Milestone Delivery Goes To Customer In Illinois

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. recently delivered the 500th Gulfstream G550. The customer, global health care company Abbott, headquartered in Abbott Park, Illinois, has taken delivery of the aircraft.

“The Gulfstream G550 is one of the most capable and dependable business jets in the skies today,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Gulfstream. “With an average NBAA Dispatch Reliability rate of 99.9 percent, the G550 consistently proves its mettle as a vital business tool, allowing companies to advance their business around the world effectively and efficiently. Given its best-in-class payload and range benefits, the G550 is also a great value for operators, another reason why this aircraft is the market leader in its class.”

"Gulfstream has been a long-standing supplier of our aviation needs," said Steven Hawkins, director of aviation for Abbott. "We congratulate them for attaining this milestone."

The G550 can fly up to 51,000 feet and at speeds up to Mach 0.885. Powered by two Rolls-Royce BR710 engines, the aircraft can carry eight passengers and four crew 6,750 nautical miles. The G550 cabin can be configured with three or four seating areas and can accommodate up to 18 passengers.

The G550 features the PlaneView cockpit along with Gulfstream’s Enhanced Vision System and the optional Synthetic Vision-Primary Flight Display, which enhances safety through improved pilot situational awareness. The G550 flight deck also launched Gulfstream PlaneConnect, an advanced system that automatically transmits reports on the aircraft’s condition to maintenance experts on the ground, facilitating a quick resolution of any possible issues.

Gulfstream says it has continuously invested in the G550, ensuring it meets the latest operational mandates with standard Future Air Navigation System (FANS-1) Controller-Pilot Datalink Communication (CPDLC) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B).

The aircraft was announced on Oct. 9, 2000, and rolled out on Aug. 8, 2001. It received Federal Aviation Administration certification in August 2003 and entered service in September 2003. The G550 received validation from the European Aviation Safety Agency in March 2004.

Also in 2004, the G550 design team was awarded the 2003 Collier Trophy, the most prestigious aviation award in North America, for the technological and safety innovations the G550 brought to the aviation industry.

(Image provided by Gulfstream)

FMI: www.gulfstream.com