Challenger 605

[deefer dog]

I would be interested to hear from those who have actually flown, managed or owned the Challenger 605. It has caught the attention of one of our owners, and I have been asked to comment.

Having no experience of this type, or indeed Bombardier support, advise or comments from those who have relevant experience would be greatly appreciated.

PM's welcomed also.

Many thanks in anticipation.

DD

[stuckgear]

from experience i call advise you that bombardier support is good.

[Fakawi]

I can not say anything about the support from Bombardier.

A former colleague of mine once said about the Challenger: "It's a cheap airplane sold expensive" I thought he was exagerating until i got to fly it.
He was right. From the many pathetic things about this machine the wing really stands out.
How it ever got a certification is beyond me.
There is more but that is mostly only anoying not dangerous.

Now this is only my personal oppinion.

[falconflier]

Been flying the 605 full time for almost 2 years now, don't know if I agree with the "cheap airplane sold expensive" comment. Ours has been quite reliable, Bombardier support has been good, performance and fuel burn is very good when compared to our Hawker 800A. Handles short runways like a pro, I do like the Proline 21 although it often does things every now and then that make me scratch my head. It certainly doesn't have the finess of the previous Falcon 20s and Hawkers that I've flown but I'm still getting used to its handling characteristics. Owner loves the cabin and operating economics.

[hotsection]

The 605 is a solid reliable machine. New avionics package on a tried & tested air frame. The aeroplane was certified to be flown by professional pilots. So if you operate the machine with reference to the afm (wing is only bad if you dont deice it!) :ugh: it is proven, solid, safe work horse. Bombariier support is very good as are Lufthansa Maintenance in Berlin. I have operated 604s & 605s for 5 years & only had 2 occasions of being unable to dispatch. Once a frozen start valve & once the cleaners damaged a pin in the door. Not a bad record?

[Propellerpilot]

I heard it also depends for what you utilize the aircraft - for a normal business operation well under 1000hrs/annum is fine. Operators that fly more have a lot of maintenance issues i.e. aircraft becoming grounded before standard cycles. So from a durability or workhorse perspective - some people disagree, the Challenger (and in fact the Lear series also) are a bit crappy. So if you fly a lot - maintenance cost might hit you somewhere along the line.

[iwrbf]

So what would you consider as an alternative?

[batsky2000]

I have to disagree. I have been flying the 604 since 1999, and the 605 since 2007. I do enjoy the Proline 21 over the Proline 4, but the challenger is no hotrod. I have also been flying a G-IV since 2005, and will say that the G-IV will out perform the 605 any day. Plus the fact that Bombardier will tell you a lie as to its range that it will not be able to do, they added those extra tanks in the back to try to compete with the G-IV, but it still can't match the range eventhough they claim it can. Here are my reasons to go with a Gulfstream over a Challenger.

- Much better customer support
- Better Performance
- Can make it to FL410 every time, the 604/605 will only get there if you are light and lucky
- Better dispatch reliability
- More cabin/cargo space
- Overall better product line

[xsbank]

Its rare that a buyer actually flies the aircraft they buy - the buyers LOVE the cabin, comfortable and quiet, the aircraft has bulletproof engines and avionics; the wing is fine and acts just like a wing if you de-ice it - duh. It also has lower maintenance costs than a complex wing.

The 605 goes 'plenty' far enough - how far do you want to go? There are bigger a/c and lots that go farther - the package deal in a 605 is just really good.

If you would like direct contacts at Bombardier, either sales or just pilot liaison to talk about the airplane, PM me.

[xsbank]

Bombardier Free Icing Awareness Course!!

BOMBARDIER - Icing Awareness (http://www.batraining.com/eLearning/Free%20Courses/Icing%20Awareness/default.asp)

[aerochip]

Falcon 2000EX is a great alternative to the 605. Better handling, better built, lower V speeds, etc.