This writer was fortunate to be there when Gulfstream rolled out the ultra-long-range, large-cabin G650 from its Savannah, Georgia manufacturing site on Sept. 29, 2009, and then to revisit the jet when the National Aeronautic Association awarded it the prestigious Collier Trophy in June 2015. But until recently, that exposure did not include actually flying on the G650.
So it was a pleasure to accept a Gulfstream invitation to fly with other defense reporters to a special-missions aircraft briefing in Savannah on none other than its flagship business jet. For the July 13 trip, the manufacturer reserved a G650ER it uses as a demonstrator; the newer, extended-range variant has wing tanks that accommodate 4,000 additional pounds of fuel over the G650, pumping up its range to 7,500 nm. Our trip was considerably shorter: we flew back and forth between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Gulfstream’s headquarters at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport, which takes about an hour.
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