Summary

  • The University of Alabama is known for academic excellence and 18 national titles in football.
  • The Crimson Tide’s private jet, a Cessna Citation Sovereign, connects recruiters to top talent across the United States.
  • The aircraft features powerful engines, a long-range, and the Honeywell Primus Epic glass cockpit.

The University of Alabama is one of the most successful universities in terms of athletics in the United States. The university first opened in 1931 and has grown to become the largest public university in the state of Alabama, narrowly beating out its in-state rival, Auburn University. The company is known as a university with very high research activity, and it offers degrees in 13 academic divisions.

Beyond the university’s prestigious academic reputation, the University of Alabama has a world-renowned athletic program. The Alabama Crimson Tide competes in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). This is one of the most competitive conferences in Division I sports. The Crimson Tide fields a total of 21 varsity teams, primarily in the SEC. The university’s athletic teams have won a total of 10 officially sanctioned national championships, including:

  • 2 in men’s golf
  • 1 in women’s golf
  • 1 in women’s softball
  • 6 in women’s gymnastics

The University of Alabama may be most known, however, for its 18 national championships in football, although the NCAA has never conducted an official national championship. Many of these championships were won under the legendary head football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant. Most recently, the team won six national championships under Nick Saban, whom many believe to be the greatest head coach of all time.

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Saban had a strict coaching style, which helped his team find success on the field. However, Saban recruited some of the top recruits in the nation, many of whom would go on to have successful NFL careers. One reason he was able to have such a successful recruiting career was his ability to travel the country and find talent. This was due to the University of Alabama’s business jet that coaches used to recruit across the country. Let’s take a closer look at the University of Alabama private jet and some of the notable features that made it so appealing.

The Crimson Tide private jet

The business jet that University of Alabama athletics occasionally utilizes is a Cessna Citation Sovereign, registered as N1UA. According to JetSpy, this aircraft was originally produced in 2011. The University of Alabama private jet is currently owned by the Crimson Tide Foundation, a non-profit educational organization.

The Crimson Tide Foundation also encompasses the Crimson Standard, a booster fund that provides funds for the University of Alabama’s athletic programs. The foundation has funded upgrades to the university’s football stadium, Bryant-Denny Stadium, redesigns to the athletic facility, locker rooms, and much more.

Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign+ in Sidoarjo, Indonesia

Photo: Dito Ardiyanto | Shutterstock

The Crimson Tide Foundation’s private jet is obviously based at Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (TCL), where the University of Alabama is located. According to JetSpy, the top three most visited airports for N1UA are:

  • Tuscaloosa Regional Airport (TCL) in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
  • Mobile Downtown Airport (BFM) in Mobile, Alabama
  • Witham Field (SUA) in Martin County, Florida

According to JetSpy, the aircraft has completed 91 flights so far in 2024, for a total of 108 flight hours. Also, in 2023, the aircraft flew 307 total flights for a total of 327 flight hours.

The history of the Citation Sovereign

Cessna developed the Citation Sovereign in the late 1990s. It was officially announced at the 1998 National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) annual convention. The Citation Sovereign was developed from the successful Citation Excel but featured a stretched fuselage, a larger wing, and more powerful engines. The first prototype conducted its maiden flight in February 2022. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded its type certificate in June 2024, with deliveries beginning the following September.

A Cessna 680 Citation Sovereign parked on an airoprt apron.

Photo: WanderWolf Images | Shutterstock

Cessna introduced an upgraded variant, which was later designated the Citation Sovereign+, in October 2012. This aircraft featured added winglets, upgraded engines, and a new avionics system. Deliveries of this aircraft began in December 2013.

Cessna eventually developed the larger Citation Latitude from the Citation Sovereign. The newer aircraft was larger and had better performance specifications. Cessna ceased production of the Citation Sovereign in 2021 after nearly 350 total variants were produced.

Notable features of the Citation Sovereign

As previously mentioned, Cessna developed the Citation Sovereign from the Citation Excel, but included several significant upgrades. The aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney Canada PW306C engines. These each provided the aircraft with nearly 6,000 pounds of thrust. The upgraded engines, along with a larger wing for fuel capacity, helped the aircraft reach the following specifications:

Length

63 feet six inches

Height

20 feet four inches

Wingspan

72 feet four inches

Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW)

30,775 pounds

Maximum speed

Mach 0.80 (613 miles per hour)

Cruise speed

460 knots (530 miles per hour)

Range

3,200 nautical miles (3,700 miles)

Flight ceiling

47,000 feet

The Citation Sovereign comes equipped with the Honeywell Primus Epic glass cockpit. This avionics system utilizes four large LCD screens. One of the largest operators of the aircraft is NetJets, which operated 44 jets at one point. The Paraguayan Air Force uses a Citation Sovereign for VIP transport, while the Japanese Air Self-Defense Force uses three Citation Sovereigns for flight inspection missions.

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