Elon Musk’s private jet has been grabbing headlines since the last week or so after the whole Twitter drama broke out between the Tesla CEO and a 19-year-old college student (you can read about the incident by clicking here). While Musk refused to pay the teen $50k to remove the Twitter bot tracking his private jet, the whole episode got us interested in the aircraft used by the world’s second-richest person that ferries him across the world.
Landed in Brownsville, Texas, US. Apx. flt. time 2 Hours : 29 Mins. pic.twitter.com/DnP0DVXqxc
— Elon Musk's Jet (@ElonJet) February 11, 2022
The jet tracked by the controversial Twitter account is a Gulfstream G650ER business jet that is equipped with ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) tracking technology. The automated Twitter bot used the technology to constantly track the movement of Elon’s jet whenever it took to the sky.
The G650ER is the flagship model in Gulfstream’s product line-up and has a starting price of $66.5 million. It’s also the largest Gulfstream business jet; although, the upcoming G700 is slated to snatch the title away soon. The G650ER is the extended range version of the standard G650 business jet and can fly 7,500 nautical miles (more than 8600 miles) without refueling stops.
The company also managed to set a world record by flying a G650ER from Singapore to Tucson, Arizona, covering a distance of 8,379 nautical miles in a single go. The Tesla CEO covered a whopping 160,000 miles on the jet in 2018 alone. The G650ER is powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, giving cruising speeds of up to Mach 0.925 (710 mph).
It turns out that the Gulfstream G650ER is a favorite amongst tech entrepreneurs. Along with Elon Musk, the business jet is also used by Jeff Bezos, and its plush interior is one of the big factors along with its unmatched range. The cabin is big enough to accommodate up to 18 people and it can be customized in a way to feature up to four living areas to work, dine, entertain and relax.
The cabin is finished in some of the finest materials, including the best quality leather and wood. The aircraft also gets the largest windows in its class and there are 16 of those in total. Right next to each window is a handmade seat that can fully recline to convert into a comfortable bed.
“The G650ER has no equal when it comes to its incredible combination of speed and range. Worldwide, you just can’t go farther faster, and this record proves it. With 350 aircraft in service, the G650 and G650ER show day in and day out that they are class-creating and -leading aircraft that set the standard when they were announced and continue to do so today. Simply put, all others follow,” said Mark Burns, president, Gulfstream Aerospace.
