Bombardier Challenger 650

The CL650 has one more trick up its sleeve and it explains why high-usage operators have been using Challengers for years: maintenance. Low hourly costs and fewer maintenance events are important. Visits to the shop are scheduled every 600 hours or 24 months for A inspections, and 8 years for C inspections. Most other aircraft have to visit the shop every 400 to 500 hours, and most C inspections are due every 6 years.

Guests will find four facing, swiveling leather club seats that also recline in the forward section of the aircraft. Beyond are four more facing seats and a four-seat divan, which all make up the conference area and feature a pop-up table in the middle. The forward seating and divan configurations can also convert into beds for long flights.

The Challenger 600 series is the longest-lived of these and has been in production for 41 years. It fills today’s bizjet market niche between the super-medium and traditional large-cabin aircraft. And when you consider that America went from the Wright brothers’ first flight to Chuck Yeager’s penetration of the sound barrier in 44 years, the 600 series production run is nothing short of amazing. Along the way, it has been modernized across five major block changes and 17 variants. The last two block changes have been significant.