Page 24 - Twin and Turbine June 2017

Jet Journal
The Gulfstream 280 made easy work of the trip from Manassas to Freeport, Bahamas.
Sitting in Back
Three-day trip provides a new perspective on pilot-versus-passenger perceptions.
by Kevin Ware
It seemed very strange sitting in the back of the new Gulfstream 280 (G280) at FL430, on a fine leather chair that moves in a dozen different directions, sipping coffee made from a genuine French espresso machine located in its own custom cabinet in the aircraft’s galley. I think
there must have been some confusion on seat assignment, and maybe the guys up front will soon realize that I am in the wrong place and promptly direct me forward to the much tighter and noisier section at the far front end of the airplane. Not so today. Rather, myself and fellow corporate pilot Scott are deadheading to the Bahamas in the company’s new G280 to retrieve a CJ2 and return it to Washington state for maintenance. On the return, our duties will also include making stops in Texas and California to look into some other aviation related business matters for the company.
The G280 can easily cross the country westbound without refueling, and so four hours later after drinking yet more espresso and having a very nice airborne lunch we arrive at Manassas, Virginia (KHEF), where an overnight stop is planned. There is a frontal system passing the airport as we make the approach to runway 16L, and from my new perspective in back, it appears there is a lot more work to this business of flying airplanes than I realized. In the gusty conditions, I can see the pilot flying making continual adjustments to the control wheel, and the co-pilot’s left hand seems to never stop messing with the radio control knobs, or the flight director’s altitude selector. Then more there is a fair amount of keyboarding on the console between the seats by both pilots, and shortly thereafter the diagrams on the screens on the instrument panel mysteriously turn from white to green. Finally, there is some pulling at various levers which results in a series of alarming mechanical noises from somewhere under my fine leather chair.
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