Gulfstream G650 Closing In On Certification

Gulfstream announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilots have completed all the scheduled flying required for the certification program for Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.’s ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G650.

The G650 received a provisional type certificate from the FAA on Nov. 18, 2011, and is in the process of completing the final certification tests with the FAA to support entry-into-service later this year. As of July, the test fleet had flown more than 3,800 hours during more than 1,160 flights.

The final certification tests included completing the field performance tests, evaluating the aircraft’s performance in natural icing conditions and conducting function and reliability testing.

Judging from a recent visit to Savannah, Mike Mikolay of Guardian Jet reports that Gulfstream appears to be running out of room to house all the aircraft that are awaiting full certification and ultimately deliveries to their new owners.

Mike noted that Gulfstream has rearranged a portion of the Savannah Service Center to house several G650’s which were off-limits behind temporary walls.