Gulfstream marks fleet's 700th speed record
A week after the FAA certified its G800 long-range business jet, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. is celebrating another milestone that took 50 years to reach. On April 1, the Savannah, Georgia, company recorded its 700th city-to-city speed record following a flight from Taipei, Taiwan, to Miami.
The trip, flown in a Gulfstream G700, covered 7,740 nautical miles in 14 hours and 38 minutes at an average cruise speed of Mach 0.87, or about 580 knots. The G700, which, according to Gulfstream President Mark Burns, “rarely flies without setting a new speed record,” has been a prolific contributor to the record count during its development and testing before and since its FAA certification in March 2024.
“The last 50 years have showcased remarkable innovation and advancements in the Gulfstream fleet as we continue to raise the bar in business aviation for speed, efficiency, range and cabin comfort,” Burns said during an April 22 gathering to mark the occasion. “This latest accomplishment once again proves, in real-time demonstration, that our aircraft give customers the advantage of traveling farther faster than any other aircraft in the industry.”
The company attributed the G700’s overall performance in part to its Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines, advanced aerodynamics, and the high-speed winglets introduced on the model. Flight deck technology including Gulfstream’s Combined Vision System also contributes by increasing situational awareness and giving the aircraft access to more airports.
Gulfstream said the G700 has surpassed 80 city-pair records since entering service, a faster rate than for its G650 and G650ER models, which are legendary for long legs and record-setting ways, and currently hold 130 of the fleet’s speed records. The G650ER holds the record for the farthest, fastest business aviation flight, having traveled 8,379 nm from Singapore to Tucson, Arizona, in 15 hours and 23 minutes. The G650 also holds the record for the fastest westbound around-the-world flight in a non-supersonic aircraft. The voyage took off from San Diego and covered 20,310 nm in 41 hours and seven minutes with stops in Guam, Dubai, and Cape Verde.
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