Dassault Falcon 50: how 157 jets are really flown
On the Falcon 50, charter aircraft and private aircraft logged very different hours. In the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026, the 32% of the North American fleet on our charter list flew a median of 159 estimated hours a year, almost two times the private median of 84 estimated hours. Median flights a month were 8 for charter aircraft and 5 for private aircraft, the other 68%. Compare a used aircraft with its own group.
The harder end, one aircraft in twenty, is at 91% or more; the easier end near none.
The harder end, one aircraft in twenty, is at 28% or more; the easier end near none.
The hardest-worked 5% log ≈339 h a year or more; the easiest-used, ≈42 h or less. The middle aircraft sits at ≈96 h.
Fatigue
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
The middle Falcon 50 flies 1.6 hours for every landing. One in twenty lands every 1.0 hours or sooner, the most cycles for its time.
Landings count against structural and landing-gear life limits, so an aircraft with few hours per landing has used more of those limits for its time. Ask for its landing count and read it beside its hours.
Middle half 1.3–1.9 : 1Harder end: 5% at 1.0 : 1 or lessEasier end: 5% at 2.4 : 1 or more
Middle half 28–49%Harder end: 5% at 64% or moreEasier end: 5% at 16% or less
Middle half 328–621 nmLowest 5%: 203 nm or lessHighest 5%: 869 nm or more
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Spread of trip lengths
All 157 Falcon 50sThe data behind it
Every measure for the 157 North American Falcon 50s, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.6 : 1 | 1.3–1.9 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 36% | 28–49% |
| Leg length Median leg | 463 nm | 328–621 nm |
Corrosion
What the air around it does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
The middle Falcon 50 spends 1% of its nights within 2 km of the coast. One in twenty spends 38% or more of them there.
Salt air works on an airframe night after night, so an aircraft near the coastal end of these figures needs a close look. Ask for its corrosion inspection findings and a record of where it spent its nights.
Middle half 0–5%Harder end: 5% at 38% or moreEasier end: 5% at -0%
Middle half 5.6–9.4 hHarder end: 5% at 12.0 h or moreEasier end: 5% at 3.9 h or less
Middle half 2–14%Harder end: 5% at 30% or moreEasier end: 5% at -0%
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Salt air across the fleet
101 Falcon 50sThe data behind it
Every measure for the 101 of the 157 North American Falcon 50s with enough nights at known fields, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (5 on their record since 1 Jan 2025: too few in the 12 months).| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 1% | 0–5% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 6% | 2–38% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 7.3 h | 5.6–9.4 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 6% | 2–14% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 9.8 g/m³ | 8.1–12.0 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
The middle Falcon 50 leaves from a short runway on 23% of its departures. One in twenty does on 63% or more.
Each short-runway departure calls for high takeoff thrust, and landings at those same fields work the brakes and tires harder. On an aircraft at the high end, ask for its engine trend records and its brake and tire replacement history.
Middle half 13–35%Harder end: 5% at 63% or moreEasier end: 5% at 6% or less
Middle half 1–9%Harder end: 5% at 28% or moreEasier end: 5% at -0%
Middle half 1,197–1,982 ftHarder end: 5% at 3,168 ft or moreEasier end: 5% at 630 ft or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Runway margin at departure
9,509 departuresThe data behind it
Every measure for the 157 North American Falcon 50s, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (1 on their record since 1 Jan 2025: too few departures in the 12 months).| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 23% | 13–35% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 5% | 1–9% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,547 ft | 1,197–1,982 ft |
Utilization
How steadily the fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
The middle Falcon 50 made 5 flights a month. The busiest 5% made 15 or more, the quietest 3 or fewer.
Judge a used Falcon 50 against its own group: charter aircraft flew a median of 159 estimated hours a year, private aircraft a median of 84 estimated hours. An aircraft well above its group's median has its hours-based inspections come due sooner.
Middle half 3.7–8.3Harder end: 5% at 15.6 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.8 or less
Middle half 2.8–5.5Harder end: 5% at 9.0 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.0 or less
Middle half 67–156 hHarder end: 5% at ≈339 h or moreEasier end: 5% at ≈42 h or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Month by month
12 monthsMedian flights per aircraft that flew that month · darker bar is the busiest month, June 2026
The data behind it
Every measure for the 157 North American Falcon 50s, every active aircraft (no 40% tracking floor here: on this type it would change which aircraft are compared, not just drop undercounted ones), 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 5.2 | 3.7–8.3 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 3.7 | 2.8–5.5 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈96 h | 67–156 h |
Buying, selling or financing a Falcon 50?
See where your Falcon 50 sits in the fleet.
Enter a tail number to place it against these 157 aircraft. TailCheck grades it on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization, with every percentile shown.
Where Falcon 50s are based and fly
Fort Worth Meacham is home to more Falcon 50s than any other field, 8 of the 113 with a home base.
Chicago/Aurora–Chicago is the busiest route: 40 flights by 3 different aircraft.
Where Falcon 50s are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth Meacham | 8 | |
| Marietta, Cobb -McCollum | 5 | |
| William P Hobby | 4 | |
| Gary/Chicago | 3 | |
| Teterboro | 3 | |
| Hickam | 3 |
Busiest Falcon 50 routes
| Between | Flights |
|---|---|
| Chicago/Aurora ⇄ Chicago | 40 flights |
| Flying Cloud ⇄ Teterboro | 39 |
| Fort Worth Alliance ⇄ William P Hobby | 37 |
| Houma-Terrebonne ⇄ Louis Armstrong New Orleans | 33 |
| John Glenn Columbus ⇄ Washington Dulles | 30 |
| King ⇄ Tacoma Narrows | 29 |
Longest Falcon 50 flights
| Between | Distance · time |
|---|---|
| Philadelphia → London Biggin Hill | 3,092 nm · 7 h 50 min |
| Bangor → Giebelstadt | 3,075 nm · 6 h 21 min |
| Amsterdam Schiphol → Bangor | 2,830 nm · 7 h 32 min |
| Nashville → Anchorage | 2,778 nm · 7 h 37 min |
| Lehigh Valley → Shannon | 2,729 nm · 5 h 25 min |
Busiest Falcon 50s this year
The busiest Falcon 50 made 20 flights a month, four times the middle aircraft.
Even the tenth on this list made 15.
Ranked by flights a month · updated monthly
| # | Tail | Flights a month | Estimated hours a year | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N299PR | 20 | 417 h | Check this tail → |
| 2 | N865PC | 19 | 268 h | Check this tail → |
| 3 | N121BZ | 19 | 380 h | Check this tail → |
| 4 | N77ME | 18 | 458 h | Check this tail → |
| 5 | N268TS | 18 | 419 h | Check this tail → |
| 6 | N200SG | 16 | 372 h | Check this tail → |
| 7 | N92CJ | 16 | 306 h | Check this tail → |
| 8 | N1989F | 16 | 338 h | Check this tail → |
| 9 | N654CP | 16 | 355 h | Check this tail → |
| 10 | N777ZL | 15 | 345 h | Check this tail → |
Falcon 50 vs other aircraft of its size
Medians for each North American fleet, same window and method.
| Type | Tracked | Flights a month | Hours a year | Median leg | Hours per landing | Short hops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dassault Falcon 50 | 157 | 5.2 | 96 h | 463 nm | 1.6 : 1 | 36% |
| Bombardier Challenger 300/350 | 755 | 9.8 | 194 h | 481 nm | 1.6 : 1 | 35% |
| Bombardier Challenger 600 series | 501 | 8.2 | 180 h | 498 nm | 1.7 : 1 | 34% |
| Gulfstream GIV/G450 | 495 | 8.5 | 189 h | 560 nm | 1.9 : 1 | 33% |
| Dassault Falcon 2000 | 409 | 6.5 | 135 h | 523 nm | 1.7 : 1 | 32% |
Falcon 50 vs Challenger 300/350 →Falcon 50 vs Citation X →Falcon 50 vs Falcon 2000 →Falcon 50 vs Falcon 900 →
Falcon 50 vs Falcon 50EX: on paper
One page covers both models: the tracking data doesn’t tell them apart.
On paper they differ in weights. Certified figures come from the type certificate data sheet; the rest are the manufacturer’s.
| Measure | Falcon 50 | Falcon 50EX | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum takeoff weight (certified) | 38,800–40,780 lb | 39,700–40,785 lb | UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00161 Issue 01, p.15 — Falcon 50: 38,800 lb (without M1230 or SB F50-161) · 40,780 lb (with M1230 or SB F50-161); Falcon 50EX: 39,700 lb (without SB F50-161) · 40,785 lb (with SB F50-161) |
| Maximum ramp weight (certified) | 38,800–40,780 lb | 39,700–40,785 lb | UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00161 Issue 01, p.15 — Falcon 50: 38,800 lb (without M1230 or SB F50-161) · 40,780 lb (with M1230 or SB F50-161); Falcon 50EX: 39,700 lb (without SB F50-161) · 40,785 lb (with SB F50-161) |
| Fuel capacity (certified) | 15,514 lb | 15,514 lb | UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00161 Issue 01, p.13 |
| Range (manufacturer) | — | ≈ 3,075 nm | Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 13 Apr 2009) |
| Takeoff distance (manufacturer) | — | 4,890 ft | Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 13 Apr 2009) |
| Passengers | Up to 19 certified | Up to 19 certified | UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00161 Issue 01, p.17 |
| Fuel capacity, US gallons (approx.) | ≈ 2,320 US gal | ≈ 2,320 US gal | From the certified pounds at 6.7 lb per US gallon of Jet A; actual density varies with temperature |
| Length (manufacturer) | — | 60 ft 9 in | Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 13 Apr 2009) |
| Wingspan (manufacturer) | — | 61 ft 10 in | Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 13 Apr 2009) |
| Height (manufacturer) | — | 22 ft 11 in | Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, captured 13 Apr 2009) |
What the Falcon 50’s certification file says
Regulators publish an operational evaluation for each type: how pilots must be rated and trained, and what training must stress.
Here is what the Falcon 50 files say, each item with its source.
Crewing a Falcon 50
| Item | What the file says |
|---|---|
| Type rating | Falcon 50/900UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00161 Issue 01, p.20 |
| Minimum crew | 2 pilotsUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00161 Issue 01, p.17 |
Sources
| Document | Revision |
|---|---|
| UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00161 — Dassault Falcon MF50, MF900, F900EX | UK CAA · Issue 01 · 23 Jan 2026 |
Chartering a Falcon 50
51 of the 157 North American Falcon 50s we track are on our charter list (32%).
Charter aircraft flew a median 159 estimated hours a year on 8 flights a month; the rest flew 84 hours on 5.
Where charter Falcon 50s are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Worth Meacham | 3 | |
| Hickam | 3 | |
| Columbia Metropolitan | 2 | |
| Oakland | 2 | |
| Marietta, Cobb -McCollum | 2 | |
| Teterboro | 2 |
Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft; aircraft flown by a fractional program (NetJets, Flexjet and the like) are counted as fractional, not charter. No charter rates: prices depend on the operator and the trip. Check a specific aircraft’s record with its tail number before you book.
Falcon 50 questions
How many hours a year does a Falcon 50 fly?
The median North American Falcon 50 flew 96 estimated hours a year in the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026. The middle half of the fleet flew between 67 and 156 estimated hours, and 1 in 20 flew more than 339 estimated hours. Whether an aircraft is on our charter list changes the answer. Charter aircraft flew more than private ones, so compare one with its group's median in the opening above.
Is a high-hours Falcon 50 a bad buy?
No, not by itself. Hours flown on long legs bring fewer landings than the same hours on short hops, legs under 300 nm, and landings count against structural and landing-gear life limits. High hours do mean hours-based inspections come due sooner, so ask when each one was last done. Read the aircraft's hours beside its landings and its share of short hops, and compare it with its own group's median.
How often does a Falcon 50 fly?
A North American Falcon 50 made a median of 5 flights a month in the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026. Counted in days, the fleet median was 4 flying days a month. The season moved it a little: the monthly median fell to 3 flights in February 2026 and rose to 7 in June 2026. Charter aircraft flew more often than private ones, so compare an aircraft with its group's median in the opening above.
How long is a typical Falcon 50 flight?
The fleet median leg was 463 nautical miles in the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026, the shortest of the five types in a size group it shares with Bombardier Challenger 300/350, Bombardier Challenger 600 series, Gulfstream GIV/G450 and Dassault Falcon 2000. The median aircraft flew 36% of its legs as short hops, the highest median share in that group. At the long end, 1 in 20 aircraft had a median leg of more than 869 nautical miles.
How often do Falcon 50 aircraft use short runways?
The median North American Falcon 50 took off from a short runway on 23% of its departures in the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026. A short runway here is a field whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the type's published takeoff distance. At the low end, 1 in 20 aircraft kept it to 6% of departures or less. Each of those takeoffs calls for more thrust, and each landing at the same fields works the brakes and tires.
Can a Falcon 50 fly across the Atlantic?
Yes. Dassault quotes a range of 3,075 nautical miles for the Falcon 50EX, with eight passengers, at a set cruise Mach number and with NBAA IFR reserves. In the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026, 10 of the 157 North American aircraft we track flew 12 nonstop crossings between the Americas and Europe or Africa. Legs to Iceland or Greenland, usually fuel stops, are left out of that count.
How many gallons of fuel does a Falcon 50 hold?
About 2,320 US gallons, the same for the Falcon 50 and the Falcon 50EX. The type certificate gives usable fuel as 15,514 pounds (UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00161 Issue 01, p.13). We convert at 6.7 pounds per US gallon of Jet A, so the gallon figure is approximate.
Where are most Falcon 50 aircraft based?
They are spread widely: the busiest home field, Fort Worth Meacham International Airport, was home to 8 of the 157 aircraft we assessed. Marietta, Cobb County-McCollum Field Airport, near Atlanta, and William P Hobby Airport in Houston came next. A home base is the field an aircraft touches on most of its flying days, month after month. For 44 aircraft, no single field stood out: they moved between bases too often.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Dassault Falcon 50 fleet statistics.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/aircraft/dassault/falcon-50
Embed a chart
<iframe src="https://theaircraftledger.com/embed/fleet/dassault-falcon-50/fatigue" title="Fatigue" width="100%" height="1180" style="border:0;max-width:960px" loading="lazy"></iframe>Method: Dassault Falcon 50 aircraft with most departures in North America and at least 20 tracked flights in the latest twelve full months. Flight measures, bases, routes and rankings use ADS-B tracking 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; corrosion and engines-and-brakes exposure use the same twelve months, or an aircraft’s record since 1 Jan 2025 when it had too few nights or departures in them. Estimated hours from time in the air. Tracking misses some flights, so counts and hours are minimums. ADS-B coverage grew over the window, so we don’t compare one year with the last. Tracking can’t tell one variant from another; the variant split, the busiest table’s variants and the age table use the FAA registry, so they cover US-registered aircraft only. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Short-runway figures use the manufacturer’s published takeoff distance where our sources hold one for every variant (the longest, where tracking can’t tell variants apart), and a reference figure otherwise. Corrosion measures cover the aircraft we can place on enough nights, some over the longer window when the twelve months had too few. Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft; aircraft flown by a fractional program (NetJets, Flexjet and the like) are counted as fractional, not charter. About our data