The World Standard

The World Standard®
Since 1958, when the Gulfstream I® was introduced as the world’s first
purpose-built business airplane, we have manufactured, serviced and
supported more than 1,900 jet aircraft.
A long-standing reputation for comfort, performance, reliability and safety
has earned us a prominent position in business aviation. Just as our aircraft
have evolved, so, too, has our company.
Looking ahead, we’re excited about the future and invite you to learn more
about our company.
Whatever the destination
the journey
will be magnificent.
The Beginning
The business that evolved into Gulfstream Aerospace
Paulson became the president and CEO of the company,
Corporation started in the late 1950s when Grumman
renaming it Gulfstream American. He made a priority of
Aircraft Engineering Company, a company known for military
developing the Gulfstream III, a new aircraft designed to
aircraft production, developed a marketable business
achieve greater range and speed than the GII. The GIII
aircraft at its manufacturing facilities in Bethpage, New York.
made its first flight in December 1979, with the first delivery
Dubbed the Gulfstream (and later the Gulfstream I or GI),
of the aircraft occurring in 1980. It was the first business
the turboprop aircraft was named after the Gulf Stream,
jet to fly over both poles.
the current that flows along the coast of Florida, which was
a favored vacationing spot for Grumman executives. The
Gulfstream Takes Flight - The ’80s
GI could seat 12 passengers comfortably, had a maximum
In 1981, Gulfstream introduced the Gulfstream GIIB. The
speed of 350 mph (563 km/h) at 25,000 feet (7,620 km)
GIIB had a modified GII fuselage and the GIII wings,
and a range of 2,200 miles (3,541 km). The newly developed
complete with winglets. The variant offered weight and
aircraft, the first of its kind designed specifically for
performance characteristics similar to the GIII, but with the
business travel, was a success in the business world,
shorter GII fuselage. Gulfstream completed and delivered
prompting Grumman to develop a jet-powered corporate
approximately 40 GIIBs.
aircraft called the Gulfstream II or GII.
Under Paulson’s leadership, the Savannah work force
The ’60s
grew to 2,500 employees by the spring of 1982. Also in
At the start of the GII program, Grumman officials separated
this year, the company’s name changed to Gulfstream
the company’s civil and military aircraft production to
Aerospace Corporation to reflect its worldwide scope,
improve efficiency. In 1966, they relocated the civilian
and a new plane, the Gulfstream IV, was conceived. The
component to Savannah, Georgia. There they found the
following year, Gulfstream offered a total of 8.8 million
needed supply of skilled labor, an established airfield
shares of its stock to the public. In 1985, Gulfstream
adjacent to the plant site and sufficient acreage for
first appeared on the Fortune 500 list, at No. 417. Shortly
expansion. Transportation facilities suitable for heavy
thereafter, Chrysler Corporation acquired Gulfstream
equipment and machinery and weather favorable to
as a part of the automaker’s plan to diversify and move
year-round flight-testing and flight-training operations
into high-tech industries. Two years later, the 200th and
further enhanced Savannah’s appeal. The new building in
last Gulfstream III produced was delivered, and the first
Chatham County opened in June 1967 and was officially
delivery of a Gulfstream IV took place. The GIV was the
dedicated on September 29, 1967. It housed production
first jet in business aviation to have an all-glass cockpit. In
and flight testing for the GII. The initial 100-person work
1989, when Chrysler decided to sell Gulfstream, Paulson
force that built the GII was 90 percent local and grew to
teamed up with Forstmann Little & Company – a private
more than 1,700 within a few years.
equity firm specializing in leveraged buyouts – and bought
Gulfstream back.
The ’70s
In 1972, Grumman merged with light-aircraft manufacturer
American Aviation Corp. The 256th and final GII delivery took
place in 1977. One year later, the Gulfstream line and
the Savannah plant were sold to American Jet Industries,
which was headed by little-known aviation entrepreneur
Allen Paulson.
Opposite, clockwise from top left: Gulfstream I interior; Gulfstream II;
Gulfstream III; Gulfstream IV.
The ’90s
In 2002, Gulfstream renamed its products, using Arabic
The decade that followed the 1989 repurchase was a
numerals instead of Roman numerals to differentiate its
time of significant advancements for Gulfstream. The
aircraft. At the time, the company’s lineup included the
company signed a five-year contract with NetJets in 1994.
ultra long-range G550 and G500, the long-range G400,
It completed the Gulfstream V Integration Test Facility and
the mid-range G300 and G200, and the high-speed G100.
rolled out the GV – the first ultra-long range business jet
Also in 2002, Gulfstream introduced its Airborne Product
– in 1995. The opening of a $16 million Savannah service
Support aircraft, a specially equipped G100. It is used to
center with 136,000 square feet (12,635 sq m) of hangar
deliver parts and provide anytime service to Gulfstream
space followed in 1996. In 1997, Gulfstream began the
customers in North America and the Caribbean who are
simultaneous manufacture of two different aircraft models
operating aircraft under warranty. In 2003, Gulfstream
– the GIV-SP and the GV. Within a few months of the GV’s
acquired a service center at the London-Luton Airport,
first delivery in June 1997, it set nearly 40 city-pair and/or
the first Gulfstream-owned service center to be operated
speed and distance records, and its industry team was
outside the United States. Also, in 2003, the long-range
awarded the 1997 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the highest
G450 was introduced, and the large-cabin, mid-range
honor in aeronautics or astronautics in North America.
G350 was presented a year later. In 2004, Gulfstream was
awarded the 2003 Collier Trophy for the development of the
Gulfstream: A General Dynamics Company –
G550. It was the second time in less than a decade that
The New Millennium
Gulfstream had won the award. The G550 is the first civil
At the end of the 1990s, General Dynamics, a giant in the
aircraft to receive a type certificate issued by the Federal
defense industry, purchased Gulfstream. The company
Aviation Administration (FAA) that includes an Enhanced
focused on enhancing product performance and lowering
Vision System (EVS) as standard equipment on an aircraft.
costs. It opened a $5.5 million aircraft refurbishment and
The aircraft also contained the first cockpit to incorporate
completions support facility in Savannah in 2000. In 2001,
PlaneView®, an integrated avionics suite featuring four 14-
it acquired Galaxy Aerospace Company LP and with it,
inch (36 cm) liquid crystal displays in landscape format.
the mid-size Astra SPX and super mid-size Galaxy, which
were later rebranded the G100 and G200, respectively.
Also in 2001, Gulfstream purchased four U.S. maintenance
facilities in Dallas; Las Vegas; Minneapolis; and West
Palm Beach, Florida. Those service centers, along with
a Gulfstream facility in Westfield, Massachusetts, formed
General Dynamics Aviation Services, which maintained
and repaired Gulfstream and other business-jet aircraft. As
part of the brand consolidation of the General Dynamics
Aerospace group, which included Jet Aviation as of 2008,
the General Dynamics Aviation Services locations and two
others in Appleton, Wisconsin, and Lincoln, California, were
rebranded as Gulfstream facilities in January 2011 but they
continue to maintain other business-jet aircraft.
Opposite: The early 2000 joint rollout of the 400th GIV and the
100th GV was a major success.
A Leader in Innovation
dimensional color image of terrain overlaid with the primary
In 2005, Gulfstream became the first business-jet
flight display instrument symbology, which are arranged
manufacturer to offer an in-flight, ultra-high-speed Internet
on the screen to create a large-view area for terrain. By
connection – its Broad Band Multi-Link (BBML) system.
early 2008, the FAA had certified both EVS II and SV-PFD.
Gulfstream was also the first to design and develop a means
of reducing the sonic boom caused by an aircraft “breaking”
Continuing to Soar
the sound barrier – the Quiet Spike. The Quiet Spike is a
On March 13, 2008, Gulfstream unveiled the Gulfstream
telescopic nose device that softens the effect of the sonic
G650®, the largest, most technologically advanced aircraft
boom by smoothing the pressure wave created by flying at
in the Gulfstream fleet. The G650 offers the longest range,
the speed of sound.
fastest speed, largest cabin, and the most advanced
cockpit. It is capable of traveling 7,000 nautical miles
In 2006, the 22-year production run of the G100 ended
(12,964 km) at Mach 0.85 or 5,000 nautical miles (9,260
and the G150 entered service to take its place. The G150
km) at Mach 0.90.* Using an advanced aerodynamic
was the first business jet to be certified by the Federal
design, the G650 has a maximum operating speed of
Aviation Administration (FAA) for Stage 4, the industry’s
Mach 0.925, which will make it the fastest civil aircraft
most stringent noise standards. Also in 2006, Gulfstream
flying. It can climb to a maximum altitude of 51,000 feet
announced plans to expand its manufacturing and service
(15,545 m), allowing it to avoid airline-traffic congestion
facilities in Savannah. The seven-year, $400 million Long-
and adverse weather.*
Range Facilities Master Plan included the creation of a
new 624,588-square-foot (58,026 sq m) service center, an
On Oct. 5, 2008, Gulfstream announced another addition to
independent fuel farm, a 42,600-square-foot (3,958 sq m),
its business-jet fleet: the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream
state-of-the-art paint hangar and the addition of a new
G250. The G250 offers the largest cabin and the longest
Sales and Design Center. As a result of the expansion,
range at the fastest speed in the super mid-size class. It
employment at the facility was expected to grow by some
is capable of traveling 3,400 nautical miles (6,297 km) at
1,100 jobs. To meet the need for engineering office space,
Mach 0.80 and has a maximum operating speed of Mach
Gulfstream opened two Research and Development
0.85.* It can reach its 41,000-foot (12,497 m) initial cruise
Centers (RDC I in 2006 and RDC II in 2008) as well as a
altitude in just 20 minutes and can climb to a maximum
laboratory complex. The Research and Development
altitude of 45,000 feet (13,716 m).* Both aircraft are well
complex accommodates approximately 1,000 technical
into their test programs as of December 2010. Certification
and engineering employees focused on Gulfstream’s
of both is planned for 2011.
research and development efforts.
*NBAA IFR theoretical range. Actual range will be affected by ATC routing, operating
speed, weather, outfitting options and other factors.
The year 2007 also saw its share of major breakthroughs.
In April, Gulfstream broke ground for a new business jet
manufacturing building at its headquarters in Savannah.
That same year, Gulfstream tested its Synthetic VisionPrimary Flight Display (SV-PFD) and EVS II together for the
first time. The SV-PFD is a dramatic enhancement to the
Gulfstream PlaneView flight displays. It features a three-
Opposite, clockwise from top left: The Nicholas Chabraja building,
home of the new $100 million 28,400m2 (306,000ft 2 ) assembly
plant for the G650; The Research and Development Center
allows Gulfstream to maintain its competitive edge; The G650
manufacturing building floor; The vast collection of choices
housed in our Sales and Design Center places the elements
needed to fulfill your design plans right at your fingertips.
Our heritage is built on a family of nearly 2,000 owners, many of whom
have been enthusiastic Gulfstream operators for decades.
We never settle for the status quo. Nor do our customers,
who are leaders in their own right. That’s why we continually
raise our own standards of excellence higher and higher. How?
By developing new technologies and innovations ahead of
customer requirements–because at Gulfstream, when we
lead, our customers do as well.
With its long-range capability and short-range efficiency,
a Gulfstream proves its time-saving abilities with ease.
The world’s most remote destinations become easily
accessible, and worldwide destinations are never more
than a single refueling stop away for our larger aircraft.
Because of its large, efficient wing, airframe and powerful
engines, there is simply no sacrifice in performance.
Each Gulfstream is designed in order to deliver optimal
comfort, reliability and safety. In order to achieve this,
nothing less than the most advanced technological
applications will do. From the cockpit to the cabin,
innovation abounds to ensure that every flight remains as
remarkable as the first.
Value – we could reduce it to a formula but prefer, instead,
to consider what it really means: getting to your destination
reliably, safely, quickly and comfortably. Put a number to
each of those attributes and Gulfstream comes out on top.
Dispatch rates are the best in the industry. NBAA dispatch
reliability is routinely above 99.88 percent. Availability is
routinely above 88 percent – often above 90 percent –
meaning Gulfstream jets spend little time in the hangar for
maintenance. They are ready when you are.
When being there is essential, Gulfstream delivers. When
getting there fast counts, Gulfstream speeds you on your
way, even at speeds up to Mach 0.925 in a G650. Value is
all about capability, and no business jet is more capable
than a Gulfstream.
our commitments
27
Behind the perfect skin of the G650 is a new bonding process.
Gulfstream proved its design philosophy on a full-scale fuselage
section of the entirely new aircraft. This process results in a 60
percent reduction in fasteners, which went a long way toward
reducing the overall part number and part count by half. It’s a part
of an overall lean process in the new G650 manufacturing plant.
our commitments
29
By partnering with companies that are also the best in
their respective fields, Gulfstream is able to offer its
customers the epitome of excellence in every aircraft
we manufacture. The engines supplied by our partners
deliver industry-leading reliability and maintainability while
also giving you the performance edge you require. Our
cooperative initiatives create technology in the cockpit
and throughout the cabin that ensures the very latest in
state-of-the-art advancements are yours. Our collaboration
for your ultimate gain, that’s Gulfstream.
Perhaps no one knows what goes into creating a Gulfstream
aircraft more than the individuals who are behind the
scenes every day. From development and concept to
engineering and manufacturing, as well as interior design,
sales, service, support and far beyond, our people make
us who we are, and it is their expertise that ensures every
customer experience is exceptional.
Gulfstream operators repeatedly rank our product support
network No. 1 in annual surveys conducted by Professional
Pilot and Aviation International News magazines. While the
distinction is a great honor, what is even more meaningful
is the knowledge that those who use us most rank us
as best. With more than 3,300 professionals as part of
the largest company-owned product-support network in
business aviation, no other business-jet manufacturer
offers a wider range of services, enhancements, spares,
support functions and technical publications than
Gulfstream. Behind every Gulfstream aircraft stands awardwinning service and product support. Whenever you need
us, we’ll be there.
The Gulfstream product line offers an exceptional combination of
price, performance and value-added customer preferences in each
segment of the mid-cabin to ultra-large-cabin business-jet market.
Gulfstream continues to lead business aviation in aerodynamic
wing design, offering excellent takeoff and landing performance
as well as an exceptionally smooth ride.
More than 3,300 service technicians, engineers and other
product support specialists are ready to serve our
customers around the world. Between Gulfstream and
our sister support company, Jet Aviation, we have more
than 40 global locations where Gulfstream operators will
receive a warm welcome and the support they need.
Moscow, Russia
London-Luton, UK
Appleton, WI
Lincoln, CA
Las Vegas, NV
Dallas, TX
Long Beach, CA
Geneva, Switzerland
Westfield, MA
Teterboro, NJ
Hannover, Germany
Basel, Switzerland
Altenrhein, Switzerland
Madrid, Spain
Sendai, Japan
Savannah, GA
Brunswick, GA
Hong Kong,
China
West Palm Beach, FL
Dubai, UAE
Toluca, Mexico
Mumbai,
India
Caracas, Venezuela
Singapore
Sorocaba, Brazil
Gulfstream Distribution Center
Johannesburg, South Africa
Gulfstream Distribution Point
New Distribution Point Under Development

Gulfstream Facility

Authorized Warranty Repair Facility

Authorized Warranty Line Service Facility
Cape Town, South Africa
Sydney, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
service and support
45
Gulfstream has remained the leader in private business-jet
aviation. A heritage of such achievement brings with it great
expectations of things to come, and no one desires that
more than we do. While the company’s newest aircraft, the
G650 and G280, incorporate many new innovations, there
promises to be many more in the future. After all, customer
satisfaction remains at the core of all we do at Gulfstream.
Gulfstream employs more than 9,000 people around the world, building and maintaining
The World Standard in business jets.
We continue to lead the industry with investments in products, technology, services and
people. Every aircraft in the Gulfstream fleet is backed by an extensive and dependable
worldwide support network. With each new endeavor, our history of leadership is lifted
even higher, faster and farther into the future.
To our owners, we say, thank you for being part of the Gulfstream family. For those
aspiring to own the world’s best business jet, we say, welcome aboard.
Second Edition
© 2011 Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation
All photographs contained in this book are the copyrighted property
of Gulfstream and may not be reproduced in any way whatsoever
without prior written permission from Gulfstream Aerospace
Corporation.
Telephone: +1 (912) 965-4853
www.gulfstream.com
10.09580
11.10.1M GS545E_V2 English