Dassault Aviation Falcon 900

If you see a Falcon family resemblance in the 900, you’re right. The 900 series airplanes are descended from the first trijet Falcon, the Falcon 50, which was certified in the mid-1970s. At the time the idea of three engines was well within the mainstream; the Boeing 727 and the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 were both in their prime. Times have changed, however, and nearly every commercial jet design has two engines instead of three — yes, a few very large models have four.

Compared with its predecessor, the 900EX, the 900LX model will use less fuel and have an extra 300 nautical miles of range-a boost to 4,800 nautical miles-thanks to Aviation Partners' composite blended winglets, which reduce drag during climb and cruise flight. In the cockpit, the Honeywell Primus Epic-based EASy (Enhanced Avionics System) Phase II avionics will have increased capabilities, including synthetic vision for landing safely in extremely bad weather or at airports surrounded by difficult terrain.

Years ago while flying a competitor aircraft, I used to listen to a crusty old maintenance chief wishing, day after day, to replace our then current aircraft with a Falcon. For many in business aviation, that same wish list persists today. After a flight of only an hour-and-a-half, it was clear to me the winglet-equipped 900LX is a worthy successor to the 900EX.