Airplane Recently Won Approval From London City Airport For Departures, Landings

A G150 aircraft made its first arrival at London City Airport Monday as part of a demonstration for London-based media. The mid-size business jet recently received approval from the London City Airport Operations and Control Department for landings and departures at the British airport.

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To fly in and out of London City, an aircraft and flight crew must demonstrate proficiency in the steep-angle, 5.5-degree approach and must be able to operate from the airport's short runway - 4,327 feet for landing and 3,937 feet for takeoff. The jet must also meet strict environmental standards regarding noise.

The N-registered demonstration aircraft was captained by Gulfstream pilots Brett Rundle and Earl Leonard. The G150 successfully completed its first flight on May 3, 2005, and was simultaneously certified by the FAA and the Civil Aviation Administration of Israel (CAAI) on Nov. 7, 2005.

Powered by two Honeywell TFE731-40AR engines, the G150 can reach speeds of up to Mach 0.85 and altitudes of 45,000 feet, well above commercial traffic and weather. At a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0.75, the G150 can fly four passengers nonstop up to 2,950 nautical miles. The G150 easily connects cities such as New York to Los Angeles, London to Moscow, or Rio de Janeiro to Santiago.

The fully equipped G150 flight deck features Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics, which includes Gulfstream's signature Cursor Control Device (CCD). The Safe Flight Automatic Throttle System (ATS) integrated on the G150 provides continuous thrust management during takeoff, climb, cruise, descent, approach, landing and go-around flight modes. The optional Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS II) generates actual, real-time images of the aircraft's surroundings using an infrared camera mounted in the nose of the aircraft.

G150 aircraft are designed and built in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) in Tel Aviv, Israel. Initial manufacturing is completed in Tel Aviv, then the aircraft are flown to Gulfstream's Dallas facility for the final phase of manufacturing.

FMI: www.gulfstream.com