Anyone needing to get from Pittsburgh to Paris in around eight hours should visit the Bombardier chalet and enquire about buying a Learjet 60.
For the 100th production aircraft arrived at the show to take up its place in the static display in record-breaking time, taking just 1minute over 8hours to cover the distance of 6,394km.
Having left Pittsburgh's Allegheny airport, weighing 6,938kg, the aircraft burned 4,580kg of fuel for an average consumption of 570kg/h, flying initially at 40,000ft (12,500m) before climbing another 2,000ft. The crew opted to refuel at Gander in Canada after flying a course which took them across Albany, NY.
Pilot Bob Agostino, director of flight operations for Learjet, and his co-pilot Damon Griebel, managed to break the record despite unusually warm temperatures and less-than- favourable winds.
One of the four passengers was Mike Fahey, Learjet's vice-president of international sales and he comments that the aircraft completed the flight between 30min and an hour less than its competitors would have managed.
"The Learjet 60 has proven its ability to outperform its competitors both in distance and speed while offering what is arguably the most comfortable cabin in the mid-size category."
Certified in 1993, the Learjet 60 has captured nearly a third of the market.
Source: Flight Daily News
