G650 Test Flight Around the Country

[Bernoulli Fan]

Talked to this guy for a bit today: http://flightaware.com/live/flight/GLF42

Said time aloft was going to be 15 hours! Good way to tour the country...

 

[Murdoughnut]

That's a funny flight plan - KSAV to KSAV with a bit of a detour.

 

[boondr]

Looks like the flight plan overflies every border/coastal state in the lower 48

 

[TurdBird]

I thought they would have flown the 650 logo across the country like they normally do. Maybe that will be the next flight!

 

[Seggy]

I heard this guy today as well trying to clarify his clearance after ELP!

 

[MikeD]

Was just 14 months ago that GulfTest 31, 652GD, crashed at KROW killing all four Gulfstream employees onboard.

 

[knot4u]

Flight Safety is already doing MX training. Sadly I have not seen one in person.

 

[Phantom017]

Flight Safety is already doing MX training. Sadly I have not seen one in person.

Seen it in person AND had a few minutes in the sim for free... very sweet with all the bells and wistles

 

[MikeD]

Not as sweet as a Gulfstream I.

 

[jhugz]

Everytime I read about this plane, I think about the lost crew. These gimmicky PR flights just mean that much less with that overtone.

Haven't really kept up with the investigation, did they positively determine yet if the crew survived the initial crash?

 

[Prino]

He dropped into AMA last week to do an rnav approach, and go back home. Didn't even do a touch and go.

 

[Roger Roger]

Everytime I read about this plane, I think about the lost crew. These gimmicky PR flights just mean that much less with that overtone.

Haven't really kept up with the investigation, did they positively determine yet if the crew survived the initial crash?

What do you want them to do, cancel the whole flight test program?

 

[jhugz]

Is that what I said? Hop off there boss.

 

[Cessnaflyer]

Everytime I read about this plane, I think about the lost crew. These gimmicky PR flights just mean that much less with that overtone.

Haven't really kept up with the investigation, did they positively determine yet if the crew survived the initial crash?

They are needed to be done for certification. This one here really isn't showing off or anything like previous 787, 747, GV flights.

 

[SpiraMirabilis]

Everytime I read about this plane, I think about the lost crew. These gimmicky PR flights just mean that much less with that overtone.

Haven't really kept up with the investigation, did they positively determine yet if the crew survived the initial crash?

They crashed while doing V1 cuts, not gimmicky PR flights. Also the gimmicky PR flights are required by the testing regime -- rather than just fly a "random" track for X hours someone got the bright idea to spell their name out on flight aware and the rest is history. They would still be doing these long flights irregardless.

As to whether or not they died right away -- I was there when they crashed in Roswell -- everything I have seen indicates that the crew survived the skidding off the runway but the fire was fully involved very quickly -- quickly enough that even though KROW had fire trucks standing by (that is firemen in the trucks, with the trucks sitting on the ramp engines running) it was not quick enough to stop it and it just burned out.

I do not think the G forces involved would have been sufficient to kill the crew outright -- I just hope that the smoke got them quickly.

 

[Boris Badenov]

Possible pilot deviation over Texas, there. Standby to copy a phone number.

 

[Roger Roger]

jhugz
Didn't see this posted anywhere else, but here's a little preliminary analysis of the crash in ROW.
http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2012-06-08/fatal-flight-detailed#.T-oM-hB5mSM
From what I read, an error in engineering data gave the crew a test speed which resulted in a stall and wing drop in ground effect while attempting to fly the test profile.