Receives FAA and EASA Certification

Dassault's new, 4,500-nm Falcon 900EX EASy received its much-anticipated certification from the FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), in Bordeaux-M�rignac, France. "This is great news for Dassault and our customers," said John Rosanvallon, president and CEO of Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. "It means deliveries of aircraft will begin almost immediately from our Little Rock Completion Center."

Early customers are already training on FlightSafety International's 900EX EASy D-Level Simulator, and are set to graduate later this week. In August 2003, some of these same customers had an opportunity to fly the test aircraft in Bordeaux, unanimously proclaiming EASy a success. Pilots were impressed by the intuitive nature of the system, readability of displays even in direct sunlight, and the convenience of interactive checklists. Positive comments were also received about a number of EASy features, particularly the ability to hand-fly the aircraft in steep turns with precise control of speed and altitude.

The first 900EX EASy (s/n 97) took its maiden flight in February 2002, and its first public showing (s/n 120) was on static display at this year's NBAA Convention and Exhibit in Orlando, Florida.

The EASy flight deck represents a monumental leap forward in avionics design. Aside from boasting a host of dispatch and maintenance benefits, Dassault's EASy flight deck creates an environment of heightened situational awareness for the pilots and crew. Laid out in traditional "T" formation, four liquid-crystal display (LCD) screens provide 14.1 bright inches of sharp image resolution to the crew. In addition, the pilots control the displays easily by using a trackball-type Cursor Control Device (CCD).

The 900EX EASy improves on the 900EX in several significant areas:

• Braking System: The Falcon 900EX EASy has a new brake-by-wire system with hydraulic actuators and 2 independent circuits with anti-skid function. For enhanced control and safety the new computer integrates a deceleration control law and automatic airbrake activation. The computers also perform self-diagnostics and transmit this information to the central maintenance computer.
• Fuel System: The Falcon 900EX EASy makes use of the fuel metering system developed for the Falcon 2000EX, which includes a new Fuel Quantity Management computer (FQMC), more precise gauges, and flow rate meters.
• Cabin Pressurization and Emergency Oxygen Distribution: The pressurization system on the Falcon 900EX EASy is fitted with a dedicated and extremely powerful new Cabin Pressure Controller (CPC), for unparalleled cabin comfort. And a new electro-pneumatic unit handles the emergency distribution of oxygen to passengers and eliminates the need for high-pressure oxygen in the cockpit - an extra guarantee of safety.

Ever since the first Falcon 900 took to the skies in 1984, the series has served as the flagship of the Falcon family fleet. In addition to the obvious appeal of flying 4,500 nautical miles nonstop, the Falcon 900EX EASy is versatile enough to combine short hops and long legs on the same mission.

The Falcon 900EX EASy can fly nonstop from Paris to Chicago at long-range cruise, or from Tokyo to San Francisco at .80 Mach (8 pax, NBAA IFR, Boeing 85% winds). It can also cross the Atlantic in either direction at .84 Mach high-speed cruise in three-engine safety.

Over 120 Falcon 900EX trijets have been delivered to corporate operators on every continent since the aircraft was certified in 1996. Combined deliveries of all of the 900 models total more than 330. The family of Falcon jets currently in production includes four tri-jets-the Falcon 50EX, 900C, 900EX EASy, and the new 7X-as well as the twin-engine Falcon 2000 and 2000EX.

FMI: www.dassault-aviation.com, www.falconjet.com, www.dassaultfalcon.com