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Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced on July 16, 2018, the all-new Gulfstream G500 recently wrapped up its world tour after flying nearly 130,000 nautical miles/240,760 kilometres, stopping at 44 cities and visiting 18 countries on six continents in just seven months.
The tour, which included a stretch of flying to 20 cities in 18 days, demonstrated the G500’s tremendous reliability and maturity while showcasing its exquisite interior and streamlined flight deck to customers around the world.
“Our confidence in this aircraft and its capabilities is reflected in our willingness to take a fully outfitted flight-test aircraft all around the world, so customers can see firsthand its quality, craftsmanship and technological innovation,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream.
“The G500’s ability to function in extreme and varied conditions reinforces our confidence in the product we’ll deliver to customers later this year.”
In addition to completing its world tour, the all-new aircraft also finished the flying requirements for certification.
During its extensive tour, the G500 set 22 city-pair speed records, including flying from West Palm Beach, Fla., to Seville, Spain, in seven hours and four minutes at Mach 0.90 and Geneva to Chicago in eight hours and one minute at the same speed.
As continued proof of its high-speed performance, the aircraft also flew the following record flights:
- Seville to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in five hours and 44 minutes at Mach 0.90;
- Van Nuys, Calif., to Kona, Hawaii, in four hours and 52 minutes at Mach 0.90;
- Englewood, Colo., to White Plains, N.Y., in two hours and 56 minutes at Mach 0.90;
- Toronto to Savannah in one hour and 42 minutes at Mach 0.90;
- Hong Kong to Jebel Ali, UAE, in seven hours and eight minutes at Mach 0.90;
- Jebel Ali to Geneva in six hours and 18 minutes at Mach 0.90;
- Chicago to San Jose, California, in 3 hours and 34 minutes at Mach 0.90;
- Doha, Qatar, to Shannon, Ireland, in seven hours and 35 minutes at Mach 0.90;
- Shannon to Savannah in seven hours and two minutes at Mach 0.90; and
- Moscow to Hong Kong in eight hours and 33 minutes at Mach 0.88.
At Mach 0.90, the G500 has a range of 4,400 nm/8,149 kilometres. At an average speed of Mach 0.85, the aircraft can fly 5,200 nm/9,630 km–200 nm/370 km more than originally projected.
Optimized for comfort and productivity, the G500 features quiet sound levels, high-speed connectivity, abundant natural light and 100 percent fresh air. The aircraft is equipped with the revolutionary Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck, which includes 10 touch screens and the industry’s first active control sidesticks.
The aircraft is pending U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency certification, with entry into service later this year.
