Avjet Global and its customer were revealed this week as having taken delivery of the first U.S.-registered Gulfstream G700 late last month. “The airplane is magnificent,” said Avjet CEO Marc Foulkrod. “It’s so quiet and comfortable, and the owner is really happy with it.”
One of the first trips in the G700 was a long-range flight outside the U.S. “It proved very capable,” although one issue that did develop was a heating problem in the cockpit, he added, “which will be fixed with a software update. There are always little things that have to be cleaned up [with a new jet program].”
The Avjet customer’s G700 is equipped with Viasat Ka-band satcom and an 18-passenger cabin with forward galley and crew rest area and a bedroom in the rear. The noise level in the forward club seating area is 3 to 4 dB lower than in the G650, according to Foulkrod. “The [Rolls-Royce Pearl 700] engines rumble when they start but once started, they’re amazingly quiet. When you take off and you’re sitting there, you can barely hear the engines.”
The G700’s pilots, who moved up from flying the G650, love the new jet’s fly-by-wire active control sidesticks, he said. “They think it’s a great innovation. Gulfstream scored a big win with that advancement. It’s so intuitive and just natural.”
Taking delivery of a newly developed business jet is more complicated than one that has been in production for a while. Foulkrod explained that FAA engineers had to confirm that the G700 was in full compliance with certification specifications and also fly the jet. “That impacted some of our schedule,” he said, beyond the delays caused by the FAA imposing more stringent requirements on the program following Boeing’s ongoing 737 Max issues.
While waiting for the G700 to receive FAA certification and for deliveries to begin, Avjet worked closely with Gulfstream on the completions process. Fortunately, the G700’s buyer was patient, having purchased more than a dozen airplanes managed by Avjet. Foulkrod said the owner told him, “I have great faith and trust in you; just tell me when it’s ready.”
“You need to have oversight of the process,” Foulkrod emphasized. “It’s not just about Avjet. These are complicated, sophisticated machines; you’re not buying an interior with wings.” It’s essential to have people familiar with the process and all the constraints involved in business jet completions, he explained.
“Overall I can’t commend Gulfstream enough on the fact they have a very professional completion group,” he said. “We had the best [customer delivery associate] Matt Trull, and he was so helpful in getting us through, with all questions answered and the right people to help resolve issues, whether cosmetic before the delivery or something that may not work. He had done a couple of 500s with us previously. We like working with him—he’s knowledgeable, responsible, and professional."
“This airplane is a game changer, really phenomenal,” Foulkrod said. “It works well, performs well, the cabin is stupendous, and our client raves about it. People that get them are going to be impressed.”