Plane Conversations

Gulfstream General Dynamics recently rolled out the new G650 and will begin test flights for certification before the year’s end.

This aircraft is an all-new design (clean sheet) that employs the best technologies Gulfstream and this country have to offer in creating a new generation global jet.

With all the negative press and bad political rancor about the use of big corporate jets, it would be easy to dismiss the G650 roll-out as the production of just another aircraft to meet the needs of the few business and superstar elites who have the money to buy it.

However, the introduction of this aircraft is so much more than that.  It deserves a standing ovation from the press and from the American public.   For starters, in a time when manufacturing jobs are being shipped overseas, this aircraft will be produced in Savannah, GA. I don’t have the exact number of anticipated future orders or the locations of the G650 customers, but given orders on previous models, it is safe to say that international companies and individuals will place at least 50-60% of the orders.  This translates into trade deficit reducing exports and economy supporting jobs for the US.

The performance and mission capabilities of the G650 will be unsurpassed by any other aircraft.  It will have a non-stop range of 7000 nautical miles and cruise at speeds .92 mach( 92% of the speed of sound) in high-speed cruise.  No other business jet in production can match this performance.  The cockpit will employ the latest generation technologies to make the aircraft safer and more efficient.

Since Gulfstream has a reputation as the premier manufacturer of long-range corporate jets with fantastic reliability and worldwide support, multinational companies and governments worldwide will use the G650 in civilian and military service.

Globalization is here whether we like it or not. Governments and multinational companies alike need to reach the rest of the world quickly. Some of our country’s greatest companies are now operating all over the world and need to reach their markets, suppliers and manufacturing facilities to make their businesses more efficient. It is a fact that travel is a necessity and not a luxury for businesses and governments.  The G650 will be the next generation aircraft to make worldwide travel happen.

Those of us who have  grown up in this business have all admired Gulfstream since the GI first flew in 1958.  I applaud the group of people at Gulfstream who have taken the G650 from the drafting table to the tarmac.  These people represent our country’s best in corporate leadership,  innovation, engineering and manufacturing.  Designing a new aircraft from scratch and taking it to production is not for the faint of heart.  The process takes years of work and, in some cases, billions of dollars.  Those who make the decision to design and build a new aircraft have to look years into the future to understand demand and long-range return on investment. The designers of the G650 had a clear and exciting vision that is resulting in the aircraft that is clearly the new top of its class in corporate aviation. The other guys will now have to play catch up!