Gulf stream Aerospace Corporation ,the business jet manufacturer based in Savannah,Georgia,has every reason to be in a celebratory mood as, during the past few weeks, it has marked two major anniversaries of milestones in its history.

The first was the 55th anniversary of the first Gulf stream 1 (G1) flight which, the company claims, was the first twin-engine turbo prop aircraft specifically designed and built for business travel.

The second celebration marked the tenth anniversary of the G550 ultra-long-range corporate jets maiden flight. This aircraft was the company’s flagship until about two years ago when that hon our was taken over by its largest and latest corporate aircraft, the G650.

“The G1 laid the foundation for the state-of-art Gulf stream business jets that we deliver to customers today,” said Larry Flynn, president of Gulf stream.”The G1, which was created by our predecessor, Grumman Aircraft Engineering Co, was ahead of its time in many respects, including performance, comfort, versatility and reliability. More than 50 of these aircraft are still in operation around the world, a testament to the aircraft\’s tremendous reliability.”

The company delivered 200 Gls between 1958 and 1969, when production ceased. The aircraft was used by many US and overseas corporation for business travel, but also saw service with five US government agencies and all branches of the US armed forces.

Several of the first Gulf stream aircraft were later converted into commuter airliners.

Today, more than 20 Gls operate in the US. Several other countries have Gls on their aircraft registry, including Canada, Mexico, Portugal and South Africa.

The largest fleet, with nine aircraft, is operated by Phoenix Air Group Inc, an international aircraft services company based in Carters ville, Georgia.

“Most of the principals at Phoenix Air Group would agree that the G1 platform has been an intricate and essential part of the growth and prosperity of our company,” said Bob Tracey, vice president, Phoenix Air Group. “What I always say to individuals who cant believe these aircraft are 50 years old and still flying, is this: These aircraft were built by people who were assembling fighter aircraft 13 or 15 years earlier. They knew what they were doing and took a lot of pride in it. They built these aircraft to last, and they have.”

The G1s maiden flight took place on August 14, 1958, over Beth page,NY, the site of Grumman headquarters .At the controls were Grumman test pilots Carl Alber and Fred Rowley.

After approximately 800 hours of additional testing, the turbo-prop G1 received US Federal Aviation Agency certification on May 21, 1959, which was followed soon afterwards by the first customer delivery.

TheG1 accommodates 12 passengers and has a maximum speed of 305 knots at 25000 feet. It is powered by twin Rolls -Royce Dart engines and has a range of 2200 miles.

Among its distinguished features are large, oval windows, which have become a Gulf stream trademark, a low-wing platform and a basic fuselage cross section that continued through four decades of Gulf stream jets.

“Today, we have more than 2100 aircraft in service and our in-production fleet-the G650,G550,G450,G280 and G150- comprises the industry’s safest, most reliable and technologically advanced aircraft.”

G550 Anniversary

Gulf stream Aerospace Corporations other celebration was the 10th anniversary of the large-cabin, ultra-long-range G550 receiving its type and production certificates from the Federal Aviation Administration. It was the first time in Gulf stream history that an aircraft received both certifications on the same day.

“The G550, like its predecessor the GV, has been a history-making aircraft,” said Scott Neal.

“It was the first aircraft in Civil Aviation to offer integrated modular avionics through its Plane View flight deck to improve pilot situational awareness. It also was the first to debut synthetic vision, an industry-leading safety enhancement.”

The G550 was also the first to offer Gulf streams trade-marked Plane-Connect, a highly advanced system that automatically transmits reports on the aircraft\’s condition to maintenance experts on the ground, enabling the speedy resolution of any maintenance issues that may arise.

Gulf stream introduced the G550 on October 9, 2000.

The GV, predecessor to the G550, rolled out in September 1995.

The aircraft, capable of flying 6500 nautical miles nonstop and at speeds up to Mach 0,885, established the ultra-long-range market segment.

Its descendant, the G550, is equally impressive, capable of flying 6750 nautical miles at a long-range cruise speed of Mach 0, 80.Together, the aircraft have set more than 60 world records.

With more than 600 GV/G550 aircraft in service, Gulf stream has delivered more ultra-long range business jets than any other manufacturer .One of the reasons for its popularity is that it remains an extremely reliable aircraft, currently operating at an NBAA dispatch reliability rate of 99,9 percent.

Over the past 15 years, the GV family, certified in 55 countries, has completed more than 800000 takeoffs and landings and has flown nearly two-million hours.

The GV fleet leader has flown more than 17400 flight hours and completed more than 7900 landings.

Anthony A Juma is the Editor and Director Commercial and Flights Operations at Wings Over Africa Aviation Limited. This is an Air Charter Company that specializes on Business Aviation News on Business & Corporate VIP Jet Charter Flights. The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/services/vip-executive-flights.html

Anthony A Juma is the Editor and Director Commercial and Flights Operations at Wings Over Africa Aviation Limited. This is an Air Charter Company that specializes on Business Aviation News on Business & Corporate VIP Jet Charter Flights. The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/services/vip-executive-flights.html

Author Bio: Anthony A Juma is the Editor and Director Commercial and Flights Operations at Wings Over Africa Aviation Limited. This is an Air Charter Company that specializes on Business Aviation News on Business & Corporate VIP Jet Charter Flights. The website has guided thousands of travelers to achieve their dream holiday. For more information and guidance, visit the site at http://www.wingsoverafrica-aviation.com/index.php/services/vip-executive-flights.html

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