Four people, 400 knots, 1500 nautical miles--that's the slogan of the Stratos 714, a Very Light Jet which I first wrote about a year ago. Aero-News Network has an interview with Alexander Craig, the new CEO of Stratos during the recent NBAA 2009 conference. The company, which is based in Bend, Oregon, is bullish on their Stratos 714 which they say will bridge the gap between VLJ aircraft and full size business jets.

The composite-bodied aircraft will be powered by a centerline-thrust FADEC-controlled Williams FJ44-3AP turbofan which produces 3,030 pounds of thrust at sea level. The company's goal is to create an aircraft that is affordable to own and operate (current price is $2 million). In the interview (video after the jump) Craig doesn't reveal a potential production date for the plane but it appears that progress is being made and we get more news soon.

Is the world ready for a $28 million Siberian superjet? Russian aerospace firm Sukhoi hopes so as it plans to begin deliveries of its Sukhoi Superjet 100 in December, undercutting established jet builders like Embraer and Bombardier. Cheap Siberian labor lowers the cost of the planes, but Sukhoi insists quality will not be compromised as it was developed in collaboration with Finmeccanica of Italy subsidiary Alenia Aeronautica, fetauring optional interiors by famed Italian design firm Pininfarina and the same parts found in more coveted craft. Its 5-seat rows setup, combining style and ergonomics, will be among the largest ever installed on regional transport aircraft thanks to a fuselage almost 18 inches larger than those of competitors.

The new Hawker Beechcraft King Air 350i (above) is an updated, luxury version of a turboprop plane that's been a big seller since 1964. The economic crisis has caused many corporations to consider swapping expensive jets for more efficient and less costly turboprops like the classic King Air. Beechcraft has added in luxury features and finishes found on much more expensive Hawker business jets to make the $6.6 million King Air 350i a competitive choice. It's billed as is the most luxurious, most comfortable and most capable turbine aircraft ever offered in its class, period. The company compares it to a Range Rover - very refined with rugged underpinnings and exemplary safety features. With the most flexible and technologically advanced cabin ever introduced in a twin turboprop, the plane can ferry 9 passengers in the morning and then be reconfigured into an ultra-luxe VIP shuttle for 2 that same afternoon.

For those who still have private aircraft, the options for improved audio/video performance keeps getting better. A company called Skytheater in Fort Lauderdale, Florida does for planes what home theater outfits do for houses. They put a high tech cinema experience on a plane including acoustical considerations, user-friendly operation and optimum performance. SkyTheater uses Richard Gray's Power Company's ClearSky, an A/V power management solution designed for private aircraft to improve onboard A/V performance. The product can be installed on aircraft as part of a complete Skytheater system.

The performance of high-end audio/visual system can suffer because an aircraft's power supply is not designed to feed sensitive and demanding A/V equipment. The RGPC ClearSky product offers surge protection and removes "noise" from the system that can negatively impact audio and video for a richer A/V experience.

Well that was fast, Starbucks had their new corporate jet for less than a month before succumbing to economic pressures and putting it up for sale. Aero-News Network reports that the company had less than 20 flights on the new Gulfstream G550 before putting it up for sale with Avpro. The news comes as Starbucks reported lower earnings and plans to close more stores.

The $45 million Gulfstream 550 was ordered four years ago during boom times for the coffee company. Unlike Citigroup and other companies on the hot seat for private jet usage, Starbucks hasn't asked for federal funds. The company has also been trying to sell off its Gulfstream G-V. Now Starbucks just has to find a willing buyer.

NASCAR champ Clint Bowyer got an early Christmas present this week when he took delivery Monday of his Beechcraft Premier IA. Bowyer, a Kansas native, was in Wichita for the delivery. He toured the Hawker Beechcraft manufacturing plant and signed autographs for employees. Bowyer plans to use the single-pilot business jet to help him keep up with the demanding schedule of being a race car. Bowyer is a three-year veteran of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series and drives a Chevrolet Impala for Richard Childress Racing (RCR) in both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. His new purchase doesn't sit well with everyone. Given the troubles plaguing NASCAR this season at least one blogger finds his extravagance to be in poor taste.

The Sunday Times reports that the Queen of England is in the market for a new plane. No Air-Force-One-sized jet for the Queen though, word from Buckingham Palace is that they are in the market for a small executive plane like a Gulfstream or Learjet. The plane would also be available for use by Gordon Brown and senior ministers.

The plane w ould be paid for by taxpayers and would include the usual private plane bells and whistles such as catering facilities and in-flight entertainment. The Queen had previously been able to use larger planes provided by the RAF. Also in the past, Prince Charles and other royals have chartered planes or flown first class for their royal tours, which they will still have to do for longer trips. The new plane will be best for short jaunts. The prime minister opted against a larger plane for himself and the royals because of the price. A decision on the type of plan and specific purchase details probably won't be available until later this year.

What's particularly interesting about the comments section of the article is that many of those who wrote in believe the Queen (and to some extent Gordon Brown) should have a bigger plane.

As some business jet services like MAXJet and Eos are folding, while fuel costs and other annoyances plague private plane owners, a company called Talon Air apparently sees nothing but clear skies ahead. The on-demand luxury private jet charter and management service just added the ultra-luxe Legacy 600 (pictured here) to its fleet in order to meet increasing demand. We asked Adam Katz, Talon's owner and founder (and full-rotation pilot) to explain his apparently incongruous bullish outlook.

"The luxury travel sector will continue to improve," Katz tells Luxist. "The absence of those jets in the market just increases the demand for ultra high-end services like ours. Operators providing safe, luxury travel with all the amenities that are associated with these services will continue to prosper." As for onerous tariffs, "The government's inclination to impose further taxes on the general aviation and corporate or luxury travel operators will not change the broad demand for high end services," he insists. "People will always be willing to pay a fair price for exquisite, safe and convenient travel."

The twin-engine Legacy 600 (see the gallery below) can accommodate up to 13-passengers in its plush, Wi-Fi equipped 6-ft. tall cabin. It cruises at a speed of up to Mach 0.80 and has a range of 3,250 nautical miles, enough to fly nonstop from New York to London, from London (or Geneva) to Dubai, and from Singapore to Beijing. And judging from the glowing testimonial on Talon Air's website, tennis ace Pete Sampras is a big fan.

Summer vacation season is still a month off but the NY Sun deliver some bad news for the wealthy who are planning to travel by private plane or yacht. A number of states are looking to tax private planes and yachts that come to their states and stay for a short time. Currently New York does not tax nonresidents who bring aircraft or boats into the state but Maine charges pilots who have their plane in the state more than 20 days a "use tax." A use tax is a form of excise tax levied on personal property. The NY Sun article reports that a Massachusetts pilot got a bill for more than $25,000 for keeping his plane in the state in 2003.

The Maine state government website has addressed the use tax controversy clarifying their policies by saying that "in most situations, nonresidents flying into Maine do not owe the tax and are not at risk of being assessed." They also stress that the Maine use tax is not a possibility unless an aircraft comes into Maine within the first 12 months after its purchase by a nonresident and that if the aircraft is present in Maine within the first 12 months for purposes other than repair and maintenance, no Maine use tax is due if a sales or use tax of 5% or more was paid in another state. In the case of the pilot in the NY Sun article he had not paid sales tax when he bought the plane in Massachusetts because Massachusetts does not charge sales tax on planes. Pilots are also wary of traveling in Florida, Illinois, and Washington which have all toughened enforcement of sales and use taxes on aircraft. Each state has its own policies on use tax so it's a good idea to check the state website if you are planning to keep your yacht or plane in a state other than your home state for longer than a couple of weeks especially if your plane or boat is a new purchase and you did not pay sales tax.

And there was more bad news from the Senate recently. The U.S. Senate voted in favor of legislation to raise taxes on gasoline for private jets. The tax hike will help pay for updating the FAA air traffic control system. The bill will have private jet owners paying 36 cents per gallon in tax up from 21.8 cents.

Ever since I heard about the Airbus A380, I knew it would make someone one very luxurious private plane. We've seen pictures of the proposed interior before but until now we didn't have owner to put with all that luxury. A while ago it was rumored that Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was the owner but Airbus has announced that Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal is the first private buyer of an A380. Prince Alwaleed's Flying Palace will not be his first plane, he already owns a Boeing 747-400. A gallery of the desert-themed designs for the A380 done by Edese Doret can be found here.

Earlier this week I mentioned that Mukesh Ambani is the newly minted world's richest man and one of the world's most profligate spenders. He did his legend proud with his latest gift to his wife Nita. Ambani spent $59 million on an Airbus 319 for his wife's birthday. Her new toy is a corporate jet with a bar, a master bedroom, showers, an entertainment cabin with games, music and movies as well as a cabin for business with wireless and satellite systems. Nita turned 44 on Thursday.

The latest Learjet from Bombardier Aerospace is a new midsize plane that will seat eight passengers in a stand-up cabin. The Learjet NXT has a a high-speed cruise of Mach 0.82 and a transcontinental range of up to 3,000 nautical miles. The plane is set for a public unveiling in October 2008 and so far the company has received over 65 letters of intent for this aircraft to purchase this new model.

The latest aircraft from Piper is the Matrix, a cabin-class, six-seat aircraft which is based on the Malibu Mirage model but is an unpressurized aircraft which reduces the price but also limits the pilot's ability to fly above bad weather. The Matrix has a 350 horsepower piston engine and has a maximum cruise speed of 215 knots with a fuel range of more than 1,345 nautical miles at the aircraft's maximum operating altitude of 25,000 feet (where supplemental oxygen is necessary). Piper has announced that they have received over 100 domestic orders for 2008 production. The Matrix sells for $757,000.

[via Palm Beach Post]

And you thought a ticket for the first ride on an Airbus A380 was expensive, how would you like to have the bank account of the man rumored to have bought one? When it comes to the extravagances of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich I'd be prepared to believe almost anything. After all, the multiple-yacht-owning soccer team owner is one of the world's flashiest spenders. But did he spend $300 million to buy the first Airbus A380 for personal use? I've seen a flurry of reports saying that the Chukotka governor and Chelsea FC owner bought the plane to add to his fleet which includes a Boeing-767 and a Boeing-737. A spokesperson for Abramovich says the story is not true. Airbus has neither confirmed nor denied the report yet.

Everyone is flying charter these days. The latest charter news comes from the Vatican. The Vatican's travel office has partnered with a small Italian jet company, Mistral, to offer flights to holy sites around the world. The jets will have interiors decorated with sacred inscriptions and will travel to a wide-ranging variety of holy sites in the Holy Land, Spain, Mexico and other places. BBC News reports that the first flight will be on August 27 from Rome to Lourdes, France and that the vicar of Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, is expected to be on the first flight.