Gulfstream G650 sets speed record

Gulfstream G650 around the world pilots

Gulfstream G650 snatches around-the-world record for speed.

Gulfstream G650 around the world pilots

A Gulfstream G650 set the record for  fastest westbound, around-the-world flight for a non-supersonic aircraft. The G650 completed the trip in 41 hours and 7 minutes, additionally claiming 22 city pair records. The G650 now has a total of 38 records since setting its first record in January 2011 in which the aircraft flew from Burbank, CA, to Savannah, GA.

The flight began at San Diego – Brown Field Municipal Airport on 1 July 2013, the first leg flying to Guam, the second leg was Guam to Dubai, third leg was Dubai to Cape Verde and the final leg was Cape Verde to San Diego. Five pilots shared crew duties over the four legs of the journey. The cumulative ground time for the three refuelling stops was approximately 1.5 hours.

“This is a momentous occasion for Gulfstream and business aviation,” said Larry Flynn, president, Gulfstream. “This was an awesome display of the G650’s speed and range, two performance capabilities that help make this aircraft the industry standard since entering service in 2012.”

“The aircraft performed flawlessly, which is what we expected,” says pilot-in-command Tom Horne. “It is a tremendous thrill to be a part of a once-in-a-lifetime experience like this.”

The flight crew consisted of Horne, Bud Ball, John McGrath, Ross Oetjen and Eric Parker. Each was on the aircraft for the duration of the flight. The G650 also carried Kris Maynard as the official observer for the National Aviation Academy.

The G650 offers the longest range, fastest speed, largest cabin and the most advanced cockpit in the Gulfstream fleet.  The G650 can travel 7,000 nm (12,964 km) at 0.85 Mach and has a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925.