From the editor: A cabin neophyte

I’m not accustomed to being in the cabin of a larger turbine airplane—or any airplane for that matter, unless it’s an airliner. Usually I’m up in the cockpit, where the view is inspiring and there’s plenty to keep you occupied, even on the longest flights. So, for the crossing I had my first true experience as a passenger on a mid-size jet.

It was great. The chairs were wide, comfy, and swiveled and reclined every which way. The “principal,” “boss’s,” or “CEO’s” chair—the big one at the right rear of the cabin—was especially nice, with its optional heat, massage, and lumbar support.

At first, the impression is one of luxury to the max. But after a while the real benefit of this environment emerges subtly: your own well-proportioned space. And that in itself yields a calm that promotes thoughtful focus, or the easy ability to communicate with others. I opted to read The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst, by Nicholas Tomlin and Ron Hall. It’s a gem of a book—The New Yorker called it a masterpiece—about perhaps the oddest, most mysterious sea voyage ever.

I dare you to attempt any thoughtful focus in an airline seat. With knees probing the seat back in front of you, a too-close neighbor with a fondness for garlic, and barely reclining seats with little padding.

The Legacy interiors have been thoughtfully designed, thanks to Jay Beever, Embraer Executive Jets’ vice president of Brand Imaging and Interior Design. Beever’s background designing cars and a competing line of business jet interiors leads him to avoid aesthetic errors. The valences contain displays showing the flight’s progress, which let passengers stay abreast of the flight and still conduct conversations. The table covers stow after the tables are deployed; they don’t stick up and rest on the table itself. Phones, cabin controls, and other items destined for certain obsolescence are covered within compartments in the side ledges—compartments ready to accept future generations of gadgetry. The layering of leather, metal, and wood finishes gives a sense of substance, yet saves weight.

Critics of private business travel need to understand the value of these tasteful interior subtleties. Subtleties that enable productive, collaborative work, and maximize time en route. This is why privately owned turboprops and jets have found an enduring niche.

Crowhurst’s Teignmouth Electron may be drifting in the South Atlantic, but my flight is descending into the night sky at our destination. I go up front, scan the Pro Line Fusion’s four display screens, and watch as we intercept the ILS. Then it’s back to the cabin, seat back raised, seat belt and shoulder harness fastened, and tray tables put away.AOPA

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