AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE NEW GULFSTREAM G700 – A PILOT’S FIRST IMPRESSIONS

By now, most of us have seen the photos and buzz surrounding Gulfstream’s newest flagship, the G700. Beautifully atmospheric imagery takes us through the spacious cabin, showcasing its multiple living areas and the aft stateroom, which is equipped with a queen-length bed. More imagery reveals the most advanced flight deck in the industry, featuring advanced side sticks, touchscreen avionics, and head-up displays for both pilots.

But what is the G700 like to fly?

To answer this, the Flexjet Learning Center sat down with one of Flexjet’s very first G700 pilots, Nora Cole. With much of her aviation experience deeply rooted in instruction and education, she offers unique insight into the G700 and some of its standout features from a pilot’s perspective. Additionally, her varied experience enables her to compare the G700 with a variety of other business aircraft, including the Learjet 35, Embraer Phenom 300, and Bombardier Global Express.

A PILOT’S AIRCRAFT

Nora vividly recalls her first takeoff in the actual aircraft. She had just completed several weeks of in-depth initial training, during which she learned the intricacies of the G700, including its electrical, hydraulic, and fuel systems, as well as their associated procedures. This training was followed by simulator training, during which she developed a mastery of all the various standard and emergency procedures she could be expected to perform aboard the G700.

As she taxied the real aircraft onto a real runway for the first time, her instructor warned her that she would, at long last, feel the thrust that even the best simulators cannot replicate. “Be ready for it,” he said, “It’s really going to push you back into your seat.”

As she taxied the real aircraft onto a real runway for the first time, her instructor warned her that she would, at long last, feel the thrust that even the best simulators cannot replicate. “Be ready for it,” he said, “It’s really going to push you back into your seat.”

That, it did.

Even coming from other jets considered to be quite powerful, Nora was left with one distinct impression as she braced herself against the acceleration – “It’s a rocketship.”

A look at the spec sheet explains it; while only slightly heavier than the Global Express, the G700’s Rolls-Royce Pearl 700 engines produce an additional 8,000 pounds of thrust – a difference that’s more than the total thrust of the Phenom 300 she used to fly.

Another new adjustment came in the form of sidesticks. With all of her time spent in aircraft with traditional control yokes or, in the case of the Phenom, a handlebar-style yoke, the G700 would be her first sidestick-equipped type. She found pitch control to be instantly intuitive, and after a few days of flying, she perfected her roll control inputs as well. She deftly handled crosswind landings without a problem and found the arm position to feel natural and comfortable.

Having spent years training other pilots in everything from single-engine Cessnas to business jets, Nora came to appreciate one particular G700 feature – the active-control sidesticks. Unlike most other sidestick-equipped types with sidesticks that move independently, any movement of one G700 sidestick is instantly mirrored to the other, as though they’re mechanically linked. This enables the non-flying pilot to see, feel, and understand precisely what the other pilot is doing to control the aircraft at any given time, keeping both crewmembers “in the loop” and in perfect sync.

A STREAMLINED AND POLISHED USER INTERFACE

The assortment of flight, radio, and navigation instruments known as avionics directly affects the quality of life for professional pilots. After working her way up through various smaller piston and turboprop types, she reached what she thought would be the absolute pinnacle of avionics design in the form of the Garmin G3000 suite in the Embraer Phenom 300. Compared to less sophisticated systems, it was intuitive and easy to use, making her day-to-day work more relaxed and enjoyable.

Her transition to the Bombardier Global Express proved to be a frustrating one in this regard. The sleek, user-centered interface she was accustomed to gave way to a more archaic, dated, and less intuitive system. In many ways, it was like moving from the ease and simplicity of tapping “record” on a streaming app to wrestling with the clunky mechanics of programming a VCR.

Years later, Nora finds the switch to the G700 refreshing. Like the Phenom, she finds that the avionics “just make sense” and are exceptionally user-friendly. Gulfstream, however, takes things a step further with an advanced touchscreen interface that is both fast and simple to use. Functions that were once buried deep within multiple menus now appear when and where they’re needed.

She’s most impressed with the electronic checklist system. Rather than flipping through physical checklists and searching for specific information in manuals, the system guides her through each checklist and presents any related synoptic pages. It’s even smart enough to omit checklist items that have already been completed, streamlining the process and allowing her to focus on flying and navigation instead of sifting through pages of information to determine where they left off.

IT GETS NOTICED

On paper, the G700 might bear a general resemblance to existing types. It does, after all, share the same engine configuration and layout with predecessors. But Nora observes that, in person, “You know it when you see it.”

On paper, the G700 might bear a general resemblance to existing types. It does, after all, share the same engine configuration and layout with predecessors. But Nora observes that, in person, “You know it when you see it.”

At 110 feet long, 103 feet wide, and standing nearly three stories tall, the G700’s commanding ramp presence is on another level. When taxiing up to an FBO, she notices more heads turning than she did in the Global, with pilots and passengers alike taking note of the new jet.

Standing on the ramp, some of Gulfstream’s most advanced engineering becomes evident. The redesigned winglets are larger and more meticulously sculpted than older versions. Flexjet’s new, G700-specific livery is easy to spot from a distance, adding further exclusivity to the flagship of the fleet.

Up close, the smooth fuselage becomes noticeable. Compared to previous-generation Gulfstreams such as the G550, the G700 utilizes fuselage panels that are bonded rather than riveted. This requires fewer parts, but more importantly, it, along with a seamless paint layout process, makes the fuselage aerodynamically slippery, contributing to the jet’s outstanding speed of 0.935 Mach and range of 7,750 nautical miles.

Inside, the spaciousness of the cabin takes many by surprise. As newcomers explore the various living areas, they often exclaim, “It just keeps on going!” After his first few trips aboard the new jet, Flexjet chairman Kenn Ricci told Nora, “I thought the 650 was all the airplane I would ever need…till I flew on the 700.”

For her part, Nora is smitten. To a pilot with her variety of experience, an aircraft that blends exquisitely engineered reliability, predictable flight characteristics, and an intuitive, human-centric flight deck is as close to perfection as one could ask for. Reflecting on her career progression thus far, she muses, “Unless they send me to another airplane, I may retire in this!”