When it was unveiled in 1995, the Gulfstream V was the talk of the private jet world. Not only was it one of the largest business jets ever built at the time, but it was so large that it was in a class of business jets all on its own: Ultra-long-range jets.
As Gulfstream’s flagship jet, the Gulfstream V soon proved quite popular, being built 193 times.
Whilst it was built less than Gulfstream’s previous jets, the Gulfstream V was a record-setter in other ways – being the first Gulfstream jet to incorporate many technologies we now take for granted on all business jets, regardless of class.
Pre-Gulfstream V
In 1966, Grumman Gulfstream, the private jet manufacturing division of Grumman Aerospace, revealed their G-II design. First flying on October 2 that year, the G-II entered service the following year.
As one of the first business jets, the G-II sold extremely well and convinced Gulfstream to develop a larger variant of the G-II known as the GIII, which was introduced in 190 and similarly proved to be quite successful.
The success of the GIII led to the GIV, which was introduced in 1987. Much like its predecessors, the GIV similarly proved to be quite popular – so much so that it is Gulfstream’s most popular jet to date!
Yet, the GIV’s success didn’t go unnoticed, with Bombardier developing the Global Express from their popular Challenger 600 line to challenge, and ultimately outdo, the GIV.
Revealing it to the world, Bombardier focused heavily on comparing the Global Express with the GIV, noting its larger size, inflight smoothness, lower operating costs, increased range and speed, which attracted many buyers.
In the ensuing weeks, months and years, Bombardier received literally hundreds of orders for the Global Express at the Gulfstream IV’s expense. Unwilling to be beaten, Gulfstream began development of a new jet…
Development
Officially marketed as the Gulfstream V, Gulfstream’s internal designation for this new jet was the Model GV, with development beginning only a few months after the Global Express was unveiled to the world.
Realizing that customers wanted a larger jet, and following what they’d been doing since developing the G-II into the GIII, Gulfstream engineers lengthened the fuselage by seven feet (213 cm), five feet forward of the cabin, and two feet aft of the wing.
Not only did this allow the GV to have a larger cabin, but also gave it a larger internal fuel tank, which helped to increase the GV’s range. Interestingly, this also marked the time Gulfstream had built an ultra-long-range, a new class of business jet started by the Global Express.
To make the jet more fuel-efficient, Gulfstream engineers completely redesigned the jet’s wing, increasing the wingspan by 18 ft 11 in (5.7 meters), which helps to increase lift and thus decreases fuel consumption per mile.
Beyond increasing lift, this larger wing also increased the GV’s service ceiling, from 45,000 ft to 51,000 ft, where the air is thinner, thus lowering fuel consumption per mile too.
Aiding this, Gulfstream engineers replaced the Rolls-Royce Tay engines present on the Gulfstream IV with newer and more fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce BR700 engines.
Aside from being more fuel-efficient, they’re also more powerful, hence the GV’s increased range and speed. For increased control, the horizontal tail area was increased by 30%, allowing for a smoother flight.
Several all-new features were also added to the GV, such as a Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC) system, an all-new interior and a reinforced landing gear and fuselage, which increased the GV’s maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) considerably.
Operational History
From there, Gulfstream built a prototype which first flew on November 28 1995. From there, the Gulfstream V went under rigorous flight testing before being certified in June 1997.
The first jet was delivered that same month and went on to have a rather interesting service life…
Business Jet
Primarily designed to be a business jet for the world’s largest corporations, the GV soon entered service with several major world corporations as their primary corporate jet.
Here, it is mostly used to transport the company’s C-Suite executives (CEO, COO, CFO etc.) whilst on official business, such as attending trade conferences or traveling for business deals.
Primarily, this is on longer haul routes, or those that involve transporting several high-ranking company employees (or indeed, the owner/owners) but can also be on short-haul route where traveling quickly or in style is the number one concern.
Whilst not always, many larger corporations have paired the GV with a smaller aircraft like a prop-powered Piper PA-31 or a jet-powered Sabreliner 40/60/80 or Learjet 31 for these shorter-haul routes, as they’re often cheaper than the GV.
Among those companies who currently or previously operated the Gulfstream V are: H. J. Heinz Company, Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Hilton Worldwide, Hewlett-Packard, Caesars Entertainment, Franklin Templeton and Cox Enterprises.
Sadly, due to the GV’s age, many of the multibillion dollar corporations that acquired the GV brand new are beginning to retire it in favor of newer Gulfstream jets like the G550, G600 and G700. In turn, smaller (but still quite large) companies are buying the jet second-hand.
Private Jet
Though expressly a corporate jet designed for corporate use, the luxury and opulence of the Gulfstream V has attracted several private buyers as well as corporate ones.
Primarily acquired by celebrities, the GV serves two functions.
First, it serves as an extension of their brand. When they acquire the GV, it is often a multimillion dollar deal reported by newspapers the world over, thus increasing their global recognition. This is also true when they’re flown to exotic locations for tours or vacations.
Secondly, it’s also more practical than traveling commercially. Rather than having to schedule months in advance, celebrity operators can be rather spontaneous, booking flights a days/hours in advance, all without causing a scene at either airport.
Aside from celebrities, the Gulfstream V has also been acquired by several high net worth individuals, mostly for the practicality aspect of owning a private jet, and the opulence of the GV itself.
Sadly, recent years have seen public perception of private jets, become increasingly more negative due to their environmental impacts, with members of the press running several scathing articles on private jets and often, the people who fly them.
Beyond that, many of the people who fly the Gulfstream V are highly visible, and often want to avoid the paparazzi and over zealous fans at airports, so often hide their ownership of the jet through a shell company or bank trust.
Despite this, we do know of a few high-profile private individuals who operate the Gulfstream GV.
These include Lionel Messi, Rickie Fowler, Jim Carrey, Nicki Minaj and Mark Cuban (who was given a world record when he purchased his over the internet for $40 million in October 1999).
After rejoining Apple in 1997, Steve Jobs was made the interim CEO, replacing John Sculley. In 2000, Jobs officially became CEO of Apple once again and was given a Gulfstream V as a part of his compensation, for both personal and Apple-related trips.
Charter
Proving popular as both a business and private jet, many charter companies began to place orders for the Gulfstream V with the intention of chartering it out to make a profit.
Receiving their orders in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, these charter companies immediately began marketing it as the jet to fly in if you’re looking to fly in style, or where an overt display of wealth is necessary.
Since the introduction of subsequent Gulfstream jets, such as the G550, G600 and G650, which are all more luxurious than the Gulfstream V, these charter companies have changed the way they market the GV.
Now, the GV is marketed as the best of both worlds. It has the ruggedness and the history of an older Gulfstream like the GIII or GIV, whilst also remaining just as comfortable as the jets that replaced it.
Although its depends on a variety of factors (time of year, route, charter company etc.) it costs anywhere from $7,000 to $10,000 per hour to charter the GV.
Whilst not a charter company per se, Warren Buffett’s NetJets acquired several GVs for fractional ownership, although the company has since sold these aircraft to create space for more modern jets.
Military
Yet it wasn’t just charter companies who noticed this. So did many military and government operators, who soon became interested in operating their own Gulfstream Vs as VIP and/or VVIP aircraft.
Among those military and government operators who’ve acquired the GV are the Hellenic Air Force, the State of Kuwait and the Algerian Air Force, who all use the jet to transport military higher-ups (and the royal family in Kuwait’s case).
The Government of Saudi Arabia have acquired two GVs for use as medevac aircraft through the state-sponsored Saudi Aeromedical Evacuation Services, which serves acts as a medical airliner connecting the country’s major cities (as helicopters often can’t).
Known as the C-37A in US military service, the jet is one of only aircraft used by all five major branches of the US military (the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) who all use the C-37A as a command/executive transport.
A variant of the GV-derived G550 has also been used by the Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard, where it is known as the C-37B.
Much like the C-37A, the C-37B is a command/executive transport, with the USAF’s C-37B often subbing in for the VC-25 as Air Force One, particularly on short-haul trips. It has also been known to sub in for the C-32 as Air Force Two as well!
The only other country/military branch to use the C-37A designation for the Gulfstream V is the Japanese Coast Guard, who acquired the jet in 2005. Here, it is used as both a VIP transport and as a search and rescue aircraft alongside the Falcon 900, depending on needs.
Similarly, the FAA and the US Justice Department (through the FBI) operate one Gulfstream V each.
Research & Scientific
In 2006, the National Science Foundation (NSF) acquired a sole Gulfstream V, which they modified to perform atmospheric research. Although owned by the NSF, the GV is operated by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR).
Here, the NCAR primarily use the GV to survey remote ocean regions, and their relationship with the atmosphere. The other main mission the NCAR perform is collecting data at the top of storms and the lower edge of the stratosphere.
Intriguingly, the NCAR GV is one of only a few aircraft ever built that can fly high enough to perform these tasks.
Perhaps the other major scientific operator of the Gulfstream V is the Federal Emergency Management Agency, better known as FEMA, who operate a sole example of the jet for a mixture of research and VIP transportation purposes.
Assuming there isn’t a major environmental disaster going on, the GV is used by the agency to collect air samples and predict future disasters with the intention of preventing them before they happen, or at least, lessen their destruction.
If there is a disaster, the GV is used to fly in disaster response teams without having to worry about their commercial flights being cancelled or delayed.
Similarly, NASA acquired a used GV in 2016 to primarily act as the agency’s VIP aircraft, being used to transport NASA astronauts from their landing site in Kazakhstan to the US after living on the International Space Station (ISS).
When it’s not performing these flights, the GV is based out of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston Texas, where NASA use it to conduct research flights previously carried out by its now-retired GIII fleet.
Price
When the Gulfstream V first came out in 1998, it had a price tag of $36 million, making it the most expensive jet Gulfstream had at the time. By the time production of the GV had ceased in 2002, this price tag had risen to $46 million.
Regardless, since Gulfstream ceased production of the GV, the only way to acquire one would be on the secondary market. Surprisingly, there are quite a few currently on the market.
On the “cheap” end (remember, everything’s relative), a GV from the late 1990’s retails for between $8 and $10 million depending on age, number of hours on the fuselage and the condition the interior/exterior is in.
For an average aged jet from the year 2000, with an average number of hours that is in average condition for its age, you’d be looking at spending around $10 million to acquire one.
On the more expensive side, a newer GV from the early-to-mid2000’s with a low number of hours can cost anywhere from $11.5 to $13 million depending on year and the time on the fuselage.
What’s even more surprising is that there are a couple of “fixers” for sale. That is, ageing GVs that are in dire need of new engines (usually because the sale doesn’t include engines, or the engines are faulty) and a brand new interior.
These retail for between $5.5 and $6.75 million depending on their age and the amount of work that needs to be done to them.
In terms of cost to operate, the Gulfstream V is similarly quite expensive to operate, costing roughly $4,947 per hour to operate. And that’s assuming you fly it for 450 hours per year!
Features
Despite being one of the oldest jets in its class, the Gulfstream V still remains as one of the largest jets in its class. Whilst shorter in length and wingspan than many of its competitors, the GV sits higher off the ground.
Interestingly, advances by Gulfstream have allowed the GV to have a much longer cabin, despite having a shorter fuselage, all whilst carrying roughly the same amount of fuel. This actually gives the GV a larger cabin volume than most of its competition.
However, the GV doesn’t sacrifice baggage space for cabin volume, with the GV still having the largest baggage hold of any purpose-built private jet on the market, with only bizliners such as the Boeing BBJ and Airbus ACJ lines having bigger holds.
In terms of speed, the GV is among the fastest in its class. Though several of the jets in its class have the GV beat in terms of speed, the Gulfstream V is considerably faster than the average jet in its class.
Unlike most other jets, who sacrifice speed for range, or vice-versa, Gulfstream have done neither.
Indeed, beyond being one of the fastest jets in its class, it also has one of the longest ranges in its class, with it only being beaten by newer Gulfstream and Bombardier jets.
With all that being said, the GV has traded a longer range and a faster cruise speed for a longer balance field, requiring a considerably longer runway to both take off from, and land on.
Specifications
| Specification | Gulfstream V |
|---|---|
| Length | 96 ft 5 in (29.4 m) |
| Wingspan | 93 ft 5 in (28.48 m) |
| Height | 26 ft 10 in (8.18 m) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 15 – 19 (depending on configuration) |
| Cruise Speed | Mach 0.83 (882 km/h; 548 mph; 476 kn) |
| Range | 12,000 km ( 7,500 mi; 6,500 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 51,000 ft (16,000 m) |
| MTOW | 90,500 lb (41,050 kg) |
How Safe is The Gulfstream V?
Whilst the safety records of commercial aircraft are widely reported, and indeed widely known (you just need to know where to look!) the safety records of private jets like the Gulfstream V aren’t as widely reported.
And this understandable. Of the millions of flights that happen each year, only a tiny percentage of them are private jet flights. Then there’s also the sad fact that only an incredibly small amount of people in the world will ever fly on a private jet in their life.
Yet, for those planning to fly on the Gulfstream V, you’re probably curious how safe, or indeed, how dangerous it is…
Thankfully, the Gulfstream V is among the safest private jets in the world. Since its introduction in 1997, the GV has only had three aviation-related incidents (including two hull-loss incidents) resulting in only one casualty.
This fatality came in the GV’s most recent crash (to date). On Saturday 22 September 22 2012, a catering truck accidentally drove into a parked NetJets GV, with the GV’s wing slicing into the cab, killing the 60 year-old driver instantly.
As for the other two incidents, they were caused by poor maintenance on the operator’s part, in one case not tightening screws enough and the other, not removing sticks from the landing gear weight-on-wheel switches.
A word of warning however: Just because the Gulfstream V is considered safe, doesn’t mean you are 100% guaranteed not to crash. Just as if you were to fly on a commercial flight, there’s always a chance that your GV will crash.
However, as long as you pick a reputable operator (or keep your jet well maintained), you should be fine!
What’s it Like to Fly on The Gulfstream V?
Over the course of writing this article, I have had the good fortune of flying on the Gulfstream V on several occasions, both newer examples and older ones, meaning I have a fairly good idea of what it’s like to fly on the jet.
For comparison, I’ve also flown on its main competitor – the Bombardier Global Express – a few times too, as well as its predecessor – the Gulfstream IV – several times as well.
Stepping onto the jet, one of the first things I noticed was just how modern it is. Whilst I love the GIV, even I have to admit that its technology is somewhat antiquated, the GV on the other hand, is still quite modern, even despite being over 20 years old.
Obviously, it does depend on whether the aircraft’s interior has been updated or not, the cabin displays and in-flight entertainment screens are still quite modern.
Don’t get me wrong – the ones on something like the G650 are definitely better, but compared to the ones of the similarly aged Global Express, they’re way better!
A common feature of old jets (eg. pre-2000 jets) is that their cabins are really loud. Yet, for a jet that entered service in 1997, the GV’s cabin noise in comparable to many modern private jets, including many Gulfstream and Bombardier models.
The only major problem I had with the Gulfstream V was that when compared to the Global Express, the flight was quite rocky, especially in turbulence (although not many aircraft of the era handle turbulence well).
Whilst not unbearable by any means, it’s noticeably shakier in flight than the Global Express.
What do you think of the Gulfstream V? Have you ever flown on it? Tell me in the comments!