Dassault recently wrapped up flight-testing that is expected to see its Falcon 7X become the first certified business jet to operate at the world’s highest commercial airport–14,470-foot-high Daocheng Yading Airport in China’s Sichuan province.
The certification effort is intended to meet demand in Western China for business jets capable of operating at small high-altitude airports in the region. In terms of performance, Cessna’s Sovereign/Sovereign+ and XLS/XLS+ are also capable of flying to such high-altitude airports, with a flight manual supplement that allows operation at airports as high as 15,000 feet. But the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) must authorize operations at Daocheng, and Dassault expects to receive official approval for the 7X early next year. The trials included some milestones for Western companies.
Falcon 7X testing at Daocheng began on August 25 and concluded on September 7, with support from both the EASA and China’s CAAC, a first. Daocheng flight-tests started after preliminary flights at Jiuzhai Huang Long Airport (elevation 11,311 feet) near Chengdu with a CAAC pilot at the controls. After an initial landing at Daocheng, the 7X performed engines/APU run-up followed by a series of takeoffs and landings, including some with simulated engine failure.
“The aircraft handled flawlessly in all conditions of flight and the engines, APUs and pressurization systems performed perfectly,” said Jean -Louis Dumas, Dassault Aviation test pilot. “This performance highlights the unparalleled ability of the 7X to operate from difficult short airstrips in the most challenging conditions.” o
Once finalized by the CAAC, the approval will enable Falcon 7X takeoffs and landings at airport elevations as high as 15,000 feet. In addition to setting an airport altitude world record for a business jet, the test campaign established several benchmarks for aviation in China: it was the first flight-test campaign undertaken over Chinese territory by a foreign-registered aircraft and it will be the first approval to be issued jointly by the EASA and CAAC.
