EVO Jet Services Assists Gulfstream 650ER Operator to Complete First Ever Part 91 Executive Jet Flight over the North Pole: Unofficial Time Record Set

With business jets able to fly farther and faster than ever before, long-range aircraft operators are taking advantage of timesaving routes traditionally reserved for airliners.   
 
International flight-support company, EVO Jet Services recently assisted the first ever Part 91 Gulfstream 650ER to fly the Polar Route from the East Coast of the United States to China.  
 
15 years ago, EVO Jet Services’ management team made similar history by assisting Continental, United, and Northwest Airlines to obtain FAA approval to operate B777 and B747 aircraft along the Polar Route.  
 
“The key to utilizing this routing has been in identifying suitable alternate airports in Russia and China, able to handle an American aircraft making an emergency diversion,” advised EVO’s Director of Operations, meteorologist and IOC Planning Committee Member, Mike Wittman.  To achieve this, EVO’s team travels regularly to some of the most remote cities in Siberia and northern China, to survey airport facilities, fire and rescue services, hospitals, and hotels.  EVO has brought in airline experts to train airport supervisors on how to deal with possible diversions carrying 300+ passengers in the middle of winter, and has participated in numerous FAA drills to test the airlines’ abilities to successfully divert to one of these airports.  
 
The Gulfstream 650ER , which belongs to a Fortune 500 company wishing to remain anonymous, departed from a New York City outlying airport at 20:57 UTC on June 5th 2016.  The aircraft utilized Polar Route 3 over the North Pole and landed in Beijing (ZBAA) 12 hours and 8 minutes later.   Upon arrival, EVO’s long-time partner, Jet Service China (JSC), met the aircraft on the ramp at Beijing Airport. 
 
“We believe this will prove to be a very popular route for our G650ER operating clients,” explains Wittman.   “Not only is it shorter, but there are almost no winds to contend with.  For example, the average wind component for this flight was just 2 knots.”  
 
 
Prior to the flight operating, EVO ran tabletop exercises with the operator to ensure Russian, Chinese and Mongolian permits could be obtained for a route traditionally viewed as “Commercial.”   "Civil Aviation permit authorities in these countries prefer to re-route you when you request Polar Routing for a PART91 flight, concerned primarily with alternate airport planning" says EVO Director Chris Cartwright.  "We met with the various CAA entities to explain that we already have a suitable network of emergency diversion airports under contract and are ready to go if needed.  After hearing this, the permits were granted.”
 
“We planned the flight to operate at Mach 0.87 and a max flight level 450 (45,000 feet), which is not even near the maximum capabilities of this amazing Gulfstream aircraft,” told Wittman.
 
 "We are now speaking with Gulfstream and some G650 and G650ER operators to create a Polar Route Users Group, "continues Cartwright.  Interested operators are welcome to email EVO at opscenter@evo-jet.com.
 
EVO’s American management speak Russian and Mandarin, and have been actively working in the region along the Polar Route for the past two decades.  In 1993, Cartwright and his team spearheaded the opening of several Russian Far East routes and airports to American business jet operators stopping for fuel on route to Asia.  The resulting routing over the Russian-Chinese boarder became the most time and cost efficient route between the Pacific Coast of the USA and northern China. 
 
For More Information, please contact:
 
Chris Cartwright 
Director, EVO Jet Services
 
Mike Wittman
Director of Operations 

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