To the Gulfstream, global, BBJ, long range drivers in general...

[jeroom]

I'm doing a "study" on the kind of equipment that you guys have in the galleys for food.
Those of you flying ultra long range, long range aircraft, what kind of equipment the aircraft comes with usually? Do you usually have a FA on those flights?
What is the usual catering for the pax? do they eat medium rare steaks at FL450, or cold cut sandwiches?
Have you ever seen a kind of ceramic stove top in an airplane to cook with, something that does not produce flames or heat other than in contact with metal?

are your PAX usually happy with the catering on those flights?

Thank you guys

 

[Gulfstream 200]

Always a F/A - only catering is stuff to help her make meals. She shops locally at destinations.

Most cooking is done in Convection ovens / microwaves.

Food? not sure what you want but I suppose that depends on the pax? barebone rudys sandwich tray to 8 course gourmet meals..

 

[TransMach]

What G200 said ... absolutely elite food service, anything the folks want the folks get. Rare New york steak, lobster, caviar, Dom Perignon ... anything.

We always have an F/A .. on legs less than 10 yours with 5 or more pax sometimes we take two F/As.

TransMach

 

[TMMT]

We typically carry a F/A, usually depends on the trip. Lots of finger foods, cold cut trays, fruit trays, cookies etc...

Anything hot is catered, either by a quality service through the FBO or by prior arraignment with a local restaurant.

Meals run the line from Surf-n-Turf to just salads. Usual beverages, coffee, cokes, beer, liquor.

Our F/A will set up a small mixing bar if she knows ahead of time what kind of mixed drinks you want as well. I've also seen her make milk shakes on one trip across the pond.

We have a convection oven, microwave, hot bins, cold and dry storage as well as room for about 10 pounds of ice.

With enough notice we can pretty much accommodate just about anything short of grilling over an open pit fire onboard.

 

[Jetdriver69]

We go to some very non glamorous destinations, so we carry almost all our catering/food packed in dry ice in very large coolers. The ice will last up to a week freezing everything solid if you are careful. Our pax are pretty conservative, nothing too outlandish or super expensive. Of course any catered food is expensive, no matter how simple. If our trips are to Europe than we relax the food carrying a bit. We have a convection oven, microwave, cold trays and a full bar. We don't carry a FA but a flight mechanic that has been to FA training. This arrangement has saved our bacon on more than one occasion, especially in third world countries.

 

[Freight Dog]

2-3 F/A's depending on trip and the number of pax.

The food is absolutely top-notch: all kinds of appetizers, lobster, shrimp, caviar, fish, chicken, steaks, sandwiches, fine chocolates, fresh fruit, ice cream, cakes, snacks, you name it... we probably carry it. What's kind of sad is the amount of catering that we end up throwing away at the end... but what the VIP's want, VIP's get, and generally, they are very happy with the food and onboard amenities.

 

[brokeflyer]

we have 3 F/A on the bbj....I usually eat mild foods over steaks though. Eventully on that lfight I may have to crap it back out. So i like to eat salads, etc and stay away from fried stuff and other hard foods.

 

[GPilot]

In and Out Burger...when leaving VNY.

 

[jeroom]

Thank you very much to all of you for the posts. I appreciate it.
About those convection oven you're talking about, do they go high enough in temperature so you can cook a steak in it?

 

[jeroom]

And also if you are able to cook meat in those ovens, how about the smell, fumes and grease that may come out from the galley, do you have that kind of issue?

 

[TransMach]

Steak, and other things best char-broiled are started on a broiler then packaged for the airplane and finished in the oven. What's really good is to deglaise the pan with bordelaise and red wine after the steak is finished!

As for odor, we have all forward galleys and the outflow valves are right behind the cockpit on the right side so away with the smell.

TransMach

 

[Globalflyer]

It has been several years, but I was on a Gulfstream demo flight where a roast was partially cooked before hand and then finished onboard the flight. Yep, the smell was throughout the cabin. But I can think of aromas a lot worse than that.

Our current FA bakes cookies in flight. The pax seem to like the smell.

 

[jeroom]

How do you guys do regarding customs & agricultural Dept. laws when you go overseas or coming back in the US when you have food on board? Do they let you go with it or do you have to trash no prepared items, uncooked goods and leftovers?

 

[say again]

How do you guys do regarding customs & agricultural Dept. laws when you go overseas or coming back in the US when you have food on board? Do they let you go with it or do you have to trash no prepared items, uncooked goods and leftovers?

Ive always been told to trash it.

 

[gutshotdraw]

In and Out Burger...when leaving VNY.

In 'n Out is a gut bomb brick. Fatburger in the west or Five Guys in the southeast WAYYYY better. I'm sure the Cali boys will say I'm smoking something.

 

[TMMT]

In 'n Out is a gut bomb brick. Fatburger in the west or Five Guys in the southeast WAYYYY better. I'm sure the Cali boys will say I'm smoking something.

Nothing can hold a candle to The Varsity in Atlanta.

Just the aroma will stop a whales heart from 500 miles away!

 

[landlover]

Nothing can hold a candle to The Varsity in Atlanta.

Just the aroma will stop a whales heart from 500 miles away!

the varsity is marginal at best.

 

[kingairyahoo]

thread creep...man all them burger joints are just that...burger joints.

go have a tempura halibut burger in alaska 45 minutes after dragging it outa the water, then try and tell me fatburger, five guys or in-n-out is worth a dam

 

[Freight Dog]

In 'n Out is a gut bomb brick. Fatburger in the west or Five Guys in the southeast WAYYYY better. I'm sure the Cali boys will say I'm smoking something.

Ah yes! Time for that drug test.

 

[AA717driver]

On this side of the pond, the owners or the contract FA would pick up PF Changs. Occasionally, the FA would hit a high end grocery or deli for the provisions.

Overseas, the pax would order from the hotel.

Domestically, we did a lot of sandwich trays, local deli and occasionally order through the FBO.

Pax generally weren't into huge meals on board.

TC