety， comfort， and speed.When it is upgraded to Eclipse 550， all advantages has been strengthened. The price tag of Eclipse 550 with standard equipments is around 3.00 million USD. The Eclipse cabin is 1.27 meters high， 3.76 meters long， and 1.42 meters wide.

Eclipse 550 offers a maximum speed of 690km/h and a maximum range of 2，084km. It boasts of the best AVIO among light business jets， which serves as a virtual co-pilot to make piloting easier and safer. It is also equipped with a Obstacle Terrain Avoidance Warning System to alert pilot of the distance between the jet and close-by natural objects or man-made obstacles such as mountains， towers， or buildings. Eclipse is very fuel efficient， consuming only 48～59 gallons of fuel per flight hour.

In China， the only agency and dealer of Eclipse is Avion Pacific. With 21 years history， Avion Pacific is the first integral general aviation service company. Although Eclipse 550 has no type approval certificate currently， anytime when there is a client order the jet， Avion will apply and gain the certificate as soon as possible， which will help the client get the jet in time.

Exotic Design by Honda——HondaJet

HondaJet is a light business jet designed and manufactured by Japanese car maker Honda in cooperation with American aircraft manufacturer Piper. The jet boasts of a unique Over-the-Wing-Engine-Mount design that could improve its aerodynamic and fuel efficiency.

The HondaJet cabin is 1.51 meters high， 5.43 meters long， and 1.52 meters wide. It can seat 2 pilots and 5 passengers， or 1 pilot and 6 passengers， and has 1.867 cubic meters of luggage space in the front and aft cabin. With a maximum range of 2，037 km and maximum speed of 778km/h， it can fly you from Beijing to any provincial capital city in China except for Urumqi， Lhasa， Kunming， and Nanning， or from Shanghai to any provincial capital city except for Urumqi and Lhasa. HondaJet has obtained type certificate in the United States and an order of 100. It is priced at around 4.5 million USD and expected to be delivered by end of 2014 or early 2015.

This super light business jet has not obtained type certificate in China， but has already drawn interest from many buyers. HondaJet is also optimistic of its market in China. HondaJet will start applying type certificate to CAAC if it could receive order from China， and will ensure its application not delaying the delivery and use of the jet in China.

Michimasa Fujino， CEO of HondaJet

“In my view， light business jet offers real performance benefit in terms and fuel efficiency without sacrificing precious cabin volume and luggage space. It has big potential in the future. Our goal is to reduce the cost per seat to the level of first class fare of domestic flights while ensuring comfort and speed. ”

Smallest Jet-Citation Mustang

Citation Mustang is the smallest business jet produced by Cessna. It could carry 2 pilots and 4 passengers. Its cabin is small （2.97 meters long， 1.37 meters high， and 1.4 meters wide）， but is fully configured with seats， bar， and tea tables. It has a maximum range of 2，130 km and a maximum speed of 630km/h. Priced at around 3.28 million USD. The Citation Mustang is also used as training aircraft and loved by many flying enthusiasts.

However， Citation is not quiet enthusiastic about China’s light business jet market. Despite the fact that Yunnan Ruifeng General Aviation Co. Ltd has purchased 2 Citation Mustang in 2013. It has no plans to market either Citation Mustang or its latest light business jet M2 to in China.

Revolutionary Jet - PC-24

Designed by multinational aircraft manufacturer Pilatus， PC-24 is known as the “super multifunctional business jet”.

PC-24 can seat 2 pilots and 6 passengers. It may not seem tall from the outside， but inside， the cabin is larger than most light jets at 1.55 meters high and 1.71 meters wide. Its 14.5 cubic meter cabin and 2.55 cubic meter baggage space are bigger than most of its peers. The widows it is equipped are also no smaller than large business jets.

PC-24 has a maximum speed of 787km/h and a maximum range of 3，611 km. It can fly nonstop between any two cities within China. Equipped with 2 wheels and anti-ski brake system on its landing gear， it is capable of taking-off and landing at over 21，000 runways around the world.

Because of the above-mentioned performances， PC-24 is priced at 9 million USD， several times higher than its peers. But its operating cost is still lower than large business jets for domestic transportation. It is therefore important to review you needs before selecting a business jet with the right size and range.

The first PC-24 is expected to be delivered in 2017. If Chinese buyers order now， Pilatus will be able to complete CAAC type certification before its first delivery.

Fastest and Furthest——SyberJet SJ30-2

Syberjet SJ30-2 was first launched in 1986 but was first delivered in 2007. But its long and winding development process aside， SJ30-2 offers the longest range and the highest speed of our light business jets.

SJ30-2 can seat 2 pilots and 6 passengers. With a maximum range of 4630 meters， it can fly between any two cities in China or from Shanghai to southeast Asian countries. It boasts of a maximum speed of 980/km， faster than many large business jets.

The SJ30-2 cabin is 3.81 meters long， 1.34 meters high， and 1.4 meters wide. The cabin volume is comparatively small in sacrifice for longer range and higher speed. Its unique airframe and wing design also makes it more fuel efficient and cost efficient in operation. A Syberjet SJ30-2 is priced at around 8 million USD.

在全世界，現役的公務機大約有15000多架，其中有一半以上是輕型公務機。特別是美國、歐洲一些規模小，但掌握了前沿科技、擁有巨大潛力的創新型企業（大量存在于IT、生命科學、娛樂等各個產業），它們非常青睞輕型公務機。而在中國，企業、個人購買的幾乎清一色是大、中型公務機，輕型公務機的數量少之又少。某種角度看，中國的公務機并未完全與企業運營管理進行結合，成為效益工具。它們更大作用是作為公司實力的一種象征，使得高層能夠在商務談判時更加自信等等，其實這只是公務機的部分作用。

對于輕型公務機在國內市場的前景，即使在某些公務機制造商之間，他們的看法也不盡相同。如本刊采訪某著名公務機制造商時，對方表示暫無在中國開拓輕型公務機市場的計劃。而另一方面，巴航工業著名的飛鴻100輕型公務機已經獲得中國型號認可證，而云南瑞鋒通用航空公司在2013年也購買了兩架賽斯納獎狀野馬輕型公務機，用于包機業務。介于輕型與中型之間的經典灣流G150公務機，也在國內取得了型號認可證。這些事實表明，輕型公務機市場在國內正在發展中。