Gulfstream G500 completes high-speed round the world tour

The new Gulfstream G500 has wrapped up its world tour after flying nearly 130,000 nautical miles. 

The aircraft has flown 240,760 kilometres, stopped at 44 cities and visited 18 countries on six continents – in just seven months. The tour, which included a stretch of flying to 20 cities in 18 days, demonstrated the G500’s reliability and maturity while showcasing its interior and flight deck to customers around the world.

G500 ready for delivery in late 2018

Mark Burns, President of Gulfstream Aerospace Corp said: “Our confidence in this aircraft and its capabilities is reflected in our willingness to take a fully outfitted flight-test aircraft all around the world, so customers can see firsthand its quality, craftsmanship and technological innovation.”

He added: “The G500’s ability to function in extreme and varied conditions reinforces our confidence in the product we’ll deliver to customers later this year.”

In addition to completing its world tour, the all-new aircraft has also finished the flying requirements for certification.

City-pair and speed records

During its extensive tour, the G500 set 22 city-pair speed records, including flying from West Palm Beach, Florida, to Seville, Spain, in 7 hours and 4 minutes at Mach 0.90 and Geneva to Chicago in 8 hours and 1 minute at the same speed.

The aircraft also flew 10 record flights including:

• Seville to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in 5 hours and 44 minutes at Mach 0.90
• Van Nuys, California, to Kona, Hawaii, in 4 hours and 52 minutes at Mach 0.90
• Englewood, Colorado, to White Plains, New York, in 2 hours and 56 minutes at Mach 0.90
• Toronto to Savannah in 1 hour and 42 minutes at Mach 0.90
  

The G500 is pending US Federal Aviation Administration and European Aviation Safety Agency certification, with entry into service later this year.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter