MAKING A low-key debut at this summer's Farnborough International Airshow was the prototype Gulfstream G800. The aircraft landed at the Hampshire airfield on July 15, three days before the event opened, and was parked in front of the Gulfstream Customer Support facility - the site of the former 'A-Shed' - for the duration of the event, alongside several other in-service models from the company's business jet range. The aircraft flew direct from Gulfstream's headquarters in Savannah. The G800 completed its first flight on June 28. "To take the G800 on this transatlantic trip so close to first flight is extraordinary," said Mark Burns, president of Gulfstream. "Thanks to our strategic planning and the investments Gulfstream has made in our new aircraft programmes, we are able to fly the G800 with remarkable efficiency and bring the aircraft directly to customers early in the flight test programme, as we have in Farnborough. The Gulfstream Farnborough Service Center is one of our newest and most modern, and it's fittingthat the G800 has made its international debut here." Gulfstream opened its service centre at Farnborough in July 2020. It can accommodate up to 13 of the company's larger model bizjets. Prior to arriving at Farnborough, flight testing of the G800 included operations beyond the announced maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925 and 51,000ft (15,545m) cruising altitude. Service delivery of the G800 is expected to be delayed by six months, to early 2024, while a software fix for runway crosswind operations for the G500/600 is agreed with the Federal Aviation Administration.
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