Karen Walker
With 39 world and US national records to its name, the Gulfstream V is certain to attract attention at Dubai '97, where the aircraft is making its debut public appearance in the Middle East.
Basking in the GV's spotlight will be Bill Boisture, the company's president and chief operating officer.
On a single day in September the GV set 13 world records, three US national records and shattered eight existing records in two weight categories - the C-1K and the C-1L.
Carrying a US National Aeronautic Association observer and a payload of 2,000kg (4,410lb), the GV climbed to 15,545m (51,000ft) in 15min34sec.
Over the course of seven flights, the aircraft set time-to-climb records to 3km, 6km, 9km, 12km and 15km. It also reached a maximum true altitude of 15,555m - beating the previous class maximum altitude record, set by the Soviet Antonov AN-72 transport by 37 per cent.
"The Gulfstream V continues to set the standard for all other aircraft to follow," says Boisture, who is also riding high on the fact that the GV has been chosen recently by the US Air Force to be based at Andrews AFB, Maryland, in support of presidential and other special missions.
The USAF has placed a firm order for two aircraft, plus four options. Both of the firm orders will be delivered in 1998.
"We are proud of our relationship with the USAF and particularly proud that it has ordered this aircraft for special mission roles. It confirms our confidence in the product," he says.
Boisture says there will be a particular emphasis at the show on the GV's special-missions capability. The aircraft is being considered as one of the options by the UK Ministry of Defence as a platform for its airborne standoff radar (ASTOR) battlefield-surveillance programme. Gulfstream is teamed with Lockheed Martin for that project.
"We have had the GV in the UK several times this year and it has had good reviews from the MoD," says Boisture. "It's a very, very effective high-altitude, standoff surveillance platform.
"That is an important programme for us, not only as far as the UK is concerned, but also because we believe that the choice there will affect NATO choices and ultimately, to some extent, choices in the Middle East."
Boisture says the GV has now clocked up 2,500h and 1,200 landings and more than 75 orders.
"We are on track here at Gulfstream to becoming a company that will move from producing two airplanes a month in 1995 to one that will build five a month - a mix of both GVs and GIVSPs - by 1999," he says.
"On the GIV, we have also over the last 18 to 24 months negotiated several long-lead contracts with component suppliers that enable us to price this airplane very competitively."
Fractional ownership is on the verge of a breakthrough in the Middle East, Boisture believes.
"At the Paris Air Show we announced our intentions along with Executive Jet to pursue a programme in the Middle East in what we think will be a very good market for fractional ownership," he says.
"We think, given our knowledge of past aircraft purchases and charter, that fractional ownership will be significantly important.
"North America has by far the most developed and biggest business aviation market and it has embraced fractional ownership.
"We see no reason why the same should not happen here. There will be cultural differences, but fundamentally the economic principle that drives people towards fractional ownership is sound from one region to another."
Source: Flight Daily News
