G550 Flies Between US And Mongolia In Record Time

A Gulfstream G550 recently established two city-pair speed records between the United States and Mongolia.

The business jet flew 3,813 nautical miles from Anchorage, Alaska, to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in 7 hours and 57 minutes at an average cruise speed of 0.85 Mach into headwinds of 14 knots. The G550 then flew 5,868 nautical miles from Ulaanbaatar to San Diego averaging a speed of 0.82 Mach with an average headwind of 5 knots. The flight lasted 12 hours and 34 minutes.

The pilot for the flight from Anchorage was Karen F. Tribbett, demonstration captain, Gulfstream. The copilot was Raymond A. Wellington, senior international captain, Gulfstream. For the flight to San Diego, Wellington was the pilot and Tribbett the copilot. Gulfstream flight attendant Emily Ann Caldwell and eight passengers were onboard both flights.

Because of the Russian air system's structure, the flights were approximately 500 nautical miles longer than the great circle route. In addition, the aircraft flew at a less-than-optimum flight level (FL) of 39,700 feet for the first seven hours of the flight from UIaanbaatar to San Diego.

The G550 has set nearly 40 city-pair records since it entered service in September 2003. The National Aeronautic Association has certified both flights as U.S. records and has forwarded them to the Federation Aeronautique Internationale for approval as world records.

FMI: www.gulfstream.com