10 Things You Didn’t Know about the Gulfstream G500

When it comes to the aerospace industry, there are few names that people are more familiar with than Gulfstream. These business jets seem to show up at practically every airport so it’s no surprise that people are familiar with them, at least to a certain extent. However, you might not know a great deal about a particular aircraft unless you’re a pilot yourself. When it comes to the Gulfstream G500, there are some pretty interesting facts that you might want to know. Whether you love the subject of aviation or you just like to know something new about a subject you weren’t previously familiar with, you can find out more about this unique jet by reading the 10 things listed below.

1. It’s built by Gulfstream

Gulfstream (unlike all aerospace companies) builds their own aircraft.  All large-cabin aircraft are built at Gulfstream’s Savannah, Georgia, headquarters. General Dynamics is Gulfstream’s parent company, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia.

2. As business jets go, it’s one of the newer aircraft on the market

The Gulfstream G500 is one of Gulfstream’s newest aircraft, along with its sister ship, the G600. The G500 received its type certificate on July 20, 2018, from the FAA and will begin customer deliveries later this year. The G500 was announced in October 2014 and has been in Gulfstream’s flight-test program since then. A flight-test program involves a wide range of resting required by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to ensure the airworthiness of the aircraft’s design.

3. There are hundreds of them in service

The Gulfstream G500 is one of Gulfstream’s newest aircraft, along with its sister ship, the G600. The G500 received its type certificate on July 20, 2018, from the FAA and will begin customer deliveries later this year. A Gulfstream business-jet is designed for flexibility – its many purposes include fast, secure travel with the privacy to conduct business in-flight; the ability to fly high above commercial airline traffic and weather to save time; and the freedom for passengers to set their own schedules and avoid airports and commercial airline delays

4. It can cost up to $65 million

There are no variations on the Gulfstream G500. Gulfstream produces five aircraft models to satisfy a wide spectrum of private-jet travel needs. The in-service models are the Gulfstream G280, the Gulfstream G550, the Gulfstream G650 and the Gulfstream G650ER. The in-production models are the Gulfstream G500 and Gulfstream G600. All aircraft have different yet complementary performance capabilities and different price points.

5. Most of the jets flying in the civilian world belong to one company

The Gulfstream G500 is one of Gulfstream’s newest aircraft, along with its sister ship, the G600. The G500 received its type certificate on July 20, 2018, from the FAA and will begin customer deliveries later this year. Business jets are owned and operated by businesses, governments and individuals throughout the world.

6. The jet is popular with the United States military

Gulfstream aircraft have served all five branches of the U.S. military and other government agencies. For more than 50 years, Gulfstream has been producing aircraft for a variety of special missions, including head-of-state transport, airborne early warning, ground surveillance, maritime patrol and aeromedical evacuation. More than 200 Gulfstream aircraft support governments in 40 countries. For more information on the Israeli Air Force use of Gulfstream aircraft, please visit http://www.gulfstream.com/special-missions/recent-programs.

7. It’s even used by foreign militaries

Once the Israeli Air Force saw the aircraft, they also decided to purchase a fairly large number of them. Today, they have been using them for several years and by all accounts, seem to be very pleased with the way the jets perform.

8. It features a rather luxurious cabin

Some business jets have luxury down to a fine art and others are much more plain. This particular example is nothing overly fancy, but it’s nothing to sneeze at, either. In fact, many people might consider the cabin to be somewhat luxurious. It certainly provides far more space than most people would probably ever guess just by looking at the aircraft itself.

9. The cockpit is state-of-the-art

The Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck^TM on the G500 is the most advanced flight deck in business aviation and features active control sidesticks, integrated touchscreen controllers and next-generation enhanced vision system.

10. Some variations can even refuel in midair

One of the more interesting things about the jet is that the Israeli Air Force outfitted it so they could be refueled in midair. This gives it the capability to fly exceptionally long distances without having to land in order to refuel. It’s also something that most business jets definitely cannot do. For more information on the Israeli Air Force use of Gulfstream aircraft, please visit http://www.gulfstream.com/special-missions/recent-programs.