Summary
- Elon Musk operates a fleet of private jets for transportation options.
- Musk’s personal aircraft include a Gulfstream G650ER and a Gulfstream G550.
- The Gulfstream G650ER has a longer range and faster speed than the G550.
Elon Musk is one of the most prominent figures in the world. The businessman was born in 1971 in South Africa before coming to the United States to study. Since then, the prominent figure has founded numerous companies and invested in more.
He is responsible for founding PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX, The Boring Company, and Neuralink, and he is also the current Executive Chairman of X, formerly Twitter. Due to these business ventures, Musk has reached a net worth of over $250 billion, which makes him one of the richest people in the world.
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Because of Musk’s extremely high net worth, it is no wonder he operates a fleet of private jets for basic transportation purposes. Flying privately allows travelers to take off whenever they want without being restricted by scheduled commercial flights.
The operators can also depart from a wider range of airports, including those with smaller runways, as business jets are typically smaller than commercial airliners. This allows private jet users to end up closer to their intended destination. Let’s take a closer look at two of the business jets that Musk operates for his personal use, as well as what makes each of these aircraft so special.
Musk’s first private jet
The first aircraft that Elon Musk uses is a Gulfstream G650ER. This is Musk’s personal aircraft of choice, and he typically uses it for his own travel. The aircraft is registered as N628TS, and it was first produced in 2015.
According to JetSpy, this aircraft has FALCON LANDING LLC as its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) owner, which makes sense as this is a Musk-owned company. This LLC is based in Hawthorne, California, near the headquarters of SpaceX. FALCON LANDING LLC has owned this business jet since April 2016, per FlightAware.
Photo: Karolis Kavolelis | Shutterstock
So far, in 2024, according to JetSpy, N628TS has recorded a total of 126 flights, which have accumulated over 300 total flight hours. This has amounted to over 150,000 gallons of aviation fuel. This much fuel is responsible for nearly 1,500 metric tons of carbon emissions, as estimated by JetSpy. The top three most visited airports for N628TS are:
- Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Austin, Texas
- Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) in San Jose, California
- Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR) in Hawthorne, California
About the Gulfstream G650ER
Gulfstream first began developing the G650 series in 2005. It was officially introduced to the public in October 2008 as the company’s largest and fastest business jet. It would later be surpassed by the G700, after it was certified in early 2024. The G650ER was introduced in early 2014 as a G650 with an extended range.
The G650ER was officially introduced in October 2014. Shortly after its introduction, it set several speed and distance records, including the longest non-stop flight by a purpose-built private jet. This distance was over 8,000 nautical miles (9,200 miles), as a G650ER flew from Singapore to Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock
Overall, the Gulfstream G650ER has the following performance measures:
|
Maximum capacity |
19 passengers |
|---|---|
|
Length |
99 feet nine inches |
|
Height |
25 feet eight inches |
|
Wingspan |
99 feet seven inches |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
103,600 pounds |
|
Range |
7,500 nautical miles (8,600 miles) |
|
Maximum speed |
Mach 0.925 (611 miles per hour) |
|
Service ceiling |
51,000 feet |
Musk’s second private jet
The second aircraft used by Musk is an earlier Gulfstream model than his G650ER. This aircraft is a Gulfstream G550, which was first built in 2007 and is registered as N272BG. This aircraft is also frequently operated by Musk, although he also uses it for employee transportation, typically SpaceX or Tesla employees.
This aircraft also has an FAA-registered owner of FALCON LANDING LLC, indicating it is a Musk-owned business jet. The business jet was acquired by FALCON LANDING LLC in August 2020, and it was previously owned by Contrail Aviation, based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo: Media_works | Shutterstock
According to JetSpy, N272BG has conducted a total of 107 flights in 2024. This has amounted to just under 300 total flight hours. Overall, these 107 flights used approximately 126,000 gallons of jet fuel, which amounts to just over 1,200 metric tons of carbon emissions. The top three most visited airports for N272BG are:
- Jack Northrop Field Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR) in Hawthorne, California
- Austin Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) in Austin, Texas
- Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport (BRO) in South Padre Island, Texas
About the Gulfstream G550
The Gulfstream G550 is a smaller aircraft compared to the Gulfstream G650 series. The aircraft was originally developed as a more efficient business jet compared to the Gulfstream V. Gulfstream added several other upgrades as well, including a new avionics suite, several aerodynamic improvements, and more powerful engines.
The G550 was officially introduced in 2003, and it was produced until 2021. Over 600 total aircraft were built by Gulfstream. However, it was later replaced by the improved G600 in 2021.
Photo: Ryan Fletcher | Shutterstock
Overall, this aircraft has the following performance specifications:
|
Maximum capacity |
19 passengers |
|---|---|
|
Length |
96 feet five inches |
|
Height |
25 feet ten inches |
|
Wingspan |
93 feet six inches |
|
Maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) |
91,000 pounds |
|
Range |
6,750 nautical miles (7,770 miles) |
|
Maximum speed |
Mach 0.885 (573 miles per hour) |
|
Service ceiling |
51,000 feet |