Anyone still fly an old G-II?

[TMMT]

We see'em on the ramps every once in a while, looking all sad and lonely. Longing to fly again, so it was quite a nice thing to see one fly today.

Oh how I miss that unmistakeable sound and black trail that accompanies one's departure.

Man!

Bring back the G-II and G-III!

 

[JJET44]

Give a call to Al (the hypocrite) Gore.

 

[Be 23]

NASA flies a few from El Paso, usually all the way up to White Sands. Apparently if you put a G II in full thrust reverse, it flies like a space shuttle. That means at 10,000' agl you need to be stabilized on a 7 mile final. Somehow I doubt anybody else flies them that way.

 

[Waldom]

The NASA G-IIs have a few mods that facilitate their role as shuttle approach trainers.

The thrust reversers have been changed from the "bucket" type to the cascade type so they can be used in flight. The landing gear has been modified so that it is possible to extend only the the main gear legs to provide increased drag in the "shuttle" approach configuration.

We would sometimes go through recurrent training with the NASA Gulfstream crews. They were a good bunch.

 

[FastJP4]

Only to discreet locations in S. America and back.

 

[Falcon Jet 1]

actually the G1 used just the mains as speedbrakes when you pulled the speedbrake handle. FYI

 

[Kingairrick]

The NASA G-IIs have a few mods that facilitate their role as shuttle approach trainers.

The thrust reversers have been changed from the "bucket" type to the cascade type so they can be used in flight. The landing gear has been modified so that it is possible to extend only the the main gear legs to provide increased drag in the "shuttle" approach configuration.

We would sometimes go through recurrent training with the NASA Gulfstream crews. They were a good bunch.

Not to mention the cockpit mods:
http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/181117main_STAcockpit-web.jpg

 

[Flyin Tony]

Only to discreet locations in S. America and back.

You flying out of BHM

 

[bizjet800]

There are quite a few in Mexico, cheap to buy but the fuel is costly and the MX can be "deferred."

 

[pushntin]

We still run ours in the lower 48, 250 hrs a year. Love flying the ol bird.