Dassault Falcon's 900LX exterior reminded me a bit of a lady caught without her makeup when I first saw her outside Epps Aviation at Atlanta's DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK), site of the NBAA Convention static display this year. The aircraft, F-WWFB, had just completed the ferry flight from the Merignac, France assembly facility. Later, after a two-hour flight, it was clear the winglet-equipped bird will be a worthy successor to the 900EX once she's painted and interiored. The LX's winglets–the same ones used on the 2000–are in fact, the only noticeable differences between the LX and EX. Even the aircraft maximum takeoff weight remains 49,200 pounds. July certification of the $39 million LX, however, means the end of the production line for the 900EX.
More perfect first-flight weather could not have been had (it was clear and 20 miles visibility) as I began the preflight of "Whiskey Foxtrot Bravo" with Dassault's Merignac chief pilot Frédéric Lascourréges at my side. To be fair to 900LX competitors, the interior-free aircraft I flew at NBAA was extremely light; its basic operating weight (BOW) was only 24,000 pounds. Even with our planned 10,000-pound fuel load, the airplane was still 15,500 pounds under max gross. The BOW on standard-equipped 900LXs should end up closer to 26,500 pounds.
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