Pushing the boundaries

Mark Burns, President, Gulfstream Aerospace Corp, on what it takes to keep Gulfstream on top

Q: You started at Gulfstream as a CAD operator more than 30 years ago. So much has changed in the industry since then. In your mind, what are some of the most notable things the company has achieved?

A: When I first came to Gulfstream, we were producing the Gulfstream III, which later became the first business jet to fly over both poles. When I look back at the products Gulfstream has produced since then, I am truly amazed at how far we have come in terms of innovation. Now, we have the G650ER, which last year made a record-breaking flight from New York to Shanghai over the North Pole, in 13 hours and 40 minutes. That is a challenging flight the aircraft made with ease and speed—proving once again that performance has always been a priority for Gulfstream. If we consistently put our own products to the test, we ensure that customers are getting what we promised. Our current aircraft, including the all-new G500 and G600, have nearly 250 city-pair speed records.

Gulfstream has always been laser-focused on continuous improvement, on besting ourselves for the benefit of our customers. With each new generation of aircraft, we have introduced new innovations and technology to the industry. The Symmetry Flight Deck is one of our latest to do this with industry-first active control sidesticks, the most extensive use of touchscreen technology and a data concentration network that removes more than 200 pounds of weight from the aircraft.

When I started at Gulfstream, I could see the Gulfstream III production line from my desk. I now have to drive around our campus to see production of the G650, G650ER, G500 and G600. We’ve gone from being a single-line facility to now encompassing four manufacturing buildings. We even brought wing and empennage production in-house. So much of this comes down to continuous improvement, and our three Collier Trophy wins are a testament to that. Another constant at Gulfstream is our company culture. Integrity is our corporate value, and has been at the forefront since I started. We make promises that we keep and we produce aircraft that do what we say they can do. In many cases, like the G500 and G600, we exceed our initial promises—both of those aircraft deliver more performance than initially announced.

Q: Competition in the industry seems to have reached fever pitch, from new aircraft announcements to support. How does Gulfstream maintain its leading edge?

A: One thing that sets Gulfstream apart is how we approach new products. We start with our customer first. Through ongoing discussions, we learn and understand what our customers want and what is important to them. We then take these insights to our own research and development team to create a Gulfstream product that is truly customer-focused.

We also realize that innovation and attention are important after our customers take delivery of their Gulfstream aircraft. In the past few years, we have innovated our Customer Support business with a new, dedicated aircraft-on-ground center staffed by an enterprise-wide team of Gulfstream experts monitoring the worldwide fleet. As we look to the future of customer support, we are conscientiously expanding our network to accommodate the geographical reach of the Gulfstream fleet. This includes the more than 760,000 square feet we are currently adding to our support network.

Read the full article here: https://online.anyflip.com/yosh/jbvl/mobile/#p=36