Art of the Slam Dunk

Gulfstream Aerospace—the Savannah, Georgia-based manufacturer of iconic business aircraft beloved of the world’s elite—has announced that it's G650 and G650ER aircraft have received European Union Aviation Safety Administration (EASA) certification to perform steep approach landing operations. The new credentials enable European operators of the ultra-long-range aircraft to access even more airports throughout the world.

Gulfstream president Mark Burns said of the EASA’s benison: “We are pleased to be able to increase flexibility for our G650 and G650ER European operators by giving them access to such airports as London City near the city’s financial district and even more remote airfields throughout Europe. The G650 family’s high-speed performance advantage paired with this new certification will expand opportunities for our customers with more options for remote destinations.”

Instrument pilots know, presumably, that the majority of instrument approaches—and visual approaches for that matter—are flown at glideslope angles of 3°. Angles up to 3.5° are considered routine and within the capability of certified airplanes. Approach angles greater than 3.5° but less than 4.5° are unlikely to prove difficult during normal aircraft operations and, accordingly, necessitate no specific certification requirements. Approach angles of 4.5° or greater, however, are defined as steep approaches, and aircraft operators intent on flying such are regulatorily obligated to obtain governing agency (FAA, EASA, etc.) certification prior to doing so.

The G650 family gained Federal Aviation Administration steep approach landing certification in 2019 after successful operations at airports like London City and Lugano. The aircraft demonstrated the capability to perform a 5.5-degree approach and land safely on London City’s short—4,327-foot—runway. The new EASA certification authorizes G650 family aircraft to undertake approaches as steep as six degrees (6°).

At present, more than 480 G650 and G650ER aircraft grace the world’s skies. Between them, the elegant, capable, long-legged jets have set more than 120 city-pair speed records.

FMI: www.gulfstream.com