Beiträge von The Big Lebowski

Zitat von RoyalToto

So langsam, wüsste ich schon gerne, wo du deine Info's her hast.

Vier Jahre Flieger betankt.Im Tanklager demnach auch, und die dazugehörigen Analysen durchgeführt. Reicht das??
Die gesetzlichen Bestimmungen kenne ich nicht mehr en details. Aber vom praktischen Standpunkt aus gesehen, spricht nix dagegen

Zitat von RoyalToto

Wenn man Pro tank 500 Euro spart, weil der Sprit für uns in Frankfurt doppelt so teuer ist als in Amsterdam?

Auf so ner Strecke ja, absolut richtig.
Wenn man aber z. Bsp. in EDDS mit nem vollen Bobby raus will, durchtanken will, nen Start von der 07 plant, weil man den Slope von 0,9° ausnützen will ( Höhenunterschied etwa 17 Meter), dann aber die Bahn gedreht wird, man dann über die 25 rausmüsste, aber auf die 07 besteht, weil man die Weidacher Höhe in Richtung Westen im Weg hat, dann wiederum an der Schwelle 07 steht und 20 Minuten wartet, dann frage ich mich, was man gespart hat.........

Zitat von ICKE

Das Absaugen ist an sich nicht das Problem. Eher die Entsorgung. Sprit, der ein Mal im Tank war, gilt als Sondermüll. Die eigene Airline darf es noch verwenden, aber an andere wirst du es nicht mehr los.

Warum denn das??
Kann ich für meinen Teil nicht bestätigen. Man macht nen Millipore Test ( für schwebende Wasser- und andere Teilchen), hält noch zusätzliche Teststreifen rein, saugt durch nen Filter und gut ist. Wenn der abgesaugte Sprit alle Qualitätsmaßstäbe erfüllt, könnte er weiterverkauft werden, oder an nem großen Platz, wird er für die gleiche Airline wiederverwendet.
Zudem kann ich aus eigener Erfahrung sagen, daß die Unsitte bei jedem Flug durchtanken zu wollen die Hauptursache ist, wenn zu viel Sprit an Bord ist, zumindest gehen meine eigenen Erfahrungen in diese Richtung.
Die Entsorgung von 30 tons Sprit geht in die zehntausende von €uronen.
Zudem tanken gewerbliche Operator aufgrund ihres AOCs oder nem Steuerbefreiungsschein mineralölsteuerbefreit. Wenn man also den Sprit als Heizmaterial verkaufen würde, käme auf die Menge noch die Mineralölsteuer noch drauf, die die Company noch zu tragen hätte.
Das Hauptproblem ist eher nen leeren FTW zu finden, und die Zeit, die das ganze in Anspruch nimmt.

Edith hat das Wort "darf" gegen ein großes "könnte" abgeändert. Aus Gründen des Forenfriedens :ironie:

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Zitat

A day with Global Express: our pilot compares the ultra-long-range Bombardier bizjet to "a sports car which transmits its exuberant feelings to the pilot"
The pre-flight walkround was straightforward. Notable was the refuelling panel situated under the starboard wing, where the aircraft could take on a full load of 19.7 tonnes of fuel in trader 20 minutes. Also worthy of note was the horizontal stabiliser constructed entirely of carbon fibre. A number of other non-structural parts on Global Express are constructed in Kevlar and other alloys based on carbon. Four electrically signalled multi-function spoilers, also in carbon fibre, act to assist aileron control and response, and act as speed brakes or lift dumpers. The Rolls-Royce BR710 turbofans, with a thrust of 66.1kN each, are easily accessible as they are set relatively low for an aircraft of this type.
We climb aboard and retract the stairway electrically. The diameter of the fuselage provides a very comfortable standing position. On the flight deck, the pilot seats are comfortable, the sensation of space agreeable and the ergonomics excellent. On the other hand, it is difficult to see the wingtips, since they are situated so far back.
Honeywell avionics
Honeywell has been responsible for the avionics and systems integration around its Primus 2000XP suite. They have done a good job: the workplace is logically arranged and efficient, centered around six colour screens--two Primary Flight Displays (PFD), two multi-function displays (MFD), one engine indication and crew alerting system (EICAS) and a weather radar display.
All switches should normally be in the "auto" position, from the three positions available "off", "auto" and "manual". For example, start up of the APU is initiated by moving a rotary switch from "off" to "start", when the page appears on the MFD. Once the start sequence is complete, the electrical system carries out its own functional tests. By selecting the MFD screen page the pilots can verity the different electrical circuits. The air conditioning operates in the same way, its do all the other systems in the "auto" mode.
From a single keyboard we programme the FMS at the same time, with the day's data (wind speed and direction, temperature, state of the runway, etc). This information could also be sent directly to the FMS from a ground facility
MGTOW is 43 tonnes (93,000lbs), but at today's weight of only 26.8 tonnes (59,000lbs), the FMS calculated our take-off distance at 837m, with an engine pressure ratio (EPR) of 1.54. This is the value that the auto-throttle will set for take-off. V1, equal to VR today, is 93 knots, V2 112 knots and Vfto (V1 factored for flexible takeoff power settings) 148 knots.
The triple inertial reference systems (IRS) are aligned, with the FMS correcting, and anticipating any variations between them. We pre-select our altitude after take-off to 1,500ft (500m) and our airspeed at 200 knots. The operating speed range of Global Express is from 106 knots (at SL 24t TOW) to Mach 0.88.
There are few normal switches on board this aircraft. They have been replaced by "intelligent" contacts and semi-conductor power controllers, displayed and accessible via the displays for the electrical system. In addition, a central warning system CAIMS (central aircraft information and maintenance system) allows pilots and maintainers to diagnose the origins of a technical problem, and even to identify the part number of the defective item.
Engine start up is initiated by a rocker switch. The EEC (electronic engine controller) watches over all phases of the start cycle and protects the engine from any over-temperature situation, or other anomaly. We complete the after-start checks and taxi out towards the runway. A remark here--the electric braking and nose steering system make it really easy to control the aircraft. Pre-takeoff checks include flap and leading edge slat deployment. Once lined up I engage file auto-throttle feature and advance both throttles a few centimetres. The auto-throttle then takes over and regulates the amount of power for take-off. Acceleration is powerful but progressive. Manny calls out "80 knots", then V1/Vr after less than 600m ground run. I follow the flight director bars, which indicate a 15 degree attitude. Hardly necessary to say that we're soon at 1,500ft. The undercarriage, flaps and slats are retracted, the yaw damper engaged and while I maintain heading and altitude the auto-throttle adjusts power to maintain 200 knots.
Rough ride
I must say that in the conditions of turbulence we found, the ride was rough. Each shock is felt through the airframe. The Global Express is like a sports car which transmits its exuberant feelings to the pilot. The passengers may perhaps not be so thrilled, but Toronto control authorises us to climb and calm again reigns on board. I set 300 knots on the auto-throttle. The climb rate settles down at 4,000 ft/min. I engage the auto-pilot and we reach FL330 (11,000m) in around 13 minutes. Acceleration to Mach 0.85 takes less than a minute, while fuel consumption indicates 951 kg/hr per engine. A nice feature is that our route and the test area boundary is very readable on our displays.
I start our evaluation with some steep turns. The roll rate is impressive and control very precise, a little like an aerobatic aircraft. The artificial feel transmitted to the pilot is realistic, with relatively light control forces. When the aircraft is stabilised in a turn, one just has to centre the control column, ,and the height barely changes.
Next I slow up the aircraft for a look at a clean stall. As the speed unwinds, I see the red low-speed bar move up the airspeed indicator, until at a certain point the stick shaker cuts in. I noted no unexpected pre-stall flight characteristics.
now wanted to examine whether a Dutch roll is easy to control manually. With such a highly swept wing, I expected the worst. Manny switched off the yaw damper, and I made some progressive rudder inputs. 1 noticed that, if I did nothing, the oscillations had a tendency to increase in intensity. But if I countered them with an aileron control input they rapidly damped out. I again made some rudder inputs and Manny switched the yaw damper back on. Less than two seconds were needed to cancel out all uncomfortable movement.
Next I cut the power on one engine and advanced the throttle of the other to simulate an engine failure. I felt little input from the yaw damper, and the aircraft was perfectly controllable.
We were then cleared to FL510 (15,500m), the Global Express's ceiling. I donned my oxygen mask because should a depressurisation occur at this altitude, we would have too little time to react without oxygen. I try a few turns at 20 degrees bank angle and again I find the aircraft displays very good stability in all three axes. At Mach 0.83, indicated airspeed is 200 knots, and our clean stall speed is 158 knots.
On the way down to Dorval we use the vertical navigation system. The descent profile comes up on the display, as well as the horizontal navigation profile. The clarity of the information presented to the pilots is probably one of the best safety features of this aircraft.
Popping the spoilers/airbrakes produces no attitude change, just a slight vibration, which is hardly felt on the flight deck. Passing Mmo (maximum Mach operating) is a non-event. Apart from an overspeed warning, nothing happens. During flight tests the aircraft attained the speed of Mach 0.994 without problems.
Impressive roll response
The weather at Dorval is excellent as we prepare for an ILS to runway 24. Our touchdown weight will be 24.4 tonnes and the FMS tells us that the landing distance over 50ft will be 1024m. Vref will be 106 knots, Vac 116 knots and Vfto 141 knots. I disengage the autopilot for a manual approach. We need just a nudge more than idle power to maintain Vref with full flap and slats. Airbrakes may be used down to 300ft. On short finals we encounter some wind shear which again shows the impressive roll response rate of this aircraft to advantage.
At the round out, the nose tip attitude is pronounced, but touch down is smooth thanks to the configuration of the Messier Dowty gear. Thrust reverse is easily selected by moving the throttles aft beyond the idle detente. Reverse is cancelled automatically from 60 knots, and the engines are back at idle by the time the aircraft comes to a stop.
Global Express is priced at $44 million, without an interior, which could add between $7 and $15 million to the price, according to customer requirements. About 90 aircraft are today in service around the world. It offers its fortunate owner a range of 6,500nm (12,000km), which translates into a trip from Tokyo to Montreal in just 11 hours 22 minutes.

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Quelle des vollständigenTextes!

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Risszeichnung in 2000 X 1166

Die erste 737- 100 wird regelmäßig bewegt, um sie flugfähig zu halten....dies geschiet mit high speed taxi runs......

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Pilot Report Video von der Financial Times

Zitat

Pilot Report: Dassault Falcon 900LX

By: Robert P. Mark
January 1, 2011
Business Aviation Aircraft

Winglets boost range to 4,750 nm, and this newest edition of Dassault’s enduring trijet remains every inch a Falcon

From a distance, the exterior of the Dassault Falcon 900LX–F-WWFB–reminded me of a lady caught without her makeup when I saw her sitting on the ramp outside Epps Aviation at Atlanta’s Peachtree Airport (PDK). The LX had just completed the ferry flight from the Merignac, France assembly facility in time for NBAA 2010’s static display and was still painted pewter gray with odd patches of the green primer that adorns jets when they arrive at the paint shop. My goal this sunny afternoon was to put the 50,000-pound aircraft through its paces to learn how it compared to the earlier Falcon 900EX.

The 900LX’s winglets–the same ones used on the 2000LX–are the only noticeable difference between the LX and EX and allow the new Falcon to fly 4,750 nm (about 5 percent farther than a standard equipped 900EX and 12.5 percent farther than the earlier 900DX). Maximum takeoff weight of the LX remains at 49,200 pounds. After July, though, the decision on which 900 to purchase was made easy, since arrival of the LX means the end of the production line for the 900EX.

Like earlier 900 variants, the LX offers operators significant flexibility in load-carrying capacity, range and short-field capabilities. The ability to get a 900LX into and out of short runways, for instance, is enhanced because its single centerline thrust reverser sits high above the ground, allowing reverse power to be maintained right up to a full stop. Most other jets require closing the reverser buckets by 50 to 60 knots to avoid sucking FOD into the engine. The heated rear baggage compartment–accessible in flight–stores up to 127 cu ft or just shy of a ton-and-a-half of cargo. The outside cargo door incorporates a step, and Dassault claims one person can load everything. Years of sore shoulders, though, tell me that I’d ask a line person or the other pilot for help before lifting big bags almost to shoulder height for storage (why not a little internal pulley system to ease the lifting of big articles?). Cabin height and width on the 900LX are of course in line with other Falcon models at 6 ft 2 in and 7 ft 8 in, respectively. The 900LX cabin is 33 ft 2 in long, approximately six feet shorter than the 7X’s.

Powerplants on all versions of the 900 have remained unchanged, with three Honeywell TFE731-60s producing 5,000 pounds of thrust each. Dassault is the only manufacturer to offer the seemingly more thirsty three-engined aircraft in favor of the reliability of that extra powerplant, as well as the added performance from short or high runways. Like all other Falcons, the 900LX uses Honeywell Primus avionics as the base platform for the EASy cockpit avionics, featuring four 14.1-inch flat-panel LCD screens and a cursor control device–the aircraft trackball–system now standard on most business jets.

The Flight
More perfect first-flight weather could not have been had in mid October–clear and 20–as I began the preflight of “WFB” with Dassault Merignac chief pilot Frédéric Lascourréges at my side. To be fair to 900LX competitors, the “green” interior-free aircraft I flew at NBAA was extremely light with a 24,000-pound basic operating weight. A standard-equipped 900LX BOW should end up closer to 26,500 pounds. Even with our planned 9,400-pound fuel load, the airplane still weighed in 15,500 pounds below mtow. This means the standard 900LX will carry a substantial load from London City (LCY)–all Falcons are LCY qualified–with enough fuel to make Gander nonstop.

A pre-flight walk around the LX is quick since there’s little protruding into the slipstream other than temperature and airspeed probes. After making sure all external doors are locked and that no critters have crawled into the landing-gear wells, it was time to climb in to the left seat, a maneuver made easier since both seats slide back from the panel and then outboard with a reverse process to prepare for flight. I still appreciate the fact that there are aircraft of this category that employ an opening side window for a little fresh air in the cockpit if the systems are shut down. Just remember though–I didn’t–that no amount of pulling will open the thing if the cockpit air is running and adding pressure to the cabin. Pre-start checks include little more than a warning-light test, flip on the APU master and start the APU. Once the APU generator draw drops below 300 amps, all systems can be powered up. A confirmation of the aircraft position to the FMS and we were ready to start the engines.

Since this is still a Falcon 900, engine startup has not changed and we were quickly ready to head toward runway 20L at PDK, except for a brief stop on the taxiway while a Gulfstream carrying the Dalai Lama crossed in front of us on its way to Signature Flight Support. At this weight and even at idle, releasing the brakes meant the 900LX accelerated on the taxiway like an airplane that really did want to fly. Looking back now, I should have tried pulling the reverser open on the taxiway just to see how that might have affected taxi speed when the aircraft is light. We planned this as a slats/flaps 2 takeoff, and I checked out the left window to verify that the leading-edge devices had fallen into place. There’s also a confirmation graphic on the left side of the PFD. At this weight, the system calculated a V1 of 99 knots, Vr and V2 of 112, and a flap retract speed of 137. If we needed to come back due to some emergency, we briefed that I would fly the aircraft and Frederic would run the checklists. Our return ref speed would be 119 knots. It was here that Frederic mentioned that relatively heavy takeoffs–even considering second segment climb restrictions–are a breeze on this trijet, even out of La Paz, Bolivia, where the field elevation is 13,300 feet.

A Gallic Rocket
With dual Fadecs, the three thrust levers could go forward to the stops, upon which the 900LX accelerated quickly. We were airborne in less than half of PDK’s 6,000-foot runway and with a mere 10-degree nose-up pitch in the climb, it was tough holding the speed down until 10,000 feet. Steeper than that, though, would have made visibility difficult in one of the world’s busiest terminal areas. After that the aircraft was a rocket, with the VSI showing about 3,500 fpm at 250 kias. With a few ATC restrictions, we leveled at FL 200 in seven minutes and the nice folks on the east side of ATL Center’s airspace said we could do pretty much anything we wanted once we cleared the arrival airspace near Colliers VOR, where I set up for steep turns to test handling. I helped with some culture shock as Frederic the Frenchman occasionally struggled to understand what the center controller, with a deep Georgia accent, was trying to tell us, jumping into the mix occasionally to assist with the translation–both ways.

Given a chance, as in these steep turns, all Falcons demonstrate their fighter aircraft heritage. In a 50-degree bank at 260 knots and even with the “bank angle” warning sounding in the background, the pilot can easily trim the LX to fly hands off. I tried the same thing at FL 350 just to be sure there were no differences up high, as well as at a lower airspeed to feel the differences. Like any aircraft, the LX is a little heavier in the turns at lower speeds, a characteristic that I also noticed a bit later in the VFR circuit back at PDK.

I was hand-flying the 900 back to PDK, descending through FL 310, when ATC asked for a rapid descent. My instructor nodded and I complied with flight idle, nose-down trim set at an exciting 15 degrees and speed brakes at two. The rate of descent was about 11,000 fpm at 300 knots indicated with the pressurization coping easily. Speed-brake vibration was minimal, meaning that in the clouds the folks in back would never know what was happening. The only thing I really did not like during the flight was the 900LX’s altitude alerter. I realize it has been around in this format for a while, but it simply yells “altitude” when you’re within 1,000 feet of what is set in the alerter. Every time it sounded, I thought I’d already blown past the selected altitude.

The first approach was a coupled ILS back to 20L. Our landing weight was just over 31,000 pounds, giving us a ref speed of 114, about what I’d expect in the Hawker 800 I used to fly. The FMS calculated we’d need 2,700 feet to bring the aircraft to a full stop, but in fact we planned to turn the approach into a touch-and-go and remain VFR in the pattern. The autopilot performed well, and at minimums I popped it off to complete the landing. I was a few knots above ref as I crossed the threshold and felt the 900 floated a bit that first time before touchdown. Just after I lowered the nose to the ground, I pushed the thrust levers forward to the stop, waited for the three Honeywell fans to spool up and in what seemed like no time we found ourselves in the traffic pattern again for 20L. This time I pulled the center engine to idle and completed the approach on two. The difference between two and three engines was not noticeable, although performing the exercise at this weight wasn’t the most effective demonstration. I found the 900LX a tad heavy in roll at traffic-pattern speeds of 140 knots or so. I went to idle thrust at 50 feet, but was on ref speed this time and the airplane had no tendency to float.

Unfortunately, we were out of time for any additional local flying, which also meant no opportunity to gauge the long legs of the 900LX. On the crossing from France, the ferry pilots’ data records noted airspeeds as high as Mach 0.83 at altitudes as high as FL430. Having left the factory in France with 18,000 pounds of fuel, they landed eight hours later at TEB with 4,000 pounds remaining. From my first experience flying Falcons–admittedly the 7X was a great model in which to begin a few years ago at Le Bourget–I’ve heard a drum beat of chatter about how Dassault builds its aircraft, designed in part and tested by fighter pilots. No other manufacturer can claim the experience of transferring to its business jets the knowledge gained while building fighters of the caliber of the Mirage or Rafale. The Falcon 7X is, of course, the first fly-by-wire purpose-built business jet.

Years ago while flying a competitor aircraft, I used to listen to a crusty old maintenance chief wishing, day after day, to replace our then current aircraft with a Falcon. For many in business aviation, that same wish list persists today. After a flight of only an hour-and-a-half, it was clear to me the winglet-equipped 900LX is a worthy successor to the 900EX.

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Quelle ist AINonline!

Bilderquelle!

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Info!

Naja, wenn ne Falcon daneben steht oder ne Gulf, würde ich diese eher stehen lassen......

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Another Attempt
But thanks to some helpful Embraer employees and a much improved weather outlook a few days later, I had an opportunity to fly the Legacy once again.
Having been through most of the preflight and start checks on the previous flight, Romanelli and I again departed FLL northeastward, with the OAT showing a toasty 33 degrees C. V1 was 115 knots; Vr, 125 knots; and V2, 130 knots. With 11,170 pounds of fuel on board, the aircraft weighed 41,674 pounds at takeoff. Climbing through 10,000 feet, I engaged the autopilot and set the speed bug for 290 knots. The airplane complied and I saw a rate of climb nearing 2,300 fpm. There is no doubt the Legacy is a quick climber, although we were operating at nearly the same weight as the first flight–some 7,000 pounds under gross weight.
Leaving FL240, I removed the headphones for a noise check, and although I found the noise quite tolerable during the time I had the headphones off, I actually found myself anxious to put them back on, which speaks volumes about the noise-canceling Sennheisers. They sat extremely light on my head and put a serious dent in the noise level that is normally found in any cockpit. I really enjoyed flying with them.
We again filed toward Savannah and climbed straight to FL370, an altitude we reached in 23 minutes. Crossing traffic prevented a direct climb to FL390 for almost 10 minutes. Cabin altitude at FL370 was 7,400 feet. An OAT of -51 degrees C produced 462 ktas, with a fuel flow of 1,270 pph per engine. While level at FL370, I took an opportunity to walk back in the cabin to check the noise level.
The noise shroud Embraer developed for the area around the entrance door is wonderful. When you remove the shroud to test the difference, the increase in the noise makes you wonder why other manufacturers haven’t already thought of adding this.
Sitting in the rear of the cabin, I found the noise level much quieter than in other parts of the cabin, and on a long flight I’d head back there. There was a definite increase in cabin noise as I walked forward near the wing root.
I returned to the cockpit as Romanelli finished the climb to FL390 for our speed check. We eventually saw Mach 0.791 with a fuel burn of approximately 1,100 pph per side at an OAT of -57 degrees C. Long-range cruise at this altitude means pulling the speed back to about Mach 0.72. Cabin differential here was 8.0 and gave us an 8,100-foot altitude.
Handling Characteristics
I turned off the autopilot and performed a few steep turns to aim us back toward our first stop, Florida’s Orlando Executive Airport. Like most airplanes, if you trim properly in 45- to 60-degree banks and goose the power just slightly, the Legacy will hold altitude nicely with a minimum of pilot input.
The aileron and the rudder are hydraulically boosted, but the elevator is conventionally controlled. The turns proved to be a non-event as we started our descent, and the superb visibility out the windows was evident in both directions. I recoupled the automation and set up for the back course into Runway 25 at Orlando Exec. Vref was 126 knots. Still speeding along at 285 knots through 14,000 feet, I again removed my headset and comfortably held a conversation with Romanelli.
Orlando Approach was extremely busy as we arrived and offered us only a visual approach, but ATC approved a square turn to final to allow us to capture the localizer. Perhaps because of the 40-degree angle of intercept, the airplane never did couple and flew through the localizer at the five-mile point. I disengaged the autopilot and hand flew the airplane. Once configured at flaps 45, the Legacy has a very solid feel all the way to the ground. This time I was ready for the slight nose heaviness of the airplane and flared for a smooth connection with the ground and a touch-and-go on the 6,000-foot runway. I steered as Romanelli brought the flaps up to 9, and we were off again with ample runway to spare.
Despite the fact that the tower controller could not seem to understand the difference between a PT and an N-registered aircraft, we remained in right closed traffic. I had to quickly pull the power back during the climb to keep the speed manageable and remain beneath the traffic on final for the 18s at Orlando Executive. The Legacy is fast down low, something the pilot needs to be ready for.
Opposite the numbers, I called for flaps 18 and gear and slowed to 140 knots. Once the gear and flaps are down, traffic patterns are easy, despite the fact that the tower sequenced us behind an Aztec that forced me to perform a few S-turns. We completed two more VFR patterns before our full stop for some fuel. I was getting comfortable in the airplane after about two-and-a-half hours of flying. I realized there was little not to like on this airplane.
On our takeoff from Executive, we filed for 14,000 feet toward Fort Myers, Fla., for some additional air work before returning to FLL. It was mid-afternoon again and we made a few tight turns right after takeoff to remain clear of the rapidly building cells. The deviation continued until we were 40 miles southwest of MCO, with many buildups climbing faster than the Legacy.
But we did slow the aircraft to simulate some single-engine work while we were still down low. With climb power on both engines, Romanelli pulled back the right thrust lever. Granted, we were 4,800 pounds below gross, but if I had not been watching the skid/slip indicator, I would almost never have even detected the engine failure because of the boost the hydraulic system offers to the rudder, (except, of course,for the subsequent reduction in airspeed).
The procedure after an engine failure is V2+15 with flaps at the takeoff setting until the level-off altitude, when the flaps are brought up and the climb continued. I performed a number of turns with one engine pulled back, and other than some additional rudder there was little difference from the steep turns at altitude. We spent another 10 minutes with more configuration changes and the right engine still at idle.
Conclusion
I really liked flying this airplane, so much that I tried quite a few more steep turns at 14,000 feet as we sashayed around more buildups. As we approached Fort Myers, Miami Center asked us to descend to 13,000 feet to set up for the STAR to FLL. Rather than simply descend, Romanelli had me slow the airplane clean to the shaker and then recover from the stall on the way down. As I brought the power up and flew through the shaker there was no tendency to fall off on either wing. Stalls seemed like another non-event. (Of course, I knew it was coming.)
The arrival to FLL gave us ample opportunity to dodge more cells that were now building into mean lines of thunderstorms over the Everglades. Not wanting to cause Miami too much grief, we kept our speed up but mentioned we’d be slowing on final if they concurred. They weren’t very happy, but said OK as Romanelli pulled the left engine to idle and we set up for a single-engine, coupled ILS to 9L.
If you’ve flown into Fort Lauderdale, you know that ILS 9L is a bit wavy, so I was not surprised when the airplane began hunting for the localizer. We planned a flaps 22 approach with a Vref of 126 knots. Despite a relatively mild southeast wind, the autopilot gave up the fight trying to hold the localizer at around 400 feet on final. Despite that, I touched down smoothly, and using only the right reverser and brakes, I had the airplane stopped in about 4,000 feet.
The Legacy handles as easily as the Hawker. It was easy to handle down low, and the trailing-link gear makes almost every landing feel good, albeit solid. Moore believes the Legacy is “very forgiving, with good control harmony. Overall, I think it is a well designed aircraft.” The airplane can easily be flown one-handed, I learned, but a firm grip on the handlebars–sorry, yoke–was easier for me. But I did come to realize that with too much pressure you can easily over-control, as I did during the first few approaches when I wagged the wings much like I did my first few times in a Learjet.

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Das ist ein Pilot Report des Vorgängers der aktuellen Legacy 650. Also dürften hier und da ein paar Verbesserungen zu erwarten sein.

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Light the Fires
Once back in the cockpit, a quick look at the eyebrow panel confirms that systems are easy to troubleshoot. But the redundancy built into the Legacy probably won’t offer a pilot much practice with broken items. The aircraft has five 500-amp generators on board, for example, with two on each engine and one on the APU, any one of which can support the entire aircraft. The APU can be air-started up to FL300.
The eyebrow panel also does not extend very high above the pilot’s head, something us old guys with bifocals appreciate. A nice troubleshooting touch is that Embraer has retained the “Miss Brasilia” aural warning system most EMB-120 pilots will remember instead of numerous chimes and bells. Nobody at Embraer claims to know the identity of the sultry voice that warns of oncoming trouble.
The only faults I found in the cockpit were minor, yet somewhat annoying for an aircraft as well thought out as the Legacy. The plastic pull-out trays just below the glareshield used to hold the checklist are so flimsy that the slightest pressure would probably snap them off in your hand. The checklist is also not stored anywhere digitally, which struck me as odd, considering all the other automation on the airplane.
The “before start” flow checklist is pretty simple since everything is depicted on the eyebrow panel. Almost all switches are set to auto before starting. I started the left engine by pulling the start button out, turning momentarily to start and releasing the switch. The rest was automatic, and even with the headset off there was no noticeable noise as the engines spooled up. The FADECs even turned off the packs automatically for the start sequence.
Once we had N2 rotation, the ignition came on at 18 percent. The Legacy does not use any conventional fuel control levers, but the light off began at about 31 percent. The start sequence terminated at near 57-percent N2, and the engine idled smoothly at about 64 percent.
After repeating the process for the right engine, Romanelli called for the clearance and taxi instructions to 9L at Fort Lauderdale International Airport (FLL), Fla., as we put on the Sennheiser noise-canceling headphones that come standard with the Legacy. I was a bit surprised to see headphones in a jet of this size, but I would soon learn they are a valuable asset. Another surprise to me was that the performance information available on the copilot’s MFD must be manually typed into the FADEC. Romanelli told me to expect a first-hour fuel burn of 3,300 pounds at maximum speed, and 2,156 pounds in the second. Long-range-cruise fuel-burn figures are 3,080 pounds for the first hour and 2,068 pounds for the second and a speed of Mach 0.73.
I began the taxi with the gust lock engaged, but there was still plenty of thrust to get the aircraft rolling. The nosewheel steering was very responsive. I did find the brake pedals–a brake-by-wire system–extremely heavy, but they quickly became something every pilot will love for the most part since they make it easier to avoid jerking the passengers around as you turn and stop. For a guy who used to drag the brakes on taxi, I found that the Legacy’s visual brake-temperature indicators on the copilot’s MFD helped keep me honest. Romanelli ran the taxi checks– essentially flaps set to nine degrees, trims and flight instruments checked, along with flight controls.
Still pointed west just before takeoff, we turned on the radar to take a look at the huge cells building over the Everglades that we’d see on the way back. At an outside temperature of 30 degrees C and a takeoff weight of 44,000 pounds, V1 was 117 knots; VR, 127 knots; and V2, 133 knots. Romanelli reminded me not to use the tiller once we lined up for takeoff since the rudder pedals, with six degrees of movement in either direction, would offer plenty of control.
We also discussed the procedures in case of an engine failure. The Legacy offers three takeoff power settings–90-, 100- and 110-percent thrust. If you lose an engine during a 90-percent power takeoff, Embraer’s Automatic Takeoff Thrust Control System (ATTCS) advances the operating engine to 100 percent after sensing the bleed-air temperature difference. If the power is already set to 100 percent when one engine fails, the surviving engine increases to 110 percent. If you’d firewalled the takeoff to 110-percent initially, the operating engine can hold 117-percent power–nearly 9,000 pounds of thrust–for five minutes.
We were cleared for takeoff on runway heading to 3,000 feet. Since we were light, we planned a reduced-thrust takeoff to save a little wear and tear on the engines. The final check before power application is to push the takeoff button on the panel just above the throttles to check the configuration, much like the old manual “FATS” check did to include flaps, airbrakes, trims and speeds. If properly configured for takeoff the female voice confirms, “Takeoff OK.”
On a reduced-thrust takeoff, both air-conditioning packs–one for the cockpit and one for the cabin–remain in operation. If we’d used 100 percent power for takeoff, the packs would have closed automatically when I advanced the thrust levers. If an engine quit on takeoff, the packs would also close automatically as well.
I brought the thrust levers to the takeoff detent–the Legacy does not have autothrottles–as Romanelli selected takeoff thrust on the thrust-rating panel. Despite the high OAT, acceleration was quick. At Vr I pulled back on the yoke, but thanks to an earlier caution from my copilot I stopped the rotation just as the nose came up to about seven or eight degrees. It stopped nicely at about 12 degrees nose up as we left the ground. As the speed increased, I called for gear and flaps up as I aimed for my target climb speed of 240 knots. The plan was to hold 240 knots until 10,000 feet, then accelerate to 290 knots until Mach 0.65, which I’d follow all the way to altitude. Romanelli completed the after-takeoff checks, verifying gear and flaps up and hitting the climb power button on the thrust panel.
We filed over PBI, J79 to SAV, which would put us about 80 miles over the ocean. But it was already quite steamy at our midday departure in South Florida and huge storm cells were everywhere. I continued to hand fly the aircraft as the speed quickly built to 240 knots. As we climbed, I noticed the large windows on the Legacy. They’re tall and wide and wrap slightly behind each pilot for spectacular visibility.
Miami Center was almost inundated since everyone wanted to head in a direction different from their flight plan because of the weather. We leveled and climbed and turned for some 20 minutes, but were finally stopped at FL230. ATC also told us the chances of climbing higher for air work were slim to none as we turned back east around some foaming buildups. By the time the Center controller turned us south and aimed us at the first point on the STAR back to FLL, we knew we were going to be lucky just to get back on the ground with the cells building everywhere.
Although we hadn’t needed it yet, Romanelli explained that the Legacy uses two ice detectors and that ice protection is fully automatic, heating the edges and inlets as necessary. If the system senses ice while descending at idle thrust, the FADEC will keep the power at the required minimum to provide the proper amount of bleed air for heat.
Turning back toward Fort Lauderdale, we asked Miami Center if there was any chance of a few multiple approaches somewhere. There wasn’t. Descending through 13,000 feet, still doing about 280 knots, I tried some Dutch rolls and found the airplane to be a little stiffer than I would like, but certainly quite controllable. We were asked to keep our speed up below 10,000 feet as Miami aimed us at FLL. A huge cell was sitting about six miles west of the airport, so our only option was a left base in for a visual to 9L.
Romanelli added flaps nine degrees when we saw the airport, and I began slowing down even though that flap setting can be added at 250 knots. The gear came out and flaps went to 18 degrees as I turned final, where the air was already getting quite bumpy. Tower warned of a reported wind shear on final as we added flaps 22 and briefed on the possibility of a go-around, although the actual alert never came. At a mile-and-a-half, I called for flaps 45 and aimed for a target of Vref+15 for the wind shear. That turned out to be 138 knots. The ride to the flare was a handful, and on the first landing the runway arrived before I was ready, resulting in a firm landing. The folks in the cabin said the Legacy’s trailing link gear made it feel just fine, but I think they were just being polite.
The reverser handles on the Legacy are almost well hidden under the throttles, and it can take a second or two to find them. But once out, they helped slow the aircraft with little noise increase inside the cabin and no wing-rocking tendency on the runway. Transitioning to the brakes is often where nosewheel dancing begins on many airplanes, but the transition in the Legacy was extremely smooth. The Legacy does require some ample leg muscles on the brakes to stop, however. We taxied back to Embraer’s facility and shut down the airplane, all of us frustrated at flying for only 40 minutes. We were so busy during this short flight that I never had a chance to evaluate much of the airplane’s automation.

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We flew the MSN 001, the original prototype A380. This is also the aircraft Airbus will retain in its fleet to perform additional system and flight tests while the mega-transport enters service and starts to accumulate experience with the airlines.
Chief test pilot Jacques Rosay was the lead pilot for the flight. The flight test engineer was Fernando Alonso. Peter Chandler relieved Rosay during the flight. A few other journalists and assorted Airbus officials rounded out our group, not that it mattered for a 555-passenger-capacity aircraft.
The main deck of MSN 001 was bare, except for the flight engineer station, the necessary computer systems for telemetry and to support the station and the filled water ballast barrels in the rear of the aircraft. There were about 30 business-class seats on the upper deck to accommodate extra people on test flights.
Because of my seniority in overall flying experience and in time logged at Aviation Week & Space Technology, I was given the opportunity to be the first pilot at the controls, a position that allowed me to input data into the flight management system, start the engines and perform the takeoff. In left seat with Rosay in the right, the size of the cockpit was larger than I expected. It was similar to other Airbus cockpits, although there were some significant modifications. I was comfortable with the Airbus layout, having flown the A320 in 1987, the A340-200 in 1992, the A330-200 in 1998 and the A340-600 in early 2002. I flew the A318 in May 2003 with Rosay.
The 47.6-sq.-ft. flight deck can accommodate three observer seats behind the pilot and copilot. A double flight crew rest compartment can be installed behind the cockpit as an option.
Also noticeable as I took my position was the new onboard information system (OIS) 12-in. display in front of the side-stick control. Access to the OIS is through a laptop computer installed on a sliding tray below the instrument panel. The OIS can provide flight ops information such as weight and balance, weather and operational checklists and charts and maps. Cabin crew and passenger information also is included, as are maintenance documents.
One of the other noticeable cockpit changes is the addition of two color multifunction displays, bringing the total to eight Diehl Avionik Systeme 6 X 8-in. liquid crystal presentations. The displays are larger than those found in the A330/340 series. The screens are interchangeable and pilots can rotate through display options with a manual "reconfigure" button located outboard of the primary flight displays. As in other Airbus aircraft, the screens reconfigure automatically with any display failures.

Once comfortable in the seat, Rosay had me inserting data into the takeoff page using the Keyboard and Cursor Control Unit (KCCU). The new feature is a control box that uses a trackball and a computer-like keyboard. I found the task to be fairly intuitive, once I had mastered placing the cursor over the desired location, using the keys and then entering with a button on the side of the trackball. We used the trackball to enter runway-in-use, center-of-gravity and numerous other data. The trackball also was employed to modify the preset flight plan.
Gross weight of MSN 001 at the ramp was 859,000 lb., with fuel accounting for 198,400 lb. The center of gravity was calculated to be 35.4%, with center of gravity at 35% at zero fuel weight. On the fairly standard morning, the V1 takeoff decision speed was 130 kt., the rotation speed 140 kt. and the takeoff safety speed was set at 145 kt. With consideration for the new pilot making the takeoff, and at the lower gross weight, the maximum continuous/flexible takeoff setting for the throttles was set at 50C. This simulated a high-temperature takeoff with a lower power setting. We were using approximately 75% of the available 280,000 lb. of thrust.
I started the No. 4 engine, followed by No. 3, as we were being towed from the ramp in front of the test-flight center to the beginning of the taxiway. The remaining two engines were started by the same method of placing the engine master switch "on" while the ignition start switch was still in operation. The Rolls-Royce engines reached idle quickly and remained well within the temperature starting limits. Rosay said the Rolls' engines had performed very well during flight testing, with no performance issues.
The checklists had been presented on the center display, and Rosay was able to mark them as completed on the Electronic Centralized Aircraft Monitoring (ECAM) control. Before taxi, we also had the opportunity to look at all of the aircraft systems on the center display. As a former Boeing 707 flight engineer, I found that the system schematics were naturally more complex than the older aircraft, but easy to understand and follow after a short time. It is evident that pilots and engineers used the venerable Airbus cockpit design as a starting point, but then incorporated lessons learned, safety enhancements, new technology and operator input into the A380's cockpit.
Power was needed to initiate the taxi roll, but then idle power was enough to keep us at a comfortable taxi speed with slight use of brakes. Taxi guidance was provided on the navigation display with up to five-times magnification. The A380 is equipped with a belly-mounted video and one on the tail fin. The belly-mounted camera looks at the nose gear, and makes it easy to follow the yellow taxi lines. There also are target points on the video display that indicate where to align the yellow taxi line for turns. During one turn, I used too much nose-wheel steering and scrubbed the tires, but quickly brought the steering back to operate the rest of the turn smoothly. The wheelbase between the nose wheel and main gear is 97.4 ft., about 3 ft. shorter than the Boeing 777-300's and 11.2 ft. shorter than the A340-600's. I found it was easier to taxi and make turns in the A380 than in the -600 primarily because of the shorter wheelbase and steering guides.
Flaps were set at the No. 3 takeoff position and pitch trim was set at 4 deg. High-lift control is provided by eight slats, three flaps and three ailerons on each wing. In the A380, the stabilizer trim wheel next to the throttles has been removed and a pitch trim switch is located at the rear of the center pedestal.
Once on Runway 32L at the Toulouse Airport, I added power initially to 30% of thrust available to check engine operation, released the brakes and then went to the flexible takeoff detente on the throttles. Acceleration was smooth and I rotated at 140 kt. with the side-stick control and set up near a 10-deg. nose-up attitude at a 2.5 deg./sec. pitch rate.
I found using the side-stick controller on takeoff to be very natural, and although I have not flown one for several years, I did not have a tendency to overcontrol, either in pitch or laterally. The time-to-rotate at the reduced gross weight and reduced power setting was 37 sec. and the distance was 4,400 ft. The time-to-a-35-ft. altitude was 43 sec. and distance was close to 6,000 ft.
Landing gear was raised at proof of a positive climb. The two nose wheels, eight wing landing wheels and 12 wheels making up the body landing gear were raised with wheel doors closed within 30 sec. I timed the sequence for extension and retraction later while at the flight test engineer station and this, too, was achieved in the same time frame. The A380 incorporates a 5,000-psi. hydraulic system.
The flaps were raised while accelerating during the climb, although they would have been retracted to the No. 1 flaps position at 212 kt. by the auto-retraction system.
During the initial part of the climb to FL300, I again had time to examine the display layout. Normally the navigation display is to the right of the captain's primary flight display. The center display would be used for engine instruments and other active systems. Other systems could be shown on the lower center, while the adjoining multifunction displays could reveal flight plan data or other relevant operational information. There is ample space to exhibit more information than would ever be needed by the pilots.
ANOTHER NEW FEATURE is a vertical flight information read-out positioned on the bottom of the primary flight display that shows safety and vertical flight plan altitudes, terrain and weather. On the ground, the vertical display is replaced by the slats configuration and takeoff power setting, with room for messages at this same location.
I relinquished the left seat to another pilot/journalist to finish the climb to FL300 and perform some other maneuvers. Climb-to-cruise altitude took nearly 18 min. Airbus pilots say that at full maximum gross weight the initial altitude would be FL330, and would be achieved in 26 min. During this portion of the flight I sat at the flight-test engineers station with Alonso. He says one difference between the approach to flight testing is that Airbus relies heavily on telemetry from the aircraft to a ground station, whereas Boeing tends to put more engineers on the aircraft during flight test.

The A380 retains the same envelope protections as the rest of the Airbus A320/330/340 fleet. Rolling into a turn, no back-pressure is needed until a 33-deg. bank, and the aircraft flight control system will not let you exceed a 67-deg. bank angle. The guest pilot then slowed down and deployed flaps and slats to the No. 3 landing/takeoff position. The pilot was flying the aircraft with full backstick applied at 120 kt. and at a 14-deg. angle of attack, prior to the automatic recovery with power and slight nose-over. The weight of the transport at this point was 822,465 lb. As part of the envelope protection, the aircraft's maximum speed is protected by a gradual nose-up when the speed is exceeded by 10 kt. Airbus test pilots vigorously defend the "warn first, but then we will not let you stall the aircraft" approach to envelope protection.
One of the guest pilots pulled the power back on an outboard engine, and said that at 140 kt. it took less than 50 lb. of rudder pressure to counter the yaw and then less than one-third of available rudder trim to compensate. In his words, during the maneuvering, it was a "non-event."
It was finally my turn to take the left seat again in the pattern for landings. I found the visibility to be very good from this position, both horizontally and over the nose. Rosay said that the down vision is 19.23 deg. when assessing a landing approach. I asked him to set in autothrottle and I would make a manual instrument landing approach to Runway 32L. With more time in the cockpit, I would have attempted to insert the autopilot functions in the glareshield control panel.
Turning on to a long final, the gear was extended and flaps were put to the final landing position. The approach speed was 139 kt., and I was relatively surprised at the flat attitude of the aircraft. Because of the position of the cockpit between the two decks, you do not get the same sense of height as with the 747. The wind was at 9 kt., and nearly down the runway I found the A380 to be extremely stable, with only momentary inputs to the side-stick controller required to make any pitch or heading changes to stay with the flight director's command bars. At 50 ft., I started the flare from a stable 3-deg. approach, and retarded the throttles at the command of the autopilot voice at 20 ft. Touchdown occurred at 130 kt. with slightly less than a 4-ft./sec. descent rate. Overall, it was a smooth landing. After Rosay reconfigured for takeoff, I advanced the throttles to the takeoff/go-around position and entered the pattern once again.
While I had not used them for the go-around, the A380 only has thrust reversers on the inboard engines, which lessened the weight of the aircraft. Additional reversers were not needed because of the relatively slow landing speed and efficient brakes.
After climbing to pattern altitude, I asked Rosay whether I could make a better landing than my first. He said very unlikely, so I relinquished my next landing opportunity to another pilot. Might as well stop while ahead. The four others--a Southwest Airlines pilot with an Air Force test pilot background, a Lufthansa captain flying Lockheed MD-11 cargo aircraft, a Canadian test pilot with Bombardier and Embraer 170 series flying under his belt, and a pilot with business aircraft experience--all made very good landings. All of us, with our varied experience, were able to operate the aircraft with comparative ease and make very credible landings.
Claude Lelaie, vice president of Airbus's flight division, says feedback from customer airline pilots who flew the A380 in the past year was much the same as ours. The main difference was that many of the earlier pilots were already rated in the A330/A340 and were able to take over their own inputs into the autopilot system, as needed.
After the final landing, Rosay rotated the pilots who had not had the opportunity to taxi the aircraft in some taxi exercises. It appeared that they did not have much difficulty in the ground operations of the aircraft from their comments after the flight.
Total time blocks to blocks was 3.5 hr., with about 3 hr. flight time. We used nearly 88,000 lb. of fuel, but much of that was expended during the eight touch-and-go, and one final, landings.
From my association with Airbus aircraft during the past 20 years, I have found that the French company is very good at incorporating new technology into their aircraft to improve reliability, safety, situational awareness and overall operating efficiency.
The A380, despite its large presence, is a pilot's aircraft. It earns this accolade because of its excellent flying qualities, precise ground handling and the large amount of flight, system and operational information available. This flight reaffirmed that I do prefer the side-stick controller over the yoke for operational flying.
Only time will tell whether passenger acceptance for the A380 will match the pilot's enjoyment in flying this new addition to the Airbus family.

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During the walk-around inspection, you'll notice large, fixed surfaces, called delta fins, extending prominently below the tail of the aircraft. They greatly increase the pitch-down moment at high angles of attack and add to the yaw stability of the aircraft; because of these fins, there is only a single yaw damper installed, and it is not required for dispatch as on many other jets.
The Lear 45XR's wing is a beautiful, 13-degree-swept, supercritical airfoil that looks like it was carved from a single bar of Ivory soap; in fact, the upper and lower skins are machined from a solid piece of aluminum. It has no fences or leading edge slats, yet it does have vortilons along the leading edge to prevent spanwise flow, and interesting little metal triangles along the leading edge to prevent flow separation at high angles of attack. The entire polished leading edge is heated by bleed air (as are the horizontal-tail leading edges). Gracefully swept winglets add to the wing's slow speed abilities and boost its efficiency at high altitude by about 20 percent. This is not your father's Learjet wing.
A single point pressure refueling system (SPPR), located under the right engine pylon, is a welcome addition to an airplane in this category; the entire 904-gallon fuel system can be filled in about 10 minutes, expediting quick turnarounds. The fueling panel and associated valves are powered by the emergency battery bus, thus obviating the need for the aircraft system to be powered when filling the tanks. That's a nice feature.
Something else that will be welcomed by any corporate pilot or ground crewman who has juggled a too-full potty or collection bag down the aisle of a corporate jet is an external access door to service the potty. Oh, the simple things!
Another great addition to this aircraft is the Honeywell APU, located above the baggage compartment. When operating in the boonies, where conditioned air and electrical power carts are often scarce, an APU makes you more self-sufficient. It is approved for use only on the ground, burns just 150 pounds of fuel per hour, provides electrical and pneumatic power, and can easily precool or preheat the 410-cubic-foot cabin before passenger arrival. That's a big deal for corporate pilots dedicated to passenger comfort.

Let's Fly
The Lear cockpit is tight, requiring a bit of dexterity to step over the center console, around the floor-mounted control column and into the seat - without banging your head. The rudder pedals are electrically adjustable, and the pilot seat is adjustable both vertically and horizontally. Many Lear pilots, including Chris, sit a little below the optimum eye height to give themselves more headroom. You sit quite close to the sharply swept windshield, which provides excellent visibility, but I bumped my head several times on the left side of the headliner as I adapted to the limitations of my new cockpit space.
Engine starts are simple. Just press and release the guarded start button for each engine and monitor as the DEEC schedules the proper amount of fuel; if the start goes badly, the thrust lever is lifted and pulled aft.
This aircraft has digital nosewheel steering, which, admittedly, takes some getting used to; the variable-rate system allows 60 degrees of steering authority at slow speeds and is limited to just seven degrees of travel at more than 70 knots, which prevents overcontrolling. When moving slowly, full-scale application of rudder coupled with pressure on a sensor in the pedal allows the pilot to make very tight turns in confined ramps. At first, the system seems too sensitive, but with attention and finesse you can soon master it. Maybe even love it.

The landing gear is a beefy, dual-wheeled, trailing-link arrangement, designed for an airplane weighing 36,000 pounds. It utilizes BBW (brake-by-wire) carbon brakes, and, as in any BBW system, the brakes don't feel like "real" (hydraulic) brakes because the feedback to your feet is through springs instead of hydraulic pressure. This takes some getting used to, and exerting maximum effort for braking, it feels rather indefinite. But the carbon brakes are powerful and contribute to the aircraft's impressive stopping and balanced field-length numbers. Chris claims the jet will stop in 800 feet at light weights, but on my two maximum-performance landing attempts, I didn't get anywhere near that mark — I didn't want to abuse Lear's nice, shiny demonstrator. I did, however, turn off Wichita's Mid Continent Runway 19R at the same intersection I had used in my Cessna 185 when landing just hours before.
The aircraft I flew was equipped with a small galley behind the pilot seats, a double-club seating arrangement with eight leather passenger seats and a fully enclosed potty, which can be used as an additional legal seat if needed. Opposite the potty is a handy, 15-cubic-foot, in-flight-accessible baggage area.
Though its demonstrator didn't have it, Learjet will soon offer SwiftBroadband Internet access, color cabin management system touch screens, an iPod docking station, newly redesigned crew seats, wireless electronic EFBs with optional GPS and XM Weather, and better Rosen visors in the cockpit. All interior appointments on this aircraft were elegant, with fit and finish appropriate to an aircraft costing more than $12 million. Learjet does all of its own interior completions in Wichita.
The Lear 45XR is equipped with a four-screen Honeywell Primus 1000 avionics suite, with TCAS and EGPWS. The system is very intuitive and well-organized. All autopilot functions are controlled through the glareshield control panel. A centrally located EICAS (Engine Instrumentation and Crew Alerting System) calls the crew's attention to system operations and abnormal alerts. WAAS capability and electronic flight bags are available as options, though this aircraft didn't have them installed. No paperless chart option is available yet.
One of the unique features of the Honeywell Primus system is called "third cockpit." In the unlikely event that both generators fail and the ship's battery is depleted, small, centrally located screens, called RMUs, or radio management units, display engine and system information and allow you to select VHF radios and even shoot an ILS.
With two pilots and two passengers aboard and full fuel, our takeoff gross weight on Wichita's 10,301-foot Runway 19R was 20,450 pounds, about a thousand pounds below maximum takeoff weight; balanced field length was 5,530 feet. We could have taken five more 175-pounders and flown to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, with 1½ hours of reserve fuel — or flown anywhere in the continental United States with generous reserves.
One area in which the aircraft really shines is the ability to lift loads from a high-altitude airport and transport them a long way. For example, on a 72-degree day in 7,820-foot-elevation Aspen, Colorado, the 45XR can fly eight passengers anywhere in the continental United States. It could fly those same eight passengers to the West Coast at temperatures up to 90 degrees.
We used flaps eight for takeoff, and speeds were V1, 115; Vr, 118; V2, 128. After lining up on the centerline, the thrust levers are pushed three clicks to the takeoff thrust setting, and the single DEEC (digital electronic engine control) takes care of refining the power setting for the day's temperature and pressure altitude. All you do is monitor the engines for exceedences, and drive. Acceleration was brisk even at our weight. Nosewheel steering on takeoff takes some finesse to make it smooth for the passengers, but V1 and rotation come quickly. Rotation forces are surprisingly high for a small jet, but this makes proper pitch attitude easy to establish for initial climb; the aircraft just stays put. Roll rates are a little heavier than on earlier Lears, though the initial breakout forces in roll are quite light.
I hand-flew the jet during the climb with numerous excursions to get the feel of the aircraft. ATC was smiling on us and allowed an unrestricted climb to FL 430. In spite of my maneuvering and not caring if I climbed consistently on schedule, we reached FL 430 in 19 minutes; we could have reached this altitude without leveling off even at max weight. Once there, with ISA -4 degrees outside, the aircraft accelerated to Mach .80 and fuel flow was around 1,100 pounds per hour. I performed steep turns and purposely loaded the wing a bit to feel the low rumble of airflow separation, noting that the low-speed airspeed "foot" on the primary flight display was never very close to our indicated airspeed; this indicates a comfortable margin above stall. Again, this added to my warm, fuzzy, comfortable feeling flying the Lear 45.
To demonstrate the impressive pressurization system, Chris set one engine at MCT and pulled the other engine back to idle at Flight Level 430; the cabin didn't even flinch. He then turned off the bleed air to the engine he had pulled back. Again, the cabin pressurization didn't seem to care. So he turned all engine and wing bleed air on, further taxing the bleed air system, and the cabin was still stable. That's impressive, and it's partly a result of the airplane having passed stringent certification requirements for operation at Flight Level 510. Though you probably won't regularly spend much time at FL 510, the capability is there when you are light (below 16,500 pounds or so). Realistically, the stringent requirements for FL 510 certification translate into a more robust pressurization system, with stronger cabin doors and a better emergency oxygen system.
In the real world, you will probably fly this aircraft routinely in the middle 40s, and it's very capable of climbing straight to FL 430 or FL 450 at max weight. Once there, the aircraft will turn in a solid Mach .78 to .80 on about a thousand pounds of fuel per hour, depending on temperature. Climbing to FL 470, our fuel flow dropped to 1,047 pounds per hour total, or approximately 156 gallons per hour.
First landing was at about 18,300 pounds, and the aircraft made me look good with the forgiving trailing-link landing gear. Approach speeds were initially 119 knots and lowered to 117 knots as we circled Wichita's pattern, doing multiple touch-and-goes. Single-engine departure, approach and landing were nonevents due to the excess climb performance of the aircraft. Rudder pressure with the engine pulled back was light, and I trimmed very little to compensate for the missing thrust. What an enjoyable airplane to fly.
The Lear 45XR is an impressive combination of range, economy, load-carrying capability, comfort and price. It's a solid, mature design that offers a lot of bang for the buck in the "super-light" segment of the market shared with the Citation XLS. From a pilot's perspective, it's simple and comfortable to fly and a very capable jet that makes the pilot look good because of all the missions it will accomplish with aplomb. It's easy to see why pilots, companies and individual owners love this Swiss Army knife of jets.

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The G550 was certified on schedule last fall and entered service before the end of the year. Not long before the airplane was certified, Gulfstream offered me a chance to fly it on an actual test flight. The cockpit was complete, but the cabin space was unfinished and stuffed with flight test engineers and their monitoring and recording equipment.
You have to be a Gulfstream expert to tell the difference between a GV and G550 on the ramp. Counting seven windows is the surest way to know that you are looking at the flagship of the fleet. The redesigned trailing edges of the wing, recontoured engine pylons, and many other drag reduction changes take a close look and trained eye to spot.
But when you step into the cockpit, there is no mistaking the G550 for any other airplane. The PlaneView system is unique to Gulfstream and is the product of years of expert pilot input and testing to establish what the company believes is the optimum way to present a wealth of information to the flight crew.
It takes weeks at FlightSafety International to earn a G550 type rating, which is the same as the GV, so it is impossible to explain even a tiny minority of what PlaneView can do. I think that probably the most important difference is that the sheer size of the displays allows Plane-View to open windows so that flight, navigation, safety and system data can be shown as each pilot wants it without being obscured by other information.

The display window is one-sixth the size of the entire display, and can, of course, be opened as one-third, or two-thirds, as well as one-sixth. The primary flight display (PFD) information will not be smaller than two-thirds of each outboard display, but the remaining third can be used to show anything from the wheel brake status page to traffic alerts to engine operation, and so on. The two multifunction displays in the middle can be used to show a massive moving map display of terrain and flight guidance, or can be windowed to show everything from the opened or closed status of every door and hatch on the airplane to real time flight control positions.

Gulfstream retained the display controllers mounted in front of each pilot in the glareshield that are used to manage most display modes as they are on the GIV and GV. But the cursor controls can also be used to click on menus to control many PlaneView functions.
Gulfstream test pilots devoted countless hours to testing and redesigning the cockpit cursor controls. Track balls, all types of computer mouse controls, joysticks and other computer devices were all put to the test in Gulfstream's engineering simulator, and in flight. But no off-the-shelf computer control satisfied the test pilots, so they developed their own cursor control that resembles a pistol grip. There is a trigger switch, a thumb switch to move the cursor up and down, and left and right, a series of buttons to move the cursor from screen to screen and perform other tasks. There is also a wheel that falls naturally to your thumb to scroll items on the screens.
The Gulfstream cursor controls are built into the outboard armrest so your forearm is supported and your hand rests naturally on the control handle. Your thumb and index finger do the work, leaving the other fingers and the palm of your hand to stabilize operations in turbulence. Using your outboard hand to operate the cursor is intuitive from either seat in the cockpit, just as using the electric pitch trim switch on the outboard side of the yoke is. Other airplane manufacturers are devising their own methods of controlling a cursor on advanced avionics, but the ease of use and precision under all flight conditions of the Gulfstream control is going to be hard to beat.
Gulfstream has offered a HUD for several years and certified its EVS infrared system more than a year ago, but both systems are improved in the G550. One important change is to the HUD itself, which now, thanks to some remote electronics, occupies less space in the cockpit ceiling. The display glass is the same size, but the big bulge in the headliner is gone. There is also a head-down display that shows the copilot the same EVS view that the captain can see on the combiner glass so the copilot can monitor both the conventional flight instruments and the EVS view during an approach.
For our test flight, 16,000 out of a capacity of 41,300 pounds of fuel were loaded in the wings. With pilots and flight test engineers and their equipment, gross weight for takeoff was 62,383 pounds. Maximum takeoff weight in the G550 is 91,000 pounds, and with the tanks full a typical G550 will have 1,800 pounds of payload available for passengers and their baggage. That is considerably more payload than in a typical GV, thanks to a lower empty weight in the G550 before the interior is installed.
The G550 requires very little runway for an airplane of such size and range. At maximum takeoff weight on a standard day, only 5,910 feet of pavement are required, and remember, that is fueled for a trip from say, New York to Bahrain, or London to Buenos Aires. Fueled for a short hop of say New York to Los Angeles, runway requirements can be less than 3,500 feet.
Climb performance is equally impressive, as the G550 will climb directly to 41,000 feet after a maximum weight takeoff, and can be at its ceiling of 51,000 feet with fuel for mere transcontinental trips. A maximum cabin pressure differential of 10.2 psi keeps the cabin altitude at or below 6,000 feet while most other jet cabins can climb as high at 8,000 feet. On trips over 10 hours you can really feel the difference a lower cabin makes.
The first item on the flight test card was to fly the G550 to the stall barrier stick pusher in various configurations to make sure the pusher was firing at the proper angle of attack. The big jet is mild mannered in all configurations. Another test point was to turn off one of the Honeywell laser gyro inertial navigation systems and make sure it could re-align itself in flight. The unit was back up to attitude and heading reference quality in a short time and in just a few minutes had found itself and was back producing accurate and independent navigation guidance.
There were thunderstorms to dodge, and it was revealing to see the weather radar returns overlaid on such a variety of maps and other nav information on the PlaneView displays. We weaved our way between the storms to Asheville, North Carolina, for an approach using only the EVS infrared picture on the HUD. The high terrain, airport environment, and details of the runway are all clearly shown in that green glowing image on the HUD, and it's a piece of cake to land without ever seeing the actual runway, but that would be illegal. The HUD and EVS are approved to continue down to 100 feet below normal Category I ILS minimums, at which point you must see the actual approach or runway lights to continue.
Flying around the North Carolina mountains emphasized the layers of protection the PlaneView system offers pilots and passengers in a G550. First, the terrain warning system is comparing our position and flight path to the known elevation of terrain stored in its memory. You can see an artificial topographical map on the PlaneView showing the height of terrain relative to your flight path. Get too close and a voice calls out a warning and shows you the best escape route on the display. And if you somehow fail to notice that warning, EVS looks through darkness and clouds to show you a picture of the terrain on the HUD. And if cabin pressure were ever lost, the autopilot system retards the power and automatically rolls the G550 into an emergency descent and levels off at a breathable altitude, giving an incapacitated crew time to recover.
On our return to Savannah the PlaneView system proved its worth for real. A thunderstorm was just west of the airport moving east. We were landing on Runway 27. The tower controller said the storm had not yet reached the airport, but it was close. On the PlaneView displays we could see the edge of the radar return overlaid on the interactive navigation map (I-NAV) and see that the storm had not yet reached our runway. Gulfstream test pilot Tom Horne and I discussed which way to turn if we had to go around, but with the autothrottles nailing the target airspeed and the wind shear warning system looking for trouble, it made perfect sense to continue the approach and land.
With its enormous 93.5-foot wingspan, the G550 touches down softly in ground effect. As the main landing gear wheels spin up the big ground spoilers automatically deploy to keep you on the pavement. And then comes the second landing, which is somewhat more challenging than the first. All Gulfstreams land in a quite nose-high attitude, but the extra length of the GV/G550 fuselage means the nosewheel is way up in the air as the mains touch and start rolling, and that's when you make the second landing by pulling back to keep the nosewheel from banging down. Getting a soft nosewheel touchdown is what separates the Gulfstream pros from the guys like me who only get to fly them occasionally.
The G550 is the latest example of how Gulfstream stays on top. The most obvious feature is the exotic PlaneView cockpit. But the almost invisible changes that lowered the drag, increased the range and save fuel on any length trip are also crucial. And selecting the optimum engine is vital. Consider how Gulfstream has effectively controlled weight to provide more payload while most airplanes gain weight as they mature. Gulfstream gives the G550 a greater interior completion weight allowance, industry leading support, and it is easy to see why Gulfstream remains the leader in large-cabin business jets.

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