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Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. announced its Gulfstream G650ER as well as the G650, G550 and G450 now have U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval for touchdown and rollout using an enhanced flight vision system (EFVS).
These aircraft join the company’s new large-cabin Gulfstream G500, which was certified for this operational capability in December 2018, along with the super-midsize Gulfstream G280, which was authorized for this feature in April 2019. Gulfstream’s other new large-cabin aircraft, the Gulfstream G600, will be certified for touchdown and rollout using an EFVS after the aircraft receives its type certification, which is expected in late June.
“This authorization provides the capability for nearly 1,500 in-service Gulfstream aircraft to increase their operational efficiency and safety,” said Colin Miller, senior vice-president, Innovation, Engineering and Flight, Gulfstream. “EFVS greatly reduces the possibility of runway incidents, puts aircraft and passengers on the ground faster and saves fuel.”
The combination of a cooled forward-looking infrared camera, also called an enhanced vision system (EVS), and heads-up display (HUD), which work in tandem, composes an EFVS. EFVS is standard on all in-production large-cabin Gulfstream aircraft; is an option on the G280; and was standard on the G450.
Operators with the required training, a letter of authorization from the FAA and the required EFVS equipment can land by using the EFVS imagery on the HUD without needing natural vision to see the runway. EFVS enhances safety by allowing pilots to land at airports in limited visibility because of haze, smog, smoke, fog or darkness, helping to minimize delays and rerouting.
