Gulfstream G550 Business Jet Sets Four City Pair Speed Records In Three Weeks

On Oct. 31, 2006, the G550 took off from Edinburgh Airport in Scotland and flew 4,494 nautical miles east with light tailwinds at an average airspeed of 0.87 Mach. It landed 8 hours and 47 minutes later at China ’s Beijing Capital International Airport . Gulfstream senior international demonstration captains Sean Sheldon served as pilot in command and Paulo Jancitsky served as second in command. Onboard the aircraft were flight attendant Susie Gunn and four passengers.

The same flight crew and passengers boarded the G550 for the return flight on Nov. 2. The plane took off from Beijing and flew 4,407 nautical miles into headwinds as strong as 95-knots. Flying at an average airspeed of Mach 0.85, it landed at Edinburgh Airport 10 hours and 1 minute later. As a result of country-specific airspace restrictions, particularly over Russia , the G550 was flown at lower, less efficient altitudes during a portion of each of the trip’s flights, making the accomplishment of these two world-record flights even more challenging.

A week after establishing the two Beijing-Edinburgh speed records, the G550 set another city-pair speed record after flying 6,216 nautical miles between Beijing and Louisville, Ky., in 13 hours and 27 minutes. On Nov. 10, the G550 took off from Beijing Capital Airport at 1:31 p.m. local time, and flew at an average speed of 0.80 Mach. With an average tailwind of 10 knots and with 3,000 pounds of fuel remaining, it landed at Louisville International Airport at 3:58 p.m. the same day. Piloting the G550 were Gulfstream Flight Operations personnel David E. Smith, senior international demonstration captain; Raymond D. Wellington, senior international demonstration captain; and Wilson A. “Roc” Miles, director of flight operations. Linda Barr, flight attendant, and five passengers were onboard.

The fourth city-pair speed record was established on a transcontinental flight from Guatemala City to Madrid . Piloted by Gulfstream senior international demonstration captains Jaime Bahamon, who served as pilot in command, and Craig Wilkerson, who was second in command, the G550 took off from La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City at 4:27 p.m. local time on Nov. 19. It flew 4,849 nautical miles at an average airspeed of 0.87 Mach, landing 9 hours and 11 minutes later at Torrejon Airport in Madrid at 8:28 a.m. local time. On board were flight attendant Karin O’Kelley and four passengers. Gulfstream has submitted applications to the National Aeronautic Association to confirm each of these new city-pair records.