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July 16, 2010 — A
large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G450 business jet recently
established a city-pair speed record between Tokyo and Hong Kong. The
G450 took off from Tokyo’s Narita International
Airport at 10:50 a.m.
local time on June 7, 2010.
It flew 1,694 nautical miles at an average cruise speed of Mach 0.85,
landing 3 hours and 58 minutes later at 1:48 p.m. local time at Hong Kong International
Airport.
According to the
crew, the first 300 miles of the flight were flown at reduced speed
because of turbulence caused by headwinds of more than 100 knots.
Piloting the G450
were Sean Sheldon, senior international captain, and Jaime Bahamon,
international captain. Also
onboard were flight attendant Joanne Dye and seven passengers.
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The National
Aeronautic Association (NAA) confirmed the flight as a
U.S. record and forwarded the figures to the
Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) in Switzerland
for approval as a world record.
Powered by two
Rolls-Royce Tay Mk 611-8C engines, the G450 can fly 4,350 nautical
miles, from Beijing to New Delhi or
Moscow
nonstop at speeds of up to Mach 0.88.
The aircraft features PlaneView, the most advanced flight deck in
its class, and the Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS) as standard
equipment.
“The G450 is
typically outfitted for 12 passengers, but it can seat as many as 16,”
said Roger Sperry, sales division vice president for
South America and the Far East (SAFE).
“The aircraft provides a comfortable cabin that serves equally
well as an airborne office for business travelers or a private retreat
for leisure travelers.”
The G450
established its first speed record 10 days after it entered service on
May 7, 2005, flying 3,550 nautical miles, Chicago to London
in 7:19 at an average speed of Mach 0.85.
It also set a city-pair record later in 2005, going from Washington, D.C., to Luton,
England, 3,290 nautical miles in 6:12
at an average speed of Mach 0.85. In 2006, it established a
city-pair record, traveling from Denver
to Honolulu, 2,944 nautical miles in 7:07.
Its other speed record came in 2009, when it flew from Oranjestad,
Aruba, to Barcelona,
Spain 4,374
miles in 8:56 at Mach 0.80.
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