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GULFSTREAM ULTRA-LONG-RANGE G550 AND G500 IN-SERVICE FLEET SURPASSES 100,000 FLIGHT HOURS
G550 and G500 Operators Also Top 40,000 Takeoffs and Landings
SAVANNAH, Ga., Jan. 30, 2007 – The ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550 and G500 business-jet fleet has surpassed 100,000 flight hours and 40,000 takeoffs and landings in the 39 months since the first G550 entered service on Sept. 29, 2003 . Today, a total of 116 G550/G500 business jets are in service around the world, including the fleet leader operated by G5 Executive AG in Zurich , Switzerland , with a total of more than 4,000 flight hours.
The G550 and G500 are technological leaps from their predecessor, the GV. Introduced with the G550 in September 2003, the PlaneView ® cockpit features modular avionics units by Honeywell, four large liquid crystal displays and two signature Cursor Control Devices – one for the pilot and one for the copilot.
Unique to Gulfstream business jets, Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS) is included as standard equipment on the G550 and as optional equipment on the G500. In 2001, the Gulfstream EVS was the first of its kind to be certified by the Federal Aviation Administration. It has until recently remained the only pilot vision-enhancing system certified and operational on business-jet aircraft. Today, it continues to set a new standard for safety and situational awareness in low-visibility conditions.
Both the G550 and G500 offer customers outstanding safety, performance, reliability and comfort. With different price and performance points, the G550 can fly nonstop 6,750 nautical miles, while the G500 can fly up to 5,800 nautical miles before refueling.
Also, because both aircraft – as well as their sister ships, the G450 and G350 – feature many of the same aircraft systems and components, they all have the same pilot type ratings. As a result, owners of aircraft fleets with multiple Gulfstream business jets appreciate significant cost savings in terms of pilot and maintenance training and spare parts inventories.
The in-service G550/G500 fleet has a 12-month dispatch reliability rate of 99.73 percent. In addition, the G550 has established more than 30 city-pair speed records. Most notable is a 7,301-nautical-mile nonstop flight from Seoul, South Korea , to Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 3, 2003, which lasted 14.5 hours.
For 2003, the G550/G500 Development Team was honored by the National Aeronautic Association for its technological break-though in aviation with the Robert J. Collier Trophy, the most prestigious aviation award in the United States.
NOTE TO EDITORS
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world’s most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced some 1,600 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150 ®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200 ®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350 ®; the large-cabin, long-range G450 ®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500 ® and the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550 ®. Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Financial Services Division and Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales ®. The company employs more than 7,900 people at seven major locations. We invite you to visit our Web site for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church , Virginia , employs approximately 81,100 people worldwide and expects 2006 revenues of approximately $24 billion. The company is a market leader in mission-critical information systems and technologies; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and business aviation. More information about the company is available online at www.generaldynamics.com.
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Document last modified Tuesday, 30-Jan-2007 10:35:40 EST |