GULFSTREAM G550

The Gulfstream G550 is absolutely beautiful. Released into the market in 2003, the Gulfstream G550 has a range of 6,750 nautical miles and is proclaimed as being the longest range business jet in the world.

The photo above is a shot of the interior of the 2005 Gulfstream G50, serial #5097, N550GA. This airplane is currently listed for sale by Avjet Corporation, a worldwide leader in the private jet sales market. The photographer of this picture is unknown to me. Contact Andrew Bradley at Tel: 703-661-4848 or 201-320-3333 for more information regarding the photo as well as additional information regarding this plane for sale.

This luxury Gulfstream G550 sits 14 passengers in beautiful leather seating configuration and is equipped with a conference table, two lavatories, two coffee makers, a high temperature oven and microwave, a dish washer, china and crystal storage, a stainless steel sink, two ice compartments, a thermoelectric cooled food storage compartment, a thirty gallon pressurized water system, a hot water heater and air conditioning. This airplane also comes with Internet access, printer and fax machine.

The cabin video equipment include: Two DVD players, one 20 Inch LCD monitor, one 17 Inch LCD monitor, seven 7 Inch LCD monitors and three more smaller LCD monitors. Additionally there are two digital multi-system converters, two color touch screen remote controls, two RF remote controls and ten 115 volt AC electrical outlets. Also included in this configuration is a fuselage mount forward view camera, fuselage mount aft view camera and a tail mounted camera.

The passenger audio systems include: Ten mid range speakers, four subwoofer speakers, seven pages system speakers, 16 stereo headphone jacks and headphones and one CD player.

Price Tag: $60,000,000 USD That’s right! If you want to fly in one of the most luxurious airplanes available today, you’re going to have to shell out a little bit of cash. The annual cost to maintain this airplane is around $600,000 USD. In fact, the average cost to fly this bird is around $2,300 dollars per hour. it will cost you around $1,000,000 dollars to have an engine rebuilt. New paint will cost you in the ball park of $200,000. I hope you like the interior, if not, you’re looking at spending $300,000 to have it refitted.

AirBus A330

The Airbus A330 is a large-capacity, wide-body, twin-engine, medium-to-long-range commercial passenger airliner. Built at Toulouse in France by Airbus, over 600 units have been delivered.

First flown in 1992 the A330 was developed at the same time as the four-engined Airbus A340 and shared common fuselage and wing components. The first variant (series 300) was delivered to Air Inter in 1994 and was followed by the slightly shorter series 200. This has been followed by dedicated freighter variants.

A multi-role tanker and transport variant based on the series 200 has been developed as the Airbus A330 MRTT, this was further developed as the Northrop Grumman KC-45 which won a United States Air Force order which has since been cancelled

Airbus intended the A330 to compete directly in the ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operation Performance Standards) market, specifically with the Boeing 767. The A330 and A340 programs were jointly launched in November 1987. Airlines purchased it to replace the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The A330 is 38% more fuel efficient than the DC-10.

The A330's fuselage and wings are virtually identical to those of the smaller A340 variants, although it has different engines. The A330 basic fuselage design is inherited from the Airbus A300, and the nose/cockpit section and the fly-by-wire system and flightdeck are inherited from the A320. Both the A330 and A340 are assembled on the same final assembly line at Toulouse-Blagnac, France.

By the end of July 2008, a total of 1,006 A330s had been ordered and 555 delivered. The 1,000 milestone was passed with orders from the 2008 Farnborough Air Show.

Boeing 747-8 Dreamliner

The Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental and 747-8 Freighter are the new high-capacity 747s that offer airlines the lowest operating costs and best economics of any large passenger or freighter airplane, while providing enhanced environmental performance.

This latest family of the 747 jetliners meets airline requirements for a passenger airplane that serves the 400- to 500-seat market between the 555-seat Airbus A380 and the 365-seat Boeing 777-300 Extended Range airplanes, and a freighter that continues the leadership of the 747 Freighter family in the world cargo market.

Boeing launched the airplane on November 14, 2005, with firm orders for 18 747-8 Freighters; 10 from Cargolux of Luxembourg and eight from Nippon Cargo Airlines of Japan. The combined list price value of the orders is approximately $5 billion.

Boeing had been studying the market feasibility of a new 747 for some time, working with operators to establish their requirements for an incrementally larger 747 to continue the profitability of current 747 fleets. By working together with customers and applying the innovative new technologies of the 787 Dreamliner, Boeing was able to create the 747-8 family. In fact, the designation 747-8 was chosen to show the technology connection between the 787 and the new 747.

Both the passenger and freighter versions of the 747-8 will allow operators to maximize their profitability. Seat-mile costs for the 747-8 Intercontinental are 13 percent lower than the 747-400, with 2% lower trip costs. The 747-8 Intercontinental is more than 10 percent lighter per seat than the A380 and consumes 11 percent less fuel per passenger. That translates into a trip-cost reduction of 21 percent and a seat-mile cost reduction of more than 6 percent compared to the A380.

The 747-8 is the only large airplane that fits today's airport infrastructure, giving airlines the flexibility to fly to more destinations. The 747-8 will build on the current 747's capability to fly into most airports worldwide, using the same pilot type ratings, services and most ground support equipment. With a range of 14,815 km (8,000 nmi), the 747-8 Intercontinental can connect nearly any major city pair in the world.

The 747-8 family provides new revenue opportunities that will allow airlines to maximize profits. For example, the passenger airplane has 51 additional seats to accommodate 467 passengers in a typical three-class configuration and also offers 26 percent more cargo volume. The 747-8 Freighter offers a range of 8,130 km (4,390 nmi) and has 16 percent more cargo volume than the 747-400, which allows it to hold seven additional pallets with the same nose-door loading capability, industry-standard 3 m (10-ft)-high pallets and real-world cargo density capability at 159 kg/cu m or 9.9 lb/cu ft.

Both airplanes represent a new benchmark in fuel efficiency and noise reduction, allowing airlines to lower fuel costs and fly into more airports at more times of the day. The 747-8 Intercontinental is 16 percent more fuel efficient than the 747-400, 11 percent more fuel efficient than the A380, and offers QC2 departures.

With a maximum structural payload capacity of 140 tonnes (154 tons) the 747-8 Freighter offers 16 percent more revenue cargo volume than the 747-400F. The additional 120 cu m (4,245 cu ft) of volume mean the airplane can accommodate four additional main-deck pallets and three additional lower-hold pallets. The 747-8 Freighter enables operators to choose between carrying greater revenue payload -- up to an additional 20 tonnes (22 tons) -- or flying up to 1,400 nmi farther in markets where cargo density requirements are lower. The airplane upholds its predecessor's legendary efficiency, with nearly equivalent trip costs and 16 percent lower ton-mile costs than the 747-400F. In fact, the 747-8 Freighter will enjoy the lowest ton-mile costs of any freighter, giving operators unmatched profit potential.

Compared one-on-one, the 747-8 Freighter has no competitors. The 747-8 Freighter's empty weight is 80 tonnes (88 tons) lighter than the A380 freighter. This results in a 24 percent lower fuel burn per ton, which translates into 21 percent lower trip costs and 23 percent lower ton-mile costs than the A380F.

The 747-8 is the right size for the large airplane market, lowering risk for airlines in a highly variable operating environment.

V Australia

In early 2006 Virgin Blue announced its intention to operate up to 7 flights a week to the US using either Los Angeles International Airport or San Francisco International Airport, saying that the route was needed to make the airline as profitable as possible.

The airline was given permission for 10 flights a week to the US by Australian regulators on 24 July 2007. The plans were approved by US regulators on 15 February 2008, due to the signing of an open skies agreement between Australia and the USA. V Australia has since been allowed unlimited capacity between Australia and the US by the Australian International Air Services Commission.

The airline has also expressed interest in flying to Japan and South Africa possibly from October 2009. Virgin Blue has recently stated that it is possible that the airline's sixth Boeing 777-300ER will be used exclusively for North Asian destinations.

Since then, Virgin Blue has applied to the United States Department of Transportation to operate services to and from Sydney Airport to Los Angeles International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas), and New York JFK International Airport. Permission from the DOT was given on 15 February 2008, with the signing of an open skies agreement between Australia and the USA.

Virgin Blue has placed orders with Boeing to purchase six Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for use on international routes. V Australia's first 777-300ER leased from ILFC, named Didgeree Blue registered (VH-VOZ), was delivered to V Australia in Seattle at Boeing's headquarters on 26 January 2009. On 9 February Didgeree Blue touched down at Sydney Kingsford-Smith Airport after flying from Seattle via Los Angeles where it was launched to the U.S press by Richard Branson and Australian celebrities Julian McMahon and Holly Valance. V Australia is only the second airline to fly the Boeing 777 on the transpacific route between Australia and North America. Air Canada started flying daily flights with the Boeing 777 one year earlier.

V Australia commenced passenger services on 27 February 2009

Swiss Air Lines

SWISS International Air Lines welcomes two new additions to the family - A330-300 plane and redesigned cabins in First, Business, and Economy class, which includes new seats and entertainment systems to complement their professional service.

A new addition is always exciting for a family, but when one addition weights 233,000 KG (512,600 lb) and is ready for action while the other addition is laid back and ready for relaxation, you have your hands full. In the case of SWISS International Air Lines, they brought the two additions together on the inaugural flight for their new Airbus A330-300 and a redesigned cabin and seating for First, Business, and Economy classes to create a truly luxurious experience flying between New York and Zurich.

So, let me formally introduce you to the newest addition to the SWISS International Air Lines fleet, the Airbus A330-300. Weighing in at between 187,000 and 233,000 KG (411,400 - 516,600 lbs) depending on fuel, passengers, and luggage, with a maximum speed of 900 km/h (559 mph), a range of 8,500 km (5282 miles), and with seating for 236 passengers, this airplane is ready to sweep you away in style.

AirBus A380

The Airbus A380 is a double-Decker, four-engine aircraft which is at present the world's largest passenger aircraft. The A380's upper deck extends along the entire length of the fuselage. This allows for a spacious cabin with 50% more floor space than the next largest airliner, the Boeing 747-400, and provides seating for 555 people in standard three-class configuration or up to 853 people in full economy class configuration.

Each twin-aisle cabin allows wider seats but with fewer rows than on other large aircraft. The A380 is notably in direct competition on long haul routes with the Boeing 747-8, the current new development of Boeing's largest airliner, also being developed and pre-sold at a similar time. The A380 will carry more passengers over longer distances, allowing for projected passenger growth worldwide and helping to ease an increasingly congested environment.

Initial publicity stressed the comfort and space of the A380's cabin, which offers room for such installations as relaxation areas, bars, duty-free shops, and beauty salons, making the A380's cabin look more like a hotel bar and recreation area, than the inside of an aircraft. One A380 customer who is likely to use innovative amenities is Virgin Atlantic Airways, which currently has a bar in Business Class on its aircraft, and has announced plans to include casinos, double beds, a gymnasium and showers on its A380s.