The February 2008 issue of Architectural Digest profiles the conversion of a former Pan Am 727-100 into what the article calls “the quietest, smoothest, most functional, most comfortable penthouse-on-wings in existenceâ€.
The article focuses on the virtues of having a truly big business jet:
“There’s something about a wide-body plane with 1,000 square feet of floor space that’s addictive, and I just didn’t feel like flying in a little tube of 300 square feet anymore. With my G5,†he elaborates, “I would never think of inviting more than a few guests, what with the narrow, cramped cabin and low ceiling, not to mention the lack of proper bed and bath—when someone walked by you to go to the john, it would wake you up.â€
His Boeing, in sharp contrast, offers four discrete areas of privacy and sleeps 10 in high comfort. “Everyone is always excited to get back on the ship, no matter how much fun they’ve been having wherever we were, because when you can fly this way—and the same thing often gets said about life itself—it’s not the destination that counts, it’s the journey.†No wonder the owner, for all that he has houses in Beverly Hills, Santa Barbara, Palm Springs, Malibu, Aspen, Saint-Tropez, and the French Alps, spends roughly (make that smoothly) three months a year traveling on his plane.
While we certainly like big, one advantage of a G5 is that you can buy one new and not have to deal with a painstaking conversion. Of course buying a new BBJ provides the best of both worlds…
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
We are beginning to look at business jets. We are young and know nothing about business jets, but we have money to waste (three cheers for capitalism). We plan to seek expert and professional opinions, but we have a question that we think many may wish to answer (for, as we know, opinions are like a$$holes. . .everyone has one). So here goes: why are Gulfstream jets expensive compared to Boeing and Airbus business jets? Why pay 40M+ for Gulfstream V when one can buy Airbus A318 for nearly the same?
Gulfstreams (G)
Boeing Businesss Jets (B)
A318 (A)
G’s have longer range and travel faster than the A. G’s are not manufactured in the same quantities as A and B so airframe cost is higher. Operating cost for all three aircraft are approximatley the same (fuel, maintenance, crew salaries etc.) Insurance for A & B slightly higher. Parts for A & B are less expensive than G. Parts for B less expensive than A.
G and B have better customer service.
G and B have more range than A and if care is taken with the weight on the interiors B can be competative with the range of G. Compensating factor is comfort. 8 pax are a great deal more comfortable on a B than on a G.
Interiors cost more on the A & B versus G due to the size of the aircraft.
At the end of the day B is the best value for the money.
Anonymous, I realise this question has been here a while, and you may never see the reply, but I thought it deserved an answer.
There are many reasons. Firstly, in terms of technology and systems, the G5 is almost equivalent to the Airbus/BBJ. It is, to all intents and purposes, a fully realised airliner, just with slightly less metal.
Secondly, when you buy an Airbus or BBJ, you are generally buying a “green” aircraft, which means that your aircraft will be empty and unpainted. You will then have to contact a completion house like Jet Aviation, Raytheon, or Lufthansa (to name a few that I have worked with) to design, create and install an interior to your specification. This can add another $15-20m to your purchase price. With a Gulfstream, your purchase price includes the full interior, turn-key and ready to fly.
Finally, while lead times for Gulfstreams are long, lead times for Airbuses and Boeings are even longer, because you are competing against every airline in the world for a delivery spot.
BECAUSE GV BURNS LESS FUEL, COSTS LESS IN NAV & HANDLING FEES AND GOES WHERE A BBJ / A318 CANNOT