Cessna Citation Sovereign

The Citation Sovereign is Cessna’s version of what a business jet should be: comfortable, high-performing, and economical. The strongest feature of the Sovereign is its range; it has coast-to-coast capabilities, like large jets, but still retains the features that make midsize private jets so advantageous. It can take off in under 4,000 feet, a feat still unmatched by other midsized jets, and can cruise at around .75 Mach (458 knots).

The Sovereign’s cabin is 25.3 feet long and can hold anywhere between eight and nine or more with most seats able to swivel 180 degrees. The interior is large enough that passengers can enjoy the 5.7 foot-high cabin. The baggage space available in the Sovereign is the largest of comparable private jets. The Sovereign has 135 cubic feet of total baggage space (100 cubic feet external; 35 internal); whereas the competing Hawker 800XP has only 48 and the Lear 60XR has only 54.

The internal closet is large enough to hold full-sized garment bags. The bathroom, too, is spacious – passengers can change their clothes in it with the assurance of complete privacy (due to the double-sliding hard doors). It should be noted that Citations are not just popular with passengers, but with pilots too. The Citation series was designed with the intent of simplifying flight as much as possible. The systems make sense and flight operations are uncomplicated, resulting in consistently safer, smoother flights.

Trailing link landing gears are used on the Sovereign for smooth taxiing and landings. The Citation Sovereign was the first of any business jet to use the variable gearing mechanism, once again setting it apart from competing private jets.

Safety was, of course, a top priority for Cessna when they designed the Sovereign. Everything, from its simple flying procedures to its many standard emergency systems, prevents accidents and makes handling them a lot simpler. The Sovereign is certified to the safety standards of both FAR part 25 and JAR 25.

For a jet that has only been on the market since 2004, the Sovereign has done incredibly well. Both pilots and passengers alike love its versatility, range, simple systems, and its comfort. After all, a private jet that can fly directly from California to Hawaii in five and a half hours without breaking the bank has to be well-liked.