Avion Luxury International Airport Magazine
Freedom flies high
It seems a very long time ago when, on 17th December 1903, the Wright brothers managed to keep their legendary “Flyer” in the air for 12 seconds (and 36 metres). Today, in post-modern times, when technology has invaded everything, and everything is faster, both data and figures are important. According to Flightradar 24, the leading Swedish flight tracker website, the number of aircraft flying at any one moment above our heads exceeds on average 9,728 with 1.2 million people on board. But in the world of business jets the situation is reversed. Exclusivity is the name of the game, allowing businessmen and enthusiastic flyers to enjoy unique experiences. Gulfstream knows this well. The new G500 and G600 aircraft, presented at Orlando Executive Airport, with connected exhibit at the Orange County Convention Center, have redefined safety standards, advanced technology and performance. The digital design tools proposed to visitors, showing full-size floor plans and enabling them to design seats, using material, styling and colour options, and seating arrangements, as well as a flight experience in the pilot’s seat with the Symmetry Flight Deck™, the industry’s first active control sidesticks, and touch-screen avionics interface, showcase some of the unique features of the Gulfstream G600. The slimline design of the wing, cockpit and cabin embellishes this incredible jet, which offers to the 19 passengers on board (but also the solution of 8 passengers and 4 crew members) comfortable elements and unique spaces. It is capable of flying above an altitude of 15,545 metres (51,000 feet), propelled by powerful Pratt & Whitney engines (designed to operate for 10,000 hours) at a long-haul cruising speed of Mach 0.85 in extreme safety thanks to the new EVS on the pilot’s display and a calibrated Intelligence-by-Wire™ system. Flexibility comes as standard: sofas that convert to beds, tables for conferences and shower as an option, in four highly technological areas (internet and fibre optic lighting control) in the longest cabin of its category equipped with 14
panoramic windows. But it is with the Embraer Praetor 500 and Praetor 600 that the notion of the medium-sized Business Jet takes shape, the first of which (the fastest in its category) is capable of flying from the US west coast to Europe - some 3,250 nautical miles (6,019 km), whereas the second can travel 7,223 km (3,900 nautical miles). It also delivers a wealth of technology: from the flight information display panel to the Honeywell Ovation Select device, the Gogo Avance L5 high-speed connectivity platform for all aboard through Viasat’s Ka band with speeds of up to 16 Mbps and IPTV (an industryexclusive), and the advanced Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite (in the Praetor 600) with four LCD displays, graphical flight planning, air traffic control-like situational awareness, predictive wind shear radar capability and synthetic vision system. The ergonomic comfort on board, celebrated by the interior design in the Bosso Nova model (Embraer is Brazilian), which embellishes the spacious area with eight fully reclining club chairs, a rear private lavatory and an in-flight-accessible baggage area, is enriched by a Fly-byWire system, high-definition video system, surround sound, and active turbulence reduction. It also ensures relaxation and low environmental impact, thanks to the two Honeywell HTF 7500E turbofan engines with reduced fuel consumption (on the Praetor 600). Lastly, honouring the memory of Serge Dassault, visionary “heart and soul” of the group, is the new Dassault Falcon 6X - in an advanced stage of design and development - which will be ready for delivery in 2022, Meanwhile,
certification tests on the PW812D engine continue, with relative bench tests. No other commercial aircraft will be of a similar size: height (6 feet 6 inches) and width (8 feet six inches). Planned within the concise programme of “composition” of the aircraft is a profiled wing (on the curved trailing edge) to reduce the turbulence effect, as well as “flaperons”, active high-speed deflection control surfaces that act as both flaps and ailerons, which are integrated into the Digital Flight Control System (DFCS). It also features a new onboard integrated maintenance system for real-time system self-diagnosis: FalconScan, which controls some 100,000 parameters; as well as FalconEye, the first HeadUp Display (HUD) to blend synthetic, database-driven terrain imaging and actual camera images into a single view, providing an unprecedented level of situational awareness to flight crews in challenging weather conditions. The cockpit has more headroom and 30% more window space. The cabin offers space to 12-16 passengers in three separate areas, while options include a large entryway, a crew rest area, and a spacious rear lounge. The cabin also features a skylight in the galley area, but this unique and elegant space will also be incredibly quiet, demonstrating how details on board are of the highest level. High technology is combined with meticulous construction, to produce jets that are as fast as lighting, with attention to detail being the main priority. Because in a sector that has changed substantially over the past few years, it is the details that make the difference. High-class details, naturally. For flying in total freedom.