Over the last 60 years, Gulfstream have produced some rather popular aircraft. Their first aircraft of the 21st century, the Gulfstream G550 has proven not only the most popular Gulfstream jet of the new millennium, but the most popular business jet exclusively of the 21st Century!
Produced continually between 2003 and 2021, Gulfstream have built well over 600 G550s. The only exclusively 21st century jet to come close is the Embraer Phenom 300 (built 2009 onwards) currently hovering at the 600 mark.
Pre-Gulfstream G550
In 1966, the private jet division of Grumman Aerospace (later known as “Gulfstream”) released the Grumman Gulfstream G-II, a jet-powered corporate transport designed to replace the company’s ageing prop-powered G-I.
Having its first flight on October 2 1966, the G-II entered service the following year and soon became a popular alternative to jets like the Lockheed JetStar, BAe 125 and Dassault Falcon 20 then already on the market.
Yet, the G-II’s success didn’t go unnoticed and new jets were unveiled to outcompete the G-II. In turn, this prompted Gulfstream to develop the GIII, a larger derivative of the G-II with a longer range, in the late 1970’s.
Entered into service in 1979, the Gulfstream III was similarly popular (even if slightly less so than its predecessor) and became incredibly popular with both military and civil operators – forging ties between Gulfstream and dozens of militaries that continue to this day!
Just as with the G-II’s success, the GIII’s wouldn’t last long. Not long after, Gulfstream’s competitors introduced new jets to once again outcompete the GIII, prompting Gulfstream to release the Gulfstream IV, better known as simply the GIV.
Produced from 1985 until 2018, the heavily upgraded GIV soon took over the GIII’s production line and became Gulfstream’s bestselling model to date, at over 900 units built.
Once again, the GIV’s success did not go unnoticed, with Bombardier developing the larger Global Express to beat the GIV. This in turn prompted Gulfstream to develop the Gulfstream V – the world’s first ultra-long range business jet.
Not wanting to be outdone, Bombardier released a new variant of the Global Express known as the Global 5000. Though it carried fewer passengers, the amenities and economics of the Global 5000 were far better than the GV’s.
Development
Worried that the lower operating costs and better amenities of the Global 5000 may convince prospective Gulfstream V customers to go with the smaller Global 5000, Gulfstream started developing a newer derivative of the GV that would knock the Global 5000 out of the park.
Given the internal designation of the GV-SP (following the trend set by GIV-SP variant of the Gulfstream IV), Gulfstream marketed the jet as the Gulfstream G550, thus setting off its now-famous “GXXX” line of jets.
Realizing that a larger aircraft wasn’t going to attract more customers as it had done previously, Gulfstream engineers instead focused on reducing the Gulfstream V’s operating costs.
Primarily, this was done by replacing the GV’s two Rolls-Royce BR710 A1-10 engines with a pair of Rolls-Royce BR710 C4-11 engines, which were both newer and more powerful, not to mention more fuel-efficient than their predecessors.
However, this was also done by increasing the GV’s aerodynamic features – namely adding newer winglets, which reduced drag, increased fuel efficiency and boosted the G550’s range by an extra 3.85%!
Besides modifications to the GV’s engines and winglets, Gulfstream engineers also re-designed the fuselage, adding an extra (seventh) window and strengthening it to increase the G550’s maximum payload.
Wanting to increase usable cabin space, Gulfstream engineers moved the GV’s entry door 2 ft (61 cm) forward. This, combined with a slightly updated interior allows the G550 to carry an extra person over the GV, all whilst traveling in more comfort.
Aside from updating the fuselage and cabin, Gulfstream also updated the cockpit too, replacing the GV’s Honeywell SPZ-8500 with Gulfstream’s all-new PlaneView avionics system (based on the Honeywell Primus Epic) featuring an infrared camera.
Unveiling the Gulfstream G550 to the world at the 2002 NBAA, the prototype was completed by July that year and first flew on July 18 2002.
In 2003, the G550 won the Collier Trophy due to being the first civil jet to have a synthetic vision system installed as standard equipment (part of the PlaneView avionics installed on the aircraft).
Operational History
Not long after its first flight on July 18th, the GV-SP underwent FAA certification trials before being awarded its type certificate (as under the internal Gulfstream designation of GV-SP, rather than the G550 marketing designation) on August 14 2003.
The first deliveries were made in late 2003, ready for the jet’s entrance into service in early 2004. From here, the Gulfstream G550 has gone on to have a rather interesting service life…
Corporate Jet
Designed specifically to attract corporate buyers, many of the G550’s earlier buyers were corporations, typically operators of older Gulfstream jets like the GIII or GIV looking to upgrade.
Acquiring the jet, the G550 is primarily used as a corporate transport, eg. transporting the company’s C-Suite level executives (CEO, CFO, COO etc.), members of the board and/or owner(s) whilst on official company business.
In this case, the G550 will fly all types of routes imaginable, mostly depending on what its owner’s requirements are.
At times, the G550 will be traveling on transatlantic, transpacific or transcontinental routes with every seat full. Other times, it will be flying those routes with only a few passengers. At other times, it may only fly a few hundred miles, sometimes with no one on board.
It really depends on what the corporation that owns it requires on any given day!
Whilst not always, the G550 is sometimes partnered with a smaller jet, typically a Light or Very Light business jet (such as a Cessna Citation Mustang, Eclipse 500/550 or Phenom 100) for short-haul trips, due to their lower operating costs.
However, recent years have seen public perception of corporate jets and their operators sour considerably, as such many of them have chosen to hide their ownership through shell company or bank trusts.
Despite this, we do know of several corporations who currently operate the G550. These include: JP Morgan Chase, Johnson & Johnson, Alcoa, BlackRock, Nike, Chevron, Google, Turkish Airlines, Du Pont, General Dynamics Coca Cola, 3M and NewsCorp among others.
Private Jet
Although explicitly designed as a corporate transport, the specs and world-famous comfort of the Gulfstream G550 has attracted several private operators too, who can usually be put into one of two categories.
The first is celebrity. Sometimes used as an extension of their brand, and other times simply as a way to travel in style without worrying about fans or the paparazzi, the long range of the G550 helps them to fly pretty much anywhere in the world.
Want to go on vacation to the Bahamas? The G550 will take you. Need to go on tour in Europe? The G550 will take you. Going to Boston to sign an important contract? The G550 will take you!
The other is high net worth individual. Typically self-made multimillionaires or billions (or more often, the children of them), flying the G550 allows them to travel pretty much anywhere in the world at the snap of a finger.
Finishing a business meeting in New York and feel like taking your kids to Disney World for the weekend? The G550 will take you. Deciding to take a last-minute shopping trip to London? The G550 will take you. Just feel like flying? You get the point…
Much like their corporate counterparts, many of the G550’s private operators similarly hide their ownership of the jet. Whilst some do it to prevent themselves from being slated in the press, most do it for another reason: anonymity.
Many of the G550’s celebrity operators are highly visible, and often fly private to avoid being mobbed by over zealous fans or the paparazzi.
As such, many of them hide their ownership to prevent the paparazzi from mobbing them at a private airport, and not a commercial one.
Though many of them do this, not all of them. Hence, we know that Tiger Woods, Michael Jordan, P Diddy, Mark Cuban, Tom Brady, Britney Spears and Elon Musk, all operate their own G550s.
Military
Proving popular as a VIP transport for high net worth individuals and billion dollar corporations, several militaries became interested in replacing their ageing VIP transports with the more luxurious G550.
The military to acquire the G550 was the US military, with the Air Force, Navy, Army and Coast Guard operating their own G550s mostly as VIP transports for the higherups of the respective branches, where they’re known as the C-37B.
Other non-US-based military operators include the Algerian Air Force (three), the Polish Air Force (two) and the Nigerian Air Force (one), who similarly operate the G550 as a VIP transport for high-ranking officers.
Interestingly, however, in USAF service, the C-37B is much more special. Though it used as a VIP transport for high-ranking USAF officials, it is more commonly used as the short-range aircraft for Air Force One and/or Air Force Two.
Likewise, the Turkish military use their two G550s as command and control aircraft, whilst the Swedish Air Force operate one G550, TP 102D, which is used to transport the Prime Minister and members of the Royal Family.
Aside from its use as a VIP transport, in Israeli, Italian and Singaporean military service, the G550 is used as an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, often deployed with larger AEW&C aircraft also used by that country’s military.
Though not technically military operators, the Government of Kuwait and Uganda as well as the Tanzania Government Flight Agency all operate one G550 each, being used to transport the royal family (Kuwait) or president (Uganda and Tanzania).
Similarly, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) operates one G550, known as the HALO (High Altitude and Long Range Research Aircraft), as an atmospheric research aircraft, operated alongside the center’s Boeing 747SP-derived SOFIA aircraft.
Charter
Yet it wasn’t just the military who noticed the G550’s popularity with corporate and private operators alike: so did air charter companies.
Realizing they could make a killing buying the G550 from Gulfstream and chartering it out for a profit, dozens of these companies acquired the G550 and received them over the course of the mid-to-late 2000’s.
Often marketed as the jet you need if traveling in style is your #1 priority, air charter companies often focused on the significant interior upgrades Gulfstream made to the Gulfstream V to make the G550, as a reason why you should charter the G550 over the GV.
Alternatively, they have marketed it as a larger, longer range and cheaper alternative to the Bombardier Global 6000, and a step down from the larger Boeing Business Jets (BBJ) or Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ) series.
Until the introduction of newer, long-range Gulfstream jets like the G500, G600, G650 and G700, the Gulfstream G550 was one of the most commonly chartered jets (regardless of classification) according to dozens of air charter company CEOs I interviewed.
Though there are several factors that may affect price (including the time of year, route and any special requests you may have, among others) it would cost you roughly $9,900 per hour to charter the G550.
Whilst by no means an exhaustive list, charter operators of the G550 include: Deer Jet, TAG Aviation and Execujet Charter AG among countless others, not to mention being a favorite of pretty much every aircraft management company in the world.
Fractional Ownership
Aside from air charter companies, fractional ownership companies also noticed the Gulfstream G550’s popularity with both private and corporate operators and chose to capitalize on it.
Whilst not the only fractional ownership company to acquire the jet, by far the largest (and most important) is NetJets Europe, the European subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s NetJets, who operate a fleet of eight G550s.
Receiving the jets, NetJets Europe immediately set about selling fractions of them (typically sixteenths), or on occasion the entire jet, to different entities in exchange for a given number of hours in the jet per year (typically 50).
In this role, the G550 is used very similarly to how it is used by corporate and private operators, eg. on whatever route they need. Typically, however, due to the relatively few hours each owner gets per year, the G550s tend to fly long-haul routes. Particularly international ones.
Due to how the fractional ownership works, NetJets Europe charge a monthly fee for providing the crews, flying dead leg flights and keeping the cabin tidy, which can easily be as much as $30,000, sometimes as much as $40,000!
Speaking of business models, NetJets’ business model dictates that aircraft over 10-15 years old must be sold to make way for newer aircraft that are more likely to sell.
As such, the sad fact of the matter is that the company is slowly phasing out its G550 fleet in favor of newer Bombardier Global 6000s, 7500s and eventually the 8000s, which they believe will sell better.
Other fractional ownership companies – NetJets’ competition if you will – are likewise beginning to phase out their own G550s in favor of either the Global line or newer Gulfstream aircraft (primarily the G600, G650 and G700).
Features
Though longer and able to carry more passengers than its main competitor: the Bombardier Global 5000/6000, the G550’s cabin volume is actually less than the average jet in its class, mostly owing to how skinny the G550’s fuselage is.
Yet, the G550 hasn’t sacrificed cabin area for a larger hold. At 170 cubic feet, the G550’s baggage hold is typical for a jet of its size, and is comfortably able to carry up to 25 bags (assuming no bag is larger than five cubic feet).
With that being said, by comparison to almost any other jet, the G550’s baggage hold is massive!
Instead, Gulfstream have sacrificed cabin (and arguably baggage) space for a larger-than-average fuel tank. Combined with the more powerful and fuel-efficient engines, gives the G550 both incredible range and speed.
At least by comparison to the average jet in its class, the G550 has a 31% longer range. Sadly it has had to sacrifice speed for range, but the G550’s cruising speed is still 5% faster than the average.
Interestingly, the G550 is one of the few private jets to be one of the longest-range private jets, as well as one of the fastest!
The G550 also cruises at a higher altitude than its competitors (with private jets already being famous for flying higher than their commercial counterparts) as well as requiring a shorter runway to land and take off from compared to the average jet in its class.
Price
With a price tag of $57 million, the G550 is certainly not cheap by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, when it was released in 2004, it was Gulfstream’s most expensive model and thus, one of the most expensive private jets on the market.
However, with the last deliveries of the G550 happening in late 2021, it is too late to get a brand new Gulfstream G550 directly from Gulfstream. As such, you’d need to look elsewhere if you wanted to acquire a G550…
Thankfully, there are several currently for sale on the secondary market. In terms of their price, it differs greatly depending on factors such as age, condition and the total number of hours on the engines/fuselage.
On the “low-end” (everything’s relative), an early G550 from between 2004 and 2008 can go for anything from $12.995 to $17.25 million depending on the aforementioned factors.
For your “average” aged G550, typically built between 2009 and 2014, the price tag sits comfortably in the $19.999 to $24 million range, with the exact amount often depending on those aforementioned factors.
On the “higher-end”, for a G550 built between 2015 and 2021, you’d be looking at paying a lot more.
Whilst there aren’t that many that have come to the market due to how recently their owners have acquired them, the consensus among experts is that you’d be looking to pay around $25 million for a 2015 model and $37.5 to $40 million for a 2019/2020 model.
In terms of cost to operate, the G550 is still not that cheap. Assuming you were to fly it for 450 hours per year, it would cost you $4,549 per hour to operate the Gulfstream G550.
Variants
Proving popular with both civil and military operators alike, Gulfstream have produced several variants of the G550 to date, including:
G550
The standard variant of the G550 family, officially the GV-SP, the standard G550 has an updated flight deck and interior, a strengthened and modified fuselage and engine improvements.
Initially marketed as the Gulfstream G-550 (an allusion to the company’s first jet – the G-II), it was later marketed as the Gulfstream G550 without the hyphen and colloquially known as the Gulfstream G550.
By virtue of it being the first member of the G550 “family”, it is by definition the common ancestor of all subsequent G550 variants.
C-37B
When the US military acquired the Gulfstream G550 in 2005 for use as a VIP transport, the military needed to give it a designation.
Already operating the Gulfstream V in the same capacity, and with the G550 being considered a variant of the GV rather than a development of it, the military chose to give it both jets the same designation.
Whilst the Gulfstream V held the designation of the C-37A, the G550 held the designation of C-37B.
Interestingly, the US military are the only military to use this designation, with every other military using the G550’s civil designation.
MC-55A Peregrine
In 2015, the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) acquired four G550s modified for SIGNIT and ELINT intelligence gathering missions to replace the RAAF’s ageing Lockheed AP-3 Orions.
Congress approved the sale in June 2017, and the RAAF announced that the four SIGNIT/ELINT G550s would be known as the MC-55A Peregrine and based as RAAF Base Edinburgh, just north of Adelaide.
Though the airframes have been built, defense contractor L3 Technologies is still currently installing the electronic warfare (EW) technology on the four aircraft, with their introduction to service scheduled for sometime in the next few years.
G550 CAEW
In 2005, the Israeli Air Force were looking to acquire new Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) aircraft to compliment the Israeli Air Force’s ageing fleet of 707-based EL/M-2075s that were becoming increasingly more expensive to operate.
Standard G550 airframes were delivered to Israel, before Gulfstream’s Israeli partner IAI, in tandem with Israeli defense contractor Eita, modified the G550 with an AEW&C radar system known as the EL/W-2085, an updated and smaller version of the EL/M-2075.
Called the G550 CAEW by Gulfstream and the Eitam by IAI and the IAF, the first was delivered to the IAF on April 13 2012 and has subsequently been acquired by Italy and Singapore as a part of trade deals and to replace aging aircraft.
Specifications
| Specifications | Gulfstream G550 |
|---|---|
| Length | 96 ft 5 in (29.39 m) |
| Wingspan | 93 ft 6 in (28.50 m) |
| Height | 25 ft 10 in (7.87 m) |
| Crew | 2 |
| Passengers | 14 – 19 (depending on configuration, usually 16) |
| Cruise Speed | 904 km/h (562 mph; 488 kn) |
| Range | 12,500 km (7,770 mi; 6,750 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 51,000 ft (16,000 m) |
| MTOW | 91,000 lb (41,277 kg) |
How Safe is The Gulfstream G550?
Whenever we fly, there is also a chance we will crash, even if that chance is quite small. Yet, some aircraft are more dangerous than others, whilst others merely have an overly glossy reputation they don’t necessarily deserve.
However, when it comes to publishing the safety records of the safest and most dangerous aircraft currently in our skies, most outlets tend to focus solely commercial airliners like the 737 and A380 and completely forget business jets like the G550.
Though this is often done deliberately – after all, the sad fact of the matter is that most people who fly do so on commercial airliners, not business jets – this leaves people looking to fly on business jets like the G550 in the dark…
For those planning on flying on the Gulfstream G550, however, you should know you’re in good hands!
With over 600 having been built during its 18 year-long production run (2003-2021), only two have ever been involved in aviation-related incidents, resulting in no fatalities. By pretty much every metric, the G550 is one of the safest private jets you could fly on.
Looking at the accident reports for both crashes reveals that both were caused by pilot error, rather than anything to do with the G550 itself.
In the first case, the jet was coming into land too slow and the pilot was advised to do a go-around. Instead, he tried to land it, and landed just short of the runway.
In the second case, the pilot landed on a shorter-than-recommended runway. Upon landing the pilot failed to deploy normal breaks as well as emergency breaks, causing him to attempt a go-around at the last-minute, which ultimately failed.
A word of warning, however: despite being considered one of the safest business jets of all time, doesn’t mean there is a 0% chance you’ll crash. Though this chance is lower than others, you may still crash when/if you fly on the G550.
After all, the oldest G550s are 18 years old. Whilst this is still young for a private jet, if it has been well used (such as by an air charter company) the jet may be quite worn, and thus, have an increased risk of something breaking mid-flight and leading to an accident.
With that being said, as long as you keep your Gulfstream G550 well maintained, or choose a company who have a good safety record, you should be fine!
What’s it Like to Fly on The Gulfstream G550?
Over the course of writing this article, I’ve been fortunate enough to fly on the Gulfstream G550 on three occasions, flying one short-haul, one medium-haul and one long-haul route, giving me a great insight into what it’s like to fly on the jet.
For comparison, I’ve also flown on the G-II, GIII, GV, G500 and G600 covering stories on them too, giving me something to compare the G550 to.
Though there was a brand new interior installed on the G550 compared to the GV, the first thing I noticed about the jet was when we were about to take off.
Hurdling down the runway trying to get enough speed to take off, it felt as though we were in a race car. I don’t know how fast we were going but it certainly felt faster than any aircraft I’ve ever flown on – including other Gulfstreams.
The second thing I noticed was how modern the Gulfstream G550 was. As with other private jets built after the year 2000, the cabin pf the G550 can be controlled via an app on your smartphone.
Via your smartphone, you can control things like the climate and the shade of the windows, as well as being able to pull up flight information.
By far my favorite part of the smartphone app is the ability to not only see what everyone’s watching on their personal audio/video display, but you’re also able to control it.
As I’m sure you can imagine, I had lots of fun pausing the other passengers’ TV shows, rewinding and fast-forwarding them, as well as stopping them all together… yes, I’m such a child.
Having flown on nearly every Gulfstream model built to date, I know that the newer the aircraft is, the quieter it tends to be. By all accounts, when I flew on the Gulfstream V only a few months before I flew on the G550, I thought it couldn’t get any quieter.
Then I flew on the G550.
Cruising at 51,000 feet, the cabin noise from the engines was literally zero. The only noise we could hear was what the other passengers and myself were making, or the faint muffled sounds coming from the pilots in the cockpit.
I’d even go as far to say it’s quieter than the G500/G600, or at least, is on a par with it.
The only issue I really had with the G550 was the food. Whilst a million times better than anything you’d get on a commercial airliner, I still found it quite… tasteless and not particularly amazing.
But then again, I’ve never really enjoyed eating food whilst flying, regardless of whether it was a commercial or private aircraft.
What do you think of the Gulfstream G550? Have you ever flown on it? Tell me in the comments!
Featured image courtesy of Airwolfhound via Flickr.