The Citation Encore

Cessna introduced their Encore business jet in 2000 as an improvement on the 1994 Business Jet of the Year, the Citation Ultra. Heading the list of the Encore's enhancements was its pair of Pratt & Whitney Canada PW535A turbofan engines. They replaced the Ultra's JT15D5 engines.

With 3,400 pounds of thrust apiece, these engines climb to 37,000 feet in only 13 minutes. A maximum cruising altitude of 45,000 feet lets the Encore ascend above the most turbulent systems. Longer wings and improved braking mean a more fuel-efficient aircraft with a shorter landing strip requirement. With four passengers, the Encore requires a landing distance of 2,439 feet.

Allowing 200 pounds each for seven passengers with luggage, the Encore travels nearly 1372 statute miles at a top speed of 480 mph without refueling. Non-stop flights between Boston and Chicago, Dallas and Minneapolis or Seattle and Los Angeles are well within the range of an Encore carrying this executive payload, a two-person crew and 4,910 pounds of fuel.

A 69-cubic foot baggage area handling up to four golf bags with space for personal bags, and a ski tube with room for four pairs of skis make the Encore the ideal transport for a Palm Springs golf or Aspen skiing weekend. Fourteen windows and seven fully reclining leather-upholstered seats in the jet's 17.3-foot passenger cabin invite hours of skygazing or napping.

A full refreshment center and enclosed full lavatory with belted seating for an additional passenger ensure a comfortable flight. Technological conveniences include a satellite phone and XM and Sirius radio with Bose headsets. Center club seats with fold-down tabletops and a 110-volt electrical outlet provide work areas.

Even nervous fliers can relax thanks to the Encore’s Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics suite's four easy-to-read screens. Equipped with Traffic Collision Avoidance, Ground Proximity and Wind Shear Warning Systems, Primus 1000 alerts the pilot and co-pilot to nearby aircraft, high-elevation landmasses and wind shear via a single Flight Director computer.

Bleed air from the Encore's powerful engines provides the jet's cabin pressure, deicing system and air conditioning. The temperature control system, running on a vapor-cycle machine and bleed air, features separate controls for the cockpit and passenger cabin. The electrical system operates as a reserve air conditioner by cooling the plane's interior in hot weather before passengers board. Fuel heaters eliminate the need for anti-icing jet-fuel additives.

Whether you fly for business or pleasure, hiring a private jet gets you to your destination safely and quickly. None of the hassles of commercial flying will interrupt your trip. Aboard the stylishly sleek and technologically sophisticated Citation Encore, you'll enjoy the best kind of private jet experience.