Elite Traveler Summer 2022

Mark Burns

President, Gulfstream Aerospace

Back in 2008, Gulfstream prioritized environmental e ffi ciency for its clean sheet G500 and G600 designs. In 2011, a Gulfstream G450 was the fi rst aircraft to make a transatlantic fl ight on SAF. As a

company, the unit of General Dynamics has fl own more than 1.5 million nautical miles on sustainable fuel while purchasing more than 1.4 million gallons. Recently, it received the National Aeronautic Association’s Sustainable Wings certi fi cate for a record-setting trip from Savannah to San Francisco using a 30/70 blend of SAF and conventional Jet-A fuel. It’s also a signee of the World Economic Forum’s Clean Skies for Tomorrow 2030 Ambition Statement, building on its leadership role for sustainability in aviation. Gulfstream President Mark Burns talks to Elite Traveler about what’s next. We have prioritized a strategy of three pillars: energy and emissions; operations; and culture and learning. Our focus on improvements in energy and emissions centers largely around using and promoting SAF and increasing the fuel e ffi ciency of our aircraft. For the latter, we have decreased fuel emissions of our next-generation aircraft by combining Gulfstream-designed advanced aerodynamics that reduces drag and highly e ffi cient engines. Take the G500 and G600, for example — they both fl y faster than predecessor aircraft and feature larger cabins, but at the same time they o ff er as much as 32% improvement in fuel e ffi ciency. The G400, G700 and G800 also feature these advanced aerodynamics environmentally friendly features, and multiple buildings have received the US Green Building Council’s LEED Silver certi fi cation, or BREEAM certi fi cation in the UK, totaling 2.2 million sq ft of green buildings. What are the most important sustainability improvements? On the next-generation Gulfstream Symmetry Flight Deck, we’ve harnessed advanced fl ight deck technology — including the most extensive use of touchscreens in the industry — to create improved operational e ffi ciency with fewer go-arounds, less time from power-up and taxi to takeo ff , and other fl ying e ffi ciencies that reduce fuel burn. Our enhanced fl ight vision system is another example of this: Gulfstream was the fi rst business jet manufacturer to gain Federal Aviation Administration approval to use enhanced fl ight vision to touchdown and rollout, which allows Gulfstream aircraft to land when others may need to divert or circle, wasting both fuel and time. gulfstream.com and more environmentally e ffi cient engines. Our newly built facilities are designed with Can you give us an overview of Gulfstream’s sustainability plan?

Cessna Caravan

Rob Scholl CEO, Textron

Textron is aggressively burnishing its green credentials across the company, including Bell helicopters and Textron Aviation, manufacturer of Cessna and Beechcraft Aircraft. Its acquisition of electric aircraft maker Pipistrel will create a separate business unit, underscoring the importance of sustainable fl ight. As part of its Achieve 2025 Energy Use and Greenhouse Gas Emission plan, Textron Aviation built a 121-turbine, 300-Megawatt Soldier Creek Wind Energy Center in rural north-central Kansas. The zero-emission wind energy will eliminate 100,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, previously used for manufacturing and administration, annually. In Greensboro, North Carolina, an LED light system at its service center for Citation, King Air, Beechjet and Hawker business aircraft replaced a lighting system consisting of nearly 200 metal halide fi xtures. Its demo and fl yaway fl ight now use SAF. Rob Scholl, who will move from Textron Aviation to become CEO of Textron eAviation following the Pipistrel purchase, explains how the company is leading the drive for green private aviation. What’s the importance of Pipistrel to Textron? Pipistrel has a lot of experience and knowledge with electric aviation. It started as a glider company 33 years ago, so emissions-free fl ight has been in its DNA. Pipistrel was fi rst-to market in electric aviation. They have delivered 2,500 aircraft, so this isn’t a story. It’s reality.

Where do you see the future? The Nuuva cargo drones have a lot of potential. Pipistrel will be the foundation of a new business, Textron eAviation. It will be a direct subsidiary of Textron, like Textron Aviation and Bell. The structure shows Textron is putting a dedicated focus on e-aviation. It’s not just a small initiative. We want to make a real di ff erence. Many Textron products go beyond CEO missions. Can you speak to the value business aviation creates that is sometimes overlooked? Business aviation creates hundreds of thousands of jobs in America, not only in manufacturing but also in the communities we serve. If you look at Textron’s product line, from the Caravans and King Airs to the Bell helicopters, they operate lifesaving missions in initiatives from fi re fi ghting to medical. txtav.com