The long
range Falcon 7X will soon become the first business jet certified to operate at
Daocheng Yading, the world’s highest commercial airport.
The
certification campaign at Daocheng, situated in China’s Sichuan province at an
altitude of 14,470 ft (4,411 m), was initiated at the request of Chinese
customers and is intended to meet demand in Western China for business jets
capable of operating at the many small high altitude airports in the region.
The
campaign, which began on August 25 and concluded on September 7, enjoyed strong
support from the European and Chinese civil aviation authorities EASA and CAAC.
Daocheng flight tests started after a series of preliminary flights at Jiuzhai
Huang Long Airport near Chengdu (altitude 11,311 ft/3,448 m) with a CAAC pilot
at the controls. After an initial landing at Daocheng - the highest ever by a
business jet - the 7X performed engines/APU run up followed by a series of
takeoffs and landings including some with simulated engine failure. Once
finalized the approval will permit the Falcon 7X to operate at altitudes up to
15,000 ft.
“The
aircraft handled flawlessly in all conditions of flight and the engines, APUs
and pressurizationsystems performed perfectly,” said Philippe Dumas, Dassault
Aviation test pilot “This performancehighlights the unparalleled ability of the
7X to operate from difficult short airstrips in the most
challengingconditions.”
In addition
to setting a new world altitude record for a business jet, the test campaign
established a number of other benchmarks for aviation in China. It was the
first flight test campaign undertaken over Chinese territory by a foreign
registered aircraft, and it will be the first approval to be issued jointly by
EASA and CAAC.
The
Daocheng certification campaign follows recent 7X demonstration flights at
challenging airports such as Saint-Tropez, France, Gstaat in Switzerland and a
Mach 0.88 cruise speed record between Teterboro, New Jersey and London City
Airport set in May.
“These
performance benchmarks highlight the incomparable operating flexibility of the
Falcon 7X,” said Chairman and CEO Eric Trappier. “Together with its great
range, speed and operating economy, this helps explain the immense popularity
of the 7X in the burgeoning Chinese market.”
In recent
years, China has emerged as one of the biggest markets for business aviation
aircraft and the Falcon line, led by the 7X, has seized a commanding share in
this market. Nearly 30 Falcon 7X s are currently flying in the country, making
China the second largest market for the long range trijet, after the United
States. And with the recently introduced Falcon 5X very large body twin and
ultra long range Falcon 8X, the Falcon brand is expected to lead the Chinese
market for many years to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment