MARK HANNANT
The new Gulfstream GV-SP which made its first flight a week ago features, as standard, the Gulfstream Enhanced Vision System (EVS). This impressive system, the first of its kind to be certificated by the FAA, uses a nose-mounted FLIR to improve pilots' situational awareness in conditions of reduced visibility and at night.
The system can be retrofitted to all GVs and GIV-SPs, but the GV demonstrator on static display won't have it fitted until September. This aircraft, in service since 1998, recently returned to Gulfstream ownership when its owner bought a more recent GV. It has an unusual configuration including a fully functional office with full satcom system. "Not what I would choose," says chief test pilot Bill Watters, "but it does show what can be done with the aircraft."
Watters is responsible for customer demonstrations of the GV, and flies the GIV, but an airshow such as Farnborough is not the place for demonstrations, he says. "We could take a customer up for an hour-long flight but it would take the aircraft out of commission for the whole day – and probably disrupt the rest of the airshow.
Demonstration
"To give someone a real feel for the capabilities of the aircraft, they need to see it on a mission that typifies their requirements. If someone says they're likely to use the aircarft to travel from London to Honolulu, then that's where we take them. Then they get to see exactly what they can expect on a 14h flight."
This aircraft will return to Savannah immediately after the airshow and following a 2h turnaround will be flown to the Bahamas for a demonstration.
Source: Flight Daily News
