Gulfstream's G250 is making its show debut here in Atlanta after a 14h 31min, 6,192nm from Tel Aviv, with station stops in Shannon, Bangor and Savannah.
Ronen Shapira, chief pilot for Israel Aerospace Industries and the G250 was accompanied on the trans-atlantic crossing by Captains Ravi Palter and pilot Dov Davidor on the trip from Tel Aviv, along with technicians Uzi Mizrahi and Amir Levi.
The longest of three legs, clocking in at 5h 40m, between Israel to Shannon, Ireland, was stretched to 6h 12min and included avionics testing in Ireland. The testing included a full approach, missed approach testing of the aircraft's Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics, for which the G250 is the launch customer.
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The G250 touched down on US soil Friday in Bangor, Maine, after another 5h and 56min leg in dreadful weather conditions, prompting a 30°F (-1°C), 20-29kt (23-33mph) crosswind landing in heavy rain.
"We had landed previous with a higher crosswind component in Israel," says Shapira. "It was quite uneventful. When you consider the integration between the airplane, the auto-pilot, the auto-throttles and the new wing, you have and airplane with flying qualities very similar to the G550."
The aircraft departed Bangor on 16 October with 8,600lbs (3,900kg) of fuel - below maximum - and climbed directly to 43,000ft (13,100m) at Mach .80 in 18m and flew to Savannah, Georgia, home to the head office of Gulfstream Aerospace, touching down at 11:25 local time.
The aircraft, serial number 2003 transitioned to Atlanta and Peachtree DeKalb Airport on Sunday marking the types show debut along side the large-cabin high-speed Gulfstream G650.
Following its visit to NBAA, G250 will continue its flight test campaign in the US, heading to Bakersfield, California, for far-field noise testing and high altitude takeoff performance in Alamosa, Colorado. The aircraft will visit Savannah once again before returning to Tel Aviv.
Shapira says the aircraft plans to return to the US in January for natural icing tests. Gulfstream plans to certify the super-midsize G250 in 2011 with first delivery to follow by the end of the year.
Source: Flight Daily News
