According to Stefano Boscutti, the price per gallon for private jet fuel has quadrupled in the past eight years. While the impact on your wallet depends on your model, with many jets you’re paying for hundreds of gallons of fuel per hour. Even worse, J Mac McClellan of FlyingMag isn’t hopeful about it getting any better: “Nobody can predict future trends, but higher prices sure seem more likely than lower.”
So how can private jet owners combat already-high (and likely to rise) fuel costs? Now could be time to look for a more fuel-efficient model.
Since the fuel crises of the 1950s and 1970s, jet designers have been interested in working towards greater fuel efficiency. Lately, we’ve been seeing steady improvement in fuel usage in jets — through better engines and aerodynamics. Lower weight, less drag, and the ability to fly higher are allowing jets to make big strides in fuel efficiency. Jets are now available in a greater range of sizes and performance categories, too, so owners can match their mission and the plane’s required fuel to their needs more efficiently.
Which Jets are the Most Fuel Efficient?
McClellan recommends the Falcon 50 as a prime example of a jet design with emphasis placed on improvements in weight and drag to make long range flights more efficient. The Learjet 35 and 36 and Gulfstream models, also emphasize long range capability, as well as the ability to climb directly to 41,000 feet or higher. At those flight levels, fuel flow and drag were significantly reduced while range was increased.
The recently announced Eclipse 550 Jet from Eclipse Aerospace was a major effort to improve efficiency and has earned recognition as the most fuel-efficient twin-engine jet in production today. It consumes a mere 59 gallons per hour at cruising speeds.
An unusual aircraft project competed in NASA’s Green Flight Challenge of 2011 and showed us a personal plane with better fuel economy than most family cars: The “Synergy” aircraft can carry up to five people with a fuel efficiency of 40 miles per gallon and boasts 10 times the fuel economy of a small jet at 10% the usual cost. Not only that, but the design and production of this jet was crowdfunded, illustrating that the public is interested enough in fuel-efficient jets to put their money where their mouths are. John McGinnis, the team leader of Synergy, says “In this second century of flight, we believe that ordinary families should have fast options to travel where they want, when they want, in quiet safety, with better economy than a car.”
Of course, there’s also the perception factor that business owners and entrepreneurs must manage. While “save the earth” may not be your business slogan, companies that visibly work toward green initiatives typically see more positive brand recognition.
The next time you’re in the market for a jet, consider a fuel-efficient model to give your brand — and your pocketbook — a boost.