The BD-5J has held the Guinness record as the World's Smallest Jet Aircraft for more than a quarter century.

Versions of it saw use in various Budweiser commercials (the Bud Light Jet, which was lost in an inflight fire and crash unrelated to airshow work).

The tiny jet also appeared in two James Bond movies; Octopussy starring Sir Roger Moore, and later in a cameo appearance, hanging from the wall of Q's workshop in Die Another Day starring Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007.

It was estimated that this aircraft experienced catastrophic vertical stabilizer failure, due to the excess speed during the flight.

This aircraft was featured on the cover of Aviation Week in June 1994, with a full pilots report.