Fly private in the Falcon 50 / Falcon 50EX from Dassault Aviation
The Falcon 50 first debuted way back in 1976. Despite that seeming like an eternity in the aviation industry, it's been a staple of business aviation since it appeared as the upgrade to Dassault's twin-engine Falcon 20.
The tri-jet design from Dassault Aviation revolutionized the business aircraft market. After nearly two decades of successful missions, it received a make-over in 1996 with the Falcon 50EX, and paved the way for Dassault's future business jets like the Falcon 7X and the Falcon 900.
In production through 2008, there were 352 models produced, and the majority of Falcon 50 and Falcon 50EX business jets are either privately owned, or operated by charter companies and fractional aircraft companies.
The Falcon 50 and 50EX models are popular choices for super midsize jet charters, offering high-performance and transoceanic and cross country range for routes like LA to Miami, or NYC to London. Both models also popular aircraft within many jet card and fractional ownership programs.
Today, it's one of the most frequently searched for business jets for private jet charter. What makes the Falcon 50 such an appealing option for executive and luxury travelers?
Let's take a look.
Dassault Aviation's Falcon 50 Business Jet
Achieving the perfect balance of range, runway performance, speed, and reliability, the Dassault Falcon 50/50EX business jet is a pioneer in high-performance, highly-modified business aviation, and one of the most versatile aircraft in the super midsize segment.
The Falcon 50's tri-jet design delivers incredible runway performance allowing it utilize take off and land at short, high-elevation airports, even at high-temperatures, all without sacrificing performance by reducing total passenger or baggage weight, or the amount of fuel for your mission.
After taking off, passengers enjoy a smooth ride at speeds of up to 551 mph and a 4,025 statue mile range, able to perform coast-to-coast flights in a matter of hours, and offering a maximum flight time of around 7 hours over 3,123 nautical miles.
The Falcon's range was designed to offer a high-end aircraft for transoceanic flights from the United States to Europe and Latin America, however, it also has the ability to carry 8 executives non-stop at a high cruise speed of 613 miles per hour (mach 0.80) with a range of 3,075 nautical miles.
This turned it into an ideal plane for domestic charters, from cross country routes between Los Angeles and New York and executive flights from Teterboro to Dulles, to bachelor parties chartering a plane from LA to Vegas and back.
Flight of the Falcon 50
Many private jet travelers enjoy the speed, range, and comfort offered by the Falcon 50. It’s cabin is usually designed to seat up to 8-10 passengers, while some operators have made modifications to allow high capacity seating to accommodate up to 16 people.
The Falcon 50's cabin measures just over 23 feet in length, 6 feet and 1 inch in width, with a height of 5 feet, 9 inches.
The interior offers 700 cubic feet to freely move about the cabin and stay refreshed after long distance flights, and a fully-enclosed bathroom provides privacy for passengers mid-flight.
There are internal and external storage areas available, and the external compartment has enough space to fit items up to 8 feet long, perfect for surfers and skiers; photography & video equipment; musical instruments, DJ gear, and shellcases; firearms and hunting rifles; and any other big things you want to bring along (or bring home).
Falcon 50
The original model debuted in 1976 and was FAA certified in 1979, inheriting the fuselage cross-section from the Falcon 20, but offering a new design that was area ruled, including aerodynamic improvements using a super-critical wing design, a trijet layout, and an S-duct air intake for the middle engine.
There are several Falcon 50's available in the charter market, and it’s a popular model in the used aircraft market. If you're in the market to either purchase or charter one, you'll be happy to know that most have been refurbished with significant upgrades to match it's aesthetics to it’s history of superior performance.
Falcon 50EX
The Falcon 50 enjoyed huge success as a business aviation pioneer throughout the 80's, and was updated in 1996 with the Falcon 50EX.
The newer model flies higher, faster and even farther than the already high-flying, 600+ mph Falcon 50, all while further improving cabin comfort and flight capabilities to carry the platform’s success into the 21st century.
The EX features the same tri-jet design as its predecessor, but is equipped with new AlliedSignal TFE 731-40 engines, providing more thrust during take-off and faster climb rates, while at the same time lowering fuel consumption by 7%, and reducing overall maintenance and operational costs.
The flight deck is modernized with Collins Proline 4 systems, and some of the models have upgraded to Pro Line 21 by StandardAero as of 2011.
An aerodynamics package is offered by Aviation Partners, Inc, retrofitting the 50EX with blended winglets to further enhancing its performance, range, and efficiency.
Although the last model rolled off the assembly line in late 2007, both the Falcon 50 and 50EX continue to serve as a proven business jet in private and corporate aviation.
Notable Features
- Dassault’s Revolutionary Three-Engine Performance
- Huge External Storage Compartment
- Spacious Cabin with Seating for up to 10
- Fully Enclosed Bathroom
- Able to Operate at Challenging Runways
- Transoceanic Flight Range
Price & Performance
- Hourly Charter Rates: $4,000 – $5,500*
- MSRP: $21,250,000
- Avg. Cruising Speed: 459 knots (528 mph)
- Maximum Speed: 568 mph | 652 mph (EX)
- Maximum Range: 3,300 nautical miles
A Proven Business Jet Since Your Dad Listened to Vinyl
Owners and operators of the Falcon 50 enjoy its proven track record as workhorse with decades of reliability and dependability.
It's three-engine design offers added thrust for superior runway performance, flexible flight planning with an additional jet engine, and peace of mind knowing one going down means you still have two.
Many variants have been modified to far exceeded it's original specs and flight capabilities to tap into the maximum potential of this incredible business jet.
In fact, Dassault utilized the knowledge and experience they gained in designing and manufacturing the Falcon 50 into their future large cabin business planes, including the 900, 2000, and 7X members of the Falcon family, which continues to drive Dassault's innovation in the super midsize segment.
* charter rates and pricing will vary based on the model and company you work with
