Going the Distance

Gulfstreams are glorious machines, poetic syncretisms of brains and brawn that widen the eyes of those who gaze upon them and quicken the hearts of those lucky enough to fly them. From the riotous GIIs and GIIIs of yore to the stately G500, 600, and 700 series aircraft of today, no airframer embodies the concept of ne plus ultra quite so eloquently as Gulfstream.

On 26 September 2022, only ten years after the model’s 2012 type certification, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced that it had delivered the five-hundredth G650-family business jet. The aircraft was commended to the care of an undisclosed customer at Gulfstream’s Appleton, Wisconsin completions facility.

Gulfstream president Mark Burns remarked: “With an incredible five-hundred delivered, persistent demand and a host of industry accolades, the G650 and G650ER are undeniably iconic. This milestone delivery is a strong testament to the tremendous work of our dedicated Gulfstream team. As with all aircraft programs, we continue to invest in the G650 and G650ER to ensure continuous improvement throughout the growing fleet for our customers.”

The G650 family of aircraft has amassed more than 120 city-pair world speed records, including both polar and westbound global circumnavigation records. Such are the type’s innovations in performance, safety, and efficiency that the G650 program earned Gulfstream 2014’s prestigious Robert J. Collier Trophy—an award recognizing the greatest achievements in American aeronautics or astronautics, and the brass ring to which all U.S. aircraft builders aspire.

Seating up to 19 passengers, the G650 and G650ER feature bright, flexible and award-winning interiors appointed with amenities the likes of one-hundred-percent fresh air, low cabin altitudes, and Gulfstream’s splendid panoramic windows. The G650 family’s get-up-and-go comes courtesy of twin Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, each of which serves up power enough to climb out La Paz (LBP) on a hot day without benefit of its counterpart.

The G650 is capable of flying up to seven-thousand-nautical-miles at Mach 0.85, and six-thousand-nautical-miles at its high-speed cruise of Mach 0.90. The G650ER can fly up to 7,500-nautical-miles at Mach 0.85 and 6,400-nautical-miles at Mach 0.90. Both models can attain a maximum speed of Mach 0.925 and a service ceiling of FL510. What’s more, both the G650 and the G650ER have earned FAA and EASA certification for steep approach and landing operations—a boon to operators bound for destinations such as London City Airport (LCY) or Aspen (ASE).

FMI: www.gulfstream.com