GULFSTREAM RECENTLY delivered the 100th G600 business jet to a customer. The aircraft was handed over to an undisclosed North American-based operator from the manufacturer's completions centre at Dallas Love Field in Texas. This milestone in the aircraft's production programme was announced by Gulfstream on February 15. Commenting on the delivery, the president of Gulfstream, Mark Burns, said: "Thanks to its highly customisable cabin, fuel-efficient design and exceptional performance capabilities, we are seeing unwavering customer demand. The 100th G600 customer delivery is a testament to that excellence and surging popularity." Gulfstream handed over the 100th aircraft in the joint G500/G600 programme in March 2021, while the same milestone was passed by the G500 in the second half of last year. Gulfstream has not identified the aircraft involved in the recent delivery. It is known that the 100th G600 built (N100GA c/n 73100) was ferried to Appleton International Airport in Wisconsin from the production line at Savannah, Georgia, on October 26, 2022, for fitting out. It was delivered to Citadel Aviation Investments LLC (Panda Restaurant Group) of Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 11, but is unlikely to be the aircraft involved, as it was completed at Appleton. Another candidate is N604GA (c/n 73104), given it was fitted out at Dallas. This was ferried to Wisconsin on December 1, 2022. The identity N522AA was reserved for the aircraft in January 2023. ;CROATIA HAS given 14 Mil Mi-8 Hip tactical transport helicopters to Ukraine in a bid to further bolster the war-torn nation's airlift capacities as Russia continues its now one year assault on the country and its sovereignty. The 14 Hips will comprise 12 Mi-8MTV-1s and two Mi-8Ts, with the aircraft being prepared for the transfer at the Zrakoplovno-Tehnicki Centar (ZTC; Aeronautical Technical Centre), which is located next to Zagreb Franjo Tudman Airport. Here, the helicopters had their Croatian Air Force markings and serial numbers removed prior to their transfer to Poland ahead of their eventual delivery to Ukraine. Of the 14 Hips involved, seven airworthy examples will be flown directly to Poland, while the remaining seven - which have been kept in long-term storage - will be transferred by ground-based transports.
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