Most favourite vs least liked biz jet

[dareen]

What is the most favourite biz jet (in production and also no longer in production) you've flown and why? e.g handling, performance, comfort or what ever reason. And conversely what is the least liked biz jet a/c if any?

[4SPAR]

Great thread idea Dareen.
Out of production, the exquisite Lear 24E. Strap that thing on and it becomes a physical extension that transforms you from Earth bound mortal to a transcendent spirit of the air! And that’s just the oldschool thrust and aerodynamics. For new world production its the Gulfstream 550. Wow! :ok:
I’m fascinated at how today’s aircraft manufacturers have mastered the art of enhancing our situation awareness. We effectively have intuitive hard wiring of our synapses that make the plane-to-brain connection extraordinary.
The 550 gives you all that along with a thrilling power and responsiveness. Its strong, fast reliable and it has a broad envelope that assures safe handling.
And then there's the Westwind...nuff said. :hmm:

[G650Pilot]

I'll second the Lear 24... Favorite still in production Falcon 900EX, but anxiously waiting class date for the G-650... Least liked.. Hmmmm, I'll go with a Hawker 1A.

[FrankR]

Most Favorite: Anything with Rolls Royce engines

Least Favorite: Anything with Garretts.

[con-pilot]

Least favorite, easy, Lear 28.

"When do you declare minimum fuel on a Lear 28?"

"When you contact Departure Control."

(But must admit that the view from FL 510 on a clear day was impressive.)

Most favorite old technology, 731 Jetstar. Great flying aircraft with a very roomy cockpit.

Most favorite new technology, had to think about this one for a while. I was going to go with the obvious, the Falcon 900EX. But after thinking about it for a while, I decided on the Falcon 50EX.

For the price of the Falcon 50EX, especially on today's market, for the versatility that the 50EX can give you, it is/was my favorite. Name one other corporate jet, that in plus ISA conditions, that you can put an adult in every seat, top the fuel tanks and still be under gross. Now why one would want every seat filled in a 50 for over an six hour flight beats me, but you can do it.

With the 50EX you can make medium distance flights, 1,000 miles easy, out of very short runways and/or fly it around the world, literally.

[sevenstrokeroll]

out of production:

NorthAmerican/rockwell Sabreliner (40).

nice plane...sweet handline...wing like a F86. Lands nice an smooth.

I hear that Robert A Bob Hoover used to do Acro in one at air shows.

[Kelly Hopper]

[QUOTE]The 550 gives you all that along with a thrilling power and responsiveness. /QUOTE]
Personally I found it very unresponsive! Handles like a truck, heavy and unresponsive despite all powered controls. Not at all what one would expect from such a beautiful aircraft.
Horses for Courses I suppose?

[jr of dallas]

550 looks good on the ramp but sure flies like a pig (tried it once) ! plus cockpit is a real mess..like somebody has been putting buttons and switches in a checker and threw them in the cockpit.l Really it's like modern american cars, big, shinny but crap !

[4SPAR]

Con-pilot and G650pilot really caught me there. I love the Falcons but for different reasons. Yes, the 50EX is amazing and I've loved the operational flexability that you spoke of. Most of all, its handling is wonderful.
(But then again, there's FrankR's point about Rolls Royce thrust!)

So there I am, tormented by which "lover" to love the most and yet they're very different. Somewhere in the background I'm hearing that old classic, "love the one you're with."

I could happily spend the rest of my life in the Gulfstream but, truth be told, I could go back to the Falcon in a heart beat too.
"If you can't be with the one you love...."
(doot doot doot doot doot doot doo doo!);)

[Sillypeoples]

I like the single pilot jets myself. Jump in and go. Encore, Ultra, V, SII, II, SJ30, CJs..

Big iron is nice, but it's more work to plan, where to land, where to park...That said, I thought the Astra SPX and GIV were pretty nice if you want to go a long way.

[dareen]

Has anyone flown the lear 35, what are they like to fly?

[4SPAR]

The Lear 35/36 is famous for providing reliable, efficient and safe travel. It's basically the 20 series wing with two feet of straight wing per side. That four feet seriously tamed the behavior so that the safety record could thrive.
The 331 engines don't have the quick spool up and loud roar of the CJ610 and it's not as sporty but those were part of a good compromise. We learned how to be quieter and much more efficient neighbors and energy users.

Flying the early Lears really felt like the emphasis was on how much fun the pilots were having. The passengers were hunkered into a tiny space and no matter how hard you tried to make the flight "all about them" you couldn't escape the feeling that they were ultimately paying to support your adrenaline habit.:E That couldn't last forever. Being the responsible professionals we are we built a more comfortable cabin for the pax and put 4' training wheels on the next version of a great American aircraft.:(

The industry has been making appropriate strides toward making business aircraft "all about" the passengers ever since; as it should be. I'd be lying if I told you it wasn't great fun while it was backwards and the pilots were having all the fun.:O
Mike

[Fossy]

hopefully you don't have 331's installed, don't think props would look too good on it

[FrankR]

Hey Mike,

The assignment was to articulate your favorite jet... "Reliable and Efficient" are terms usually reserved for accountants...

FR

[commanderdrvr]

Old fav: Lear 25d

New fav: challenger 300, never flown one but I'm a big fan and damn she's sexy.

[stilton]

Anyone have experience / opinions on flying the Citation X ?

[McDoo]

Citation X is apparently the fastest aircraft between two service centres....:E

[deefer dog]

One's first love always holds the most pleasurable memories - Falcon 10.

I've always found that the worst memories relate not to aircraft, but to their owners. A young Russian gentleman by the name of S***e*sk* springs immediately to mind.

[dareen]

Yes indeed, Mach 0.92 ! (604 mph at 12,700 meters ASL).

[stilton]

How fast was the Falcon 10 ?

[NuName]

"How fast was the Falcon 10"

MMO 0.87 but apparently they were all put through 1.00, 0.87 was for certification due windscreen limits.

[jr of dallas]

It depends wich breakers you pull ...:) definitely very well avove 1.0...Falcon 10 was designed also as to comply to french airforce certification (so as 20, and 50)

[balaton]

Hi All,

Is the Citation X really that bad in terms of reliability?

b