In a pre-NBAA event, Gulfstream gave journalists a sneak peek at its remarkable G650 flagship, currently undergoing certification flight testing. Serial number 4 was on private display at Peachtree DeKalb Airport. The airplane was as spectacular as the hype suggests. On the outside, while clearly a Gulfstream, the 650 is much longer, with much larger windows and a low, water smoothed look that sets it apart from others in the lineup.
The looks are a small part of the appeal. The airplane recently flew a 5,000 nm course at Mach .90, the first time, said Gulfstream, that a jet has flown that far that fast. The cabin, which was shown off for the first time, befits the $65 million jet. Large, clean, quiet and highly wired, the interior sports a first — to our knowledge anyway — powered seats. The jet, which weighs, Gulfstream says, 99,999 pounds, can take off from a runway less than 4,000 feet in length and fly coast-to-coast in the United States. It’s a stroll for the airplane, which has a maximum range of 7,000 miles at Mach .85.
