Gulfstream 550 Receives Provisional Certificate

The Gulfstream 550 (formerly the GV-SP) received its provisional FAA type certificate last month, subjecting the jet to several limitations that will be removed in the coming months. In addition to being restricted to daylight operations (VFR or IFR), current limitations include no engagement of the autopilot below 400 ft agl; the APU generator must be on from takeoff until reaching 5,000 ft agl; the north-up display on the weather radar cannot be used; and IRS air starts are prohibited. The G550 is a derivative of the G500 (formerly the GV) featuring Honeywell Primus Epic avionics. First customer deliveries of green G550s started last month, with initial entry into service scheduled for the third quarter.