Flying the G550

After earning a new type rating, most corporate pilots jump right into the cockpit of the airplane on which they just trained and go to work. When I finished the Gulfstream G550 initial course at FlightSafety International’s Long Beach learning center in June, I was doubly excited, not only because it was an opportunity to add the G550 to my pilot certificate but also because Gulfstream invited me to fly a real G550 shortly thereafter. I would finally get to see what it is like for other pilots to transition from training in a simulator, getting the type rating, then flying the real airplane.