Taking the Grand Tour at Gulfstream Aerospace

Longtime manufacturer Gulfstream builds airplanes synonymous with quality and prestige.

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 at 09:31 AM ET

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FLYING contributor Dick Karl (lower left) poses with some of the folks at Gulfstream Aerospace during a tour of its Savannah, Georgia, facility. [Courtesy: Dick Karl]

Key Takeaways:

The article recounts a private VIP tour of Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, highlighting the company's deep passion for aviation among its staff and its historical evolution since the 1950s.
Gulfstream demonstrates a meticulous commitment to R&D and testing, exemplified by 50,000 hours of G700 cockpit testing and simulated long-haul cabin evaluations to perfect pilot integration, safety, and passenger comfort.
The manufacturing process for Gulfstream jets emphasizes exceptional quality and advanced engineering, resulting in incredibly quiet, spacious, and high-performance aircraft with unique design features for impressive range and takeoff/landing capabilities.

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One of the unanticipated benefits of getting diagnosed with leukemia is the amazing generosity of your friends. JetVx president Mike Shafer, who has brokered my airplanes over the past 20 years, had a surprise for a group of us airplane nuts.

If a car geek were to visit the Rolls-Royce factory, they might feel as we did while getting a private tour of Gulfstream Aerospace in Savannah, Georgia. We were met at the front door by Shafer’s friend, Jay Neely, vice president of law and public affairs at Gulfstream’s huge campus right on KSAV. It was a federal holiday, so we had the place to ourselves. Neely said he didn’t mind coming in on a day off because he loves showing off the place to fellow airplane lovers.