4 ms·

The range of a Gulfstream V is about 6500 miles. Given that fact the jet could have easily flown without entering UK airspace at all. The Gulfstream V also has

by slr555 11y ago

The range of a Gulfstream V is about 6500 miles. Given that fact the jet could have easily flown without entering UK airspace at all. The Gulfstream V also has an initial cruising altitude of 41,000 feet with a max of 51,000 feet. 45,000 feet may be high for a commercial jet but the G5 cruises comfortably at that altitude. Given these facts I am not sure why the CIA would create the exposure flying over the UK would create. My guess is they have heard of flight aware and know a transponder does.

ThrustVectoring 11y ago
There's safety restrictions for flight paths - in case of sudden engine failure, you want the plane to be able to glide to an airfield or other inhabited areas that you can get rescued from. I'm also not familiar enough with air-traffic control rules in the area to be sure, but it looks like you'd have to either pass through Icelandic or Scottish airspace to get to Scandinavia.
- slr555 11y ago
  That makes sense but there are so many transpacific routes that spend huge stretches of time over open water that I am not sure it is even feasible for all commercial flights. CIA SAD/SOG operations likely have a much broader risk envelope.
  - ThrustVectoring 11y ago
    Further brief research suggests it's "flight time with one failed engine" that's a constraint, somewhere between 60 and 180 minutes, depending on how the plane is certified. The Gulfstream 5 is a twin-engine aircraft, which makes it more awkward for crossing large bodies of water. For long-distance flights, you're more likely to be on a four-engine plane, which has more lenient safety margins in case of engine failure. That said, the Pacific has a good chunk of diversion airports available as well.
- bobinator606 11y ago
  the G-V is certified for ETOPS -- extended twin-engine overwater operations. Second, there's no "gliding" involved. ETOPS flight plans are designed for single engine operation. That floating seat cushion is for when both engines fail.
- gsnedders 11y ago
  > I'm also not familiar enough with air-traffic control rules in the area to be sure, but it looks like you'd have to either pass through Icelandic or Scottish airspace to get to Scandinavia. There's two separate issues there: there's airspace controlled by the Iceland and the UK and there's sovereign airspace. In the case of the UK and Iceland, the airspace they control goes far beyond the sovereign airspace.

by slr555 11y ago

ThrustVectoring 11y ago

There's safety restrictions for flight paths - in case of sudden engine failure, you want the plane to be able to glide to an airfield or other inhabited areas that you can get rescued from. I'm also not familiar enough with air-traffic control rules in the area to be sure, but it looks like you'd have to either pass through Icelandic or Scottish airspace to get to Scandinavia.

slr555 11y ago
That makes sense but there are so many transpacific routes that spend huge stretches of time over open water that I am not sure it is even feasible for all commercial flights. CIA SAD/SOG operations likely have a much broader risk envelope.
- ThrustVectoring 11y ago
  Further brief research suggests it's "flight time with one failed engine" that's a constraint, somewhere between 60 and 180 minutes, depending on how the plane is certified. The Gulfstream 5 is a twin-engine aircraft, which makes it more awkward for crossing large bodies of water. For long-distance flights, you're more likely to be on a four-engine plane, which has more lenient safety margins in case of engine failure. That said, the Pacific has a good chunk of diversion airports available as well.
bobinator606 11y ago
the G-V is certified for ETOPS -- extended twin-engine overwater operations. Second, there's no "gliding" involved. ETOPS flight plans are designed for single engine operation. That floating seat cushion is for when both engines fail.
gsnedders 11y ago
> I'm also not familiar enough with air-traffic control rules in the area to be sure, but it looks like you'd have to either pass through Icelandic or Scottish airspace to get to Scandinavia. There's two separate issues there: there's airspace controlled by the Iceland and the UK and there's sovereign airspace. In the case of the UK and Iceland, the airspace they control goes far beyond the sovereign airspace.