Company Advertises Short-Field Capability On City-Pair Record Run

Gulfstream Aerospace announced its latest record-making attempt between standing city-pairs, this time a speedy journey by its G500 and G600 aircraft flying between Switzerland's Sion and Lugano Airport, as well as the UK's London City airport. The entry into London City is a hallmark demonstration of low-speed handling and short-field capability with its notoriously steep approach. 

Following next year's anticipated FAA and EASA steep-approach certification, the aircraft duo will gain access to a number of challenging airports worldwide, opening up a considerable array of smaller locations not otherwise available to jets capable of competing with the Gulfstream's range. London City requires the certification for landing, both due to the exceedingly demanding approach path and its stringent noise abatement requirements. Smaller Swiss airports, like Lugano, feature short runways ensconsed within steep, mountainous valleys. 

The post-approach demonstration saw the G500 fly 3,077 nm from London City to Teterboro Airport in New York in only 6 hours and 46 minutes, beating its previous mark by 12 minutes. The G600 also beat its previous London to Seattle, Washington record, completing a 4,235 nm jaunt in 8 hours and 39 minutes. Gulfstream has something to brag about, having seen its two jets grab more than 60 city-pair speed records combined (although they seem to be alone in their passion for collecting them). The flights are awaiting approval by the U.S. National Aeronautic Association, and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale in Switzerland for recognition as world records. 

“The takeoff and landing performance we demonstrated in Europe was key in the process of securing customers’ access to even more locations worldwide, saving them even more valuable hours per year,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream. “Our customers already benefit from Gulfstream’s high-speed performance advantage when flying, and the investment we’ve made in flight testing and continuous improvement delivers even more value with increased flexibility.”

FMI: www.gulfstream.com