North America · 445 aircraft · 12 months

Gulfstream GV/G550: how 445 jets are really flown

Q: How many hours a year does a GV/G550 fly?

The median North America GV/G550 flies about 168 estimated hours a year; the middle half sits between 120 and 253. About 1 in 20 flies more than 391.

Q: How often does a GV/G550 fly?

6 flights a month on 5 flying days at the median. About 1 in 20 makes more than 15 flights a month.

Q: How long is a typical GV/G550 flight?

The median leg is 647 nm. About 1 in 20 aircraft average more than 1,130 nm a leg.

Q: How often do GV/G550 aircraft use short runways?

At the median, 39% of departures are from fields whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the type’s takeoff distance. About 1 in 20 keep it to 13% or less.

Q: Is a high-hours GV/G550 a bad buy?

Not by itself. High hours on long legs are gentler on the structure than the same hours on short hops. Look at hours per landing and short-hop share alongside hours.

Q: Can a GV/G550 fly across the Atlantic?

Yes. The manufacturer quotes 6,750 nm for the G550. In our tracking window, 363 of the 445 North America aircraft flew 1,786 nonstop crossings between the Americas and Europe or Africa. The busiest were Luton–Teterboro (33 flights), Teterboro–Paris-Le Bourget (33 flights), Teterboro–Nice Cote d'Azur (22 flights).

Q: What’s the difference between the GV and the G550?

On paper, the G550 is certified 500 lb heavier at takeoff. Both are on one type certificate and one type rating; moving between them is self-study.

Q: How many gallons of fuel does a GV/G550 hold?

About 6,190 US gallons for the GV and 6,190 for the G550. The type certificate gives the capacity in pounds (41,506 and 41,489 lb); we convert at 6.7 lb per gallon of Jet A, so the gallons are approximate.

Q: Where are most GV/G550 aircraft based?

In North America, Van Nuys is home to the most, followed by Teterboro and Dallas Love. A base is the field an aircraft touches on most of its flying days, month after month.

The busiest 5% made more than 15 flights a month and the quietest 5% fewer than 3: over five times as many, on the same type.

01Fatigue

2.2 : 1

Hours per landing · middle half 1.9–2.7 : 1

02Corrosion

Salt air · middle half <1–6%

03Engines and brakes

39%

Short runways · middle half 26–56%

04Utilization

6.3

Flights a month · middle half 4.5–9.0

Fleet medians, with the middle half of the GV fleet. Context, not graded: grades compare one aircraft with its type.

Where GVs differ most

Freeze–thawCorrosion

At the harder end, one GV in twenty sees a freeze and a thaw on 26% or more of its nights. At the easier end, most see almost none.

Estimated hours a yearUtilization

The hardest-worked 5% log ≈391 h a year or more; the easiest-used, ≈63 h or less. The middle aircraft sits at ≈168 h.

Short runwaysEngines and brakes

For the easiest-used 5%, a short runway is rare: 13% of departures or fewer. At the harder end, 75% or more leave from one.

Chapter 01

Fatigue

Context, not graded

What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.

The middle GV flies 2.2 hours for every landing. One in twenty lands every 1.3 hours or sooner, the most cycles for its time.

Hours per landing

2.2 : 1

Middle half 1.9–2.7 : 1Harder end: 5% at 1.3 : 1 or lessEasier end: 5% at 3.5 : 1 or more

Short hops

30%

Middle half 21–39%Harder end: 5% at 55% or moreEasier end: 5% at 13% or less

Leg length

647 nm

Middle half 455–829 nmLowest 5%: 253 nm or lessHighest 5%: 1,130 nm or more

Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.

Spread of trip lengths

All 445 GVs

15%

17%

14%

11%

10%

16%

<150

150–300

300–450

450–600

600–900

900–1,200

1,200–1,800

1,800+

Share of legs by length in nautical miles, 33,698 legs with a known distance from 1 Aug 2025 to 31 Jul 2026. The fleet's trips bunch at 150–300 nm; 32% were under 300 nm and 37% over 900 nm.

The data behind it

Every measure for the 445 North America GVs, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.

Measure	Fleet median	Middle half
Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing	2.2 : 1	1.9–2.7 : 1
Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm	30%	21–39%
Leg length Median leg	647 nm	455–829 nm

Chapter 02

Corrosion

Context, not graded

What the air around it does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.

The middle GV spends 2% of its nights within 2 km of the coast. One in twenty spends 27% or more of them there.

Salt air

Middle half <1–6%Harder end: 5% at 27% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%

Damp air

7.6 h

Middle half 6.0–9.0 hHarder end: 5% at 11.0 h or moreEasier end: 5% at 3.7 h or less

Freeze–thaw

Middle half 2–13%Harder end: 5% at 26% 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

330 GVs

47%

22%

16%

<2%

2–5%

5–10%

10–25%

25–50%

50%+

Share of aircraft by the nights they spent within 2 km of the coast, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026. 69% spent under 5% of their nights there; 5% spent a quarter or more.

The data behind it

Every measure for the 330 of the 445 North America GVs with enough nights at known fields, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (6 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	2%	<1–6%
Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast	20%	8–64%
Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing	7.6 h	6.0–9.0 h
Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day	6%	2–13%
Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight	9.4 g/m³	8.3–11.0 g/m³

Chapter 03

Engines and brakes

Context, not graded

What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.

The middle GV leaves from a short runway on 39% of its departures. One in twenty does on 75% or more.

Short runways

39%

Middle half 26–56%Harder end: 5% at 75% or moreEasier end: 5% at 13% or less

Hot, high takeoffs

Middle half 2–8%Harder end: 5% at 19% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%

Density altitude

1,327 ft

Middle half 983–1,644 ftHarder end: 5% at 2,262 ft or moreEasier end: 5% at 466 ft or less

Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.

Runway margin at departure

31,924 departures

12%

30%

18%

28%

13%

below published max-weight distance

1–1.25×

1.25–1.5×

1.5–2×

2–3×

Longest runway at the departure field divided by the GV's published takeoff distance, for every departure with a known runway, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026. 42% left with less than 1.25× (the short-runway line); 12% from a field whose longest runway was shorter than the published distance, which assumes maximum weight.

The data behind it

Every measure for the 445 North America GVs, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (6 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	39%	26–56%
Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more	4%	2–8%
Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff	1,327 ft	983–1,644 ft

Chapter 04

Utilization

Context, not graded

How steadily the fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.

The middle GV made 6 flights a month. The busiest 5% made 15 or more, the quietest 3 or fewer.

Flights a month

6.3

Middle half 4.5–9.0Harder end: 5% at 14.7 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.7 or less

Days flown a month

4.7

Middle half 3.5–6.4Harder end: 5% at 9.4 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.3 or less

Estimated hours a year

≈168 h

Middle half 120–253 hHarder end: 5% at ≈391 h or moreEasier end: 5% at ≈63 h or less

Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.

Month by month

12 months

Median flights per aircraft that flew that month · darker bar is the busiest month, March 2026

20252026

The data behind it

Every measure for the 445 North America GVs, 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	6.3	4.5–9.0
Days flown a month Days with at least one flight	4.7	3.5–6.4
Estimated hours a year From time in the air	≈168 h	120–253 h

Buying, selling or financing a GV?

See where your GV sits in the fleet.

Enter a tail number to place it against these 445 aircraft. TailCheck grades it on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization, with every percentile shown.

05 · Fleet

Where GVs are based and fly

Van Nuys is home to more GVs than any other field, 34 of the 375 with a home base.

Teterboro–Van Nuys is the busiest route: 285 flights by 77 different aircraft.

Where GVs are based

Field	Share	Aircraft
Van Nuys		34
Teterboro		30
Dallas Love		15
Norman Y. Mineta San Jose		13
John Wayne -Orange		11
McCarran		10

Busiest GV routes

Between	Flights
Teterboro ⇄ Van Nuys	285 flights
Washington Dulles ⇄ Teterboro	206
McCarran ⇄ Van Nuys	192
McCarran ⇄ Los Angeles	176
Miami-Opa Locka ⇄ Teterboro	171
Palm Beach ⇄ Teterboro	167

Longest GV flights

Between	Distance · time
Melbourne → Norman Y. Mineta San Jose	6,843 nm · 15 h 02 min
Ninoy Aquino Manila → Arapahoe	6,672 nm · 14 h 32 min
Taipei Songshan → Chicago	6,455 nm · 14 h 44 min
Kansai → North Philadelphia	6,030 nm · 13 h 43 min
Luton → San Fernando	6,016 nm · 15 h 20 min

05 · Fleet

Busiest GVs this year

The busiest GV made 29 flights a month, four times the middle aircraft.

Even the tenth on this list made 17.

Ranked by flights a month · updated monthly

#	Tail	Variant	Base	Flights a month	Estimated hours a year	Record
1	N88WR	—	McCarran	29	385 h	Check this tail →
2	N10274	G550	Tampa	22	401 h	Check this tail →
3	N102DZ	GV	Scottsdale	22	521 h	Check this tail →
4	N257A	G550	Dallas Love	22	483 h	Check this tail →
5	N280PH	GV	—	19	626 h	Check this tail →
6	N550FR	G550	Arapahoe	18	615 h	Check this tail →
7	N780W	GV	—	18	669 h	Check this tail →
8	N126HR	G550	Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood	18	436 h	Check this tail →
9	N272BG	G550	Jack Northrop /Hawthorne	17	384 h	Check this tail →
10	N721AZ	GV	Chino	17	243 h	Check this tail →

Checking several tails? Unlimited for $995 a month →

05 · Fleet

GV vs other aircraft of its size

Medians for each North America fleet, same window and method.

It ranks 3rd of 5 types in its size group on flights a month.

Type	Tracked	Flights a month	Hours a year	Median leg	Hours per landing	Short hops
Gulfstream GV/G550	445	6.3	168 h	647 nm	2.2 : 1	30%
Gulfstream G650/G650ER	314	6.7	199 h	654 nm	2.5 : 1	30%
Bombardier Global 6000/6500	261	6.3	187 h	658 nm	2.5 : 1	31%
Dassault Falcon 7X	126	7.3	173 h	614 nm	2.1 : 1	28%
Gulfstream G600	137	6.3	171 h	635 nm	2.3 : 1	31%

GV/G550 vs Gulfstream G650/G650ER, in full →

Side-by-side comparisons

GV vs Global 5000/5500 →GV vs Global 6000/6500 →GV vs Falcon 7X →GV vs Falcon 900 →GV vs G600 →GV vs G650 →GV vs GIV →

05 · Fleet

Do older GVs fly differently?

Age matters: by year built, the median GV in each band flew between 137 and 187 estimated hours a year.

Show the tableHide the table

Serial block	Built	Tracked	Hours a year	Median leg	Short hops
504–563	1996–98	34	169 h	722 nm	30%
502–5150	1999–01	58	173 h	636 nm	31%
665–5061	2002–04	45	137 h	658 nm	29%
5064–5179	2005–07	53	187 h	555 nm	35%
5180–5360	2008–10	54	162 h	669 nm	31%
5312–5456	2011–13	70	167 h	642 nm	31%
5460–5623	2014–20	71	168 h	689 nm	26%

US-registered aircraft only: the FAA registry gives serial number and year of manufacture for 385 of the 445 we track. Built = year of manufacture. Avionics upgrades are fitted by modification and the registry doesn’t show them, so check an aircraft’s records.

06 · On paper

GV vs G550: on paper

One page covers both models: the tracking data doesn’t tell them apart.

On paper they differ in weights and fuel. Certified figures come from the type certificate data sheet; the rest are the manufacturer’s.

Measure	GV	G550	Source
Maximum takeoff weight (certified)	90,500 lb	91,000 lb	EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.070 Issue 13, p.56
Maximum ramp weight (certified)	90,900 lb	91,400 lb	EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.070 Issue 13, p.56
Fuel capacity (certified)	41,506 lb	41,489 lb	EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.070 Issue 13, p.55
Range (manufacturer)	—	≈ 6,750 nm	Manufacturer (archived spec page, 19 Jan 2021)
Takeoff distance (manufacturer)	—	5,910 ft	Manufacturer (archived spec page, 19 Jan 2021)
Passengers	Up to 19 certified	Up to 19 certified	EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.070 Issue 13, p.48
Fuel capacity, US gallons (approx.)	≈ 6,190 US gal	≈ 6,190 US gal	From the certified pounds at 6.7 lb per US gallon of Jet A; actual density varies with temperature
High-speed cruise (manufacturer)	—	Mach 0.85	Manufacturer (archived spec page, 19 Jan 2021)
Length (manufacturer)	—	96 ft 5 in	Manufacturer (archived spec page, 19 Jan 2021)
Wingspan (manufacturer)	—	93 ft 6 in	Manufacturer (archived spec page, 19 Jan 2021)
Height (manufacturer)	—	25 ft 10 in	Manufacturer (archived spec page, 19 Jan 2021)

06 · On paper

What the GV’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 GV/G550 files say, each item with its source.

Crewing a GV

Item	What the file says
Type rating	G-V, covering the GIV-X (G450/G350) and GV and GV-SP (G550/G500)EASA OSD EASA-OSD-FC-GV Series-GAC-001 Original, p.10
Minimum crew	2 pilotsEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.070 Issue 13, p.48
Switching between variants	Moving between the GV, GV-SP and GIV-X needs differences training at level C (training) / B (checking) / A (currency) in each direction.EASA OSD EASA-OSD-FC-GV Series-GAC-001 Original, p.13
Head-up display	HUD training must be done in an FFS Level C with a daylight visual display, or Level D; the GV, GV-SP and GIV-X HUDs are functionally equivalent.EASA OSD EASA-OSD-FC-GV Series-GAC-001 Original, p.16
Line flying under supervision	At least 10 route sectors of line flying under supervision after the initial type rating, then a line check.EASA OSD EASA-OSD-FC-GV Series-GAC-001 Original, p.20

Show all 5Show the first four

Sources

Document	Revision
EASA TCDS IM.A.070 — Gulfstream G-1159, G-1159A, G-1159B, G-IV, GIV-X, GV, GV-SP	EASA · Issue 13 · 6 Aug 2026
EASA OSD Flight Crew — Gulfstream GV / GV-SP (G500/G550) / GIV-X (G450/G350)	EASA · Original · 21 May 2015

07 · Charter

Chartering a GV

175 of the 445 North America GVs we track are on our charter list (39%).

Charter aircraft flew a median 207 estimated hours a year on 7 flights a month; the rest flew 151 hours on 6.

Where charter GVs are based

Field	Share	Aircraft
Van Nuys		25
Teterboro		21
John Wayne -Orange		9
Palm Beach		5
Westchester		4
Oakland		4

Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft. No charter rates: prices depend on the operator and the trip. Check a specific aircraft’s record with its tail number before you book.

08 · FAQ

GV questions

How many hours a year does a GV/G550 fly?

The median North America GV/G550 flies about 168 estimated hours a year; the middle half sits between 120 and 253. About 1 in 20 flies more than 391.

How often does a GV/G550 fly?

6 flights a month on 5 flying days at the median. About 1 in 20 makes more than 15 flights a month.

How long is a typical GV/G550 flight?

The median leg is 647 nm. About 1 in 20 aircraft average more than 1,130 nm a leg.

How often do GV/G550 aircraft use short runways?

At the median, 39% of departures are from fields whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the type’s takeoff distance. About 1 in 20 keep it to 13% or less.

Is a high-hours GV/G550 a bad buy?

Not by itself. High hours on long legs are gentler on the structure than the same hours on short hops. Look at hours per landing and short-hop share alongside hours.

Can a GV/G550 fly across the Atlantic?

Yes. The manufacturer quotes 6,750 nm for the G550. In our tracking window, 363 of the 445 North America aircraft flew 1,786 nonstop crossings between the Americas and Europe or Africa. The busiest were Luton–Teterboro (33 flights), Teterboro–Paris-Le Bourget (33 flights), Teterboro–Nice Cote d'Azur (22 flights).

What’s the difference between the GV and the G550?

On paper, the G550 is certified 500 lb heavier at takeoff. Both are on one type certificate and one type rating; moving between them is self-study.

How many gallons of fuel does a GV/G550 hold?

About 6,190 US gallons for the GV and 6,190 for the G550. The type certificate gives the capacity in pounds (41,506 and 41,489 lb); we convert at 6.7 lb per gallon of Jet A, so the gallons are approximate.

Where are most GV/G550 aircraft based?

In North America, Van Nuys is home to the most, followed by Teterboro and Dallas Love. A base is the field an aircraft touches on most of its flying days, month after month.

Cite this data

The Aircraft Ledger. “Gulfstream GV/G550 fleet statistics.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/aircraft/gulfstream/gv

Method: Gulfstream GV/G550 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. Corrosion measures cover the aircraft we can place on enough nights. Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft. About our data