Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association Hosts Bombardier Challenger 350 Team at April Meeting

By Carmelo Turdo

The Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association (GSLBAA) hosted the Bombardier Challenger 350 demonstrator team Friday during their April meeting held at the Aero Charter hangar, Spirit of St. Louis Airport. The Challenger 350 on display, barely six months old, made an impressive backdrop as GSLBAA members and guests gathered for lunch provided by PM BBQ prior to the Challenger product line presentation and aircraft tour.

Following lunch, Bombardier Senior Sales Engineer for Business Aircraft, Laurence Casia, gave an overview of the Challenger line of business jets culminating with the updates given to the 350 series. The Challenger 350 mid-size jet, first delivered in 2014, contains improvements over the 300 series that make the aircraft more comfortable and efficient to operate. Externally, the 350 has more powerful Honeywell turbofan engines, new canted winglets and larger passenger windows. Internally, the large, full-height cabin offers more comfortable seating and cabin management system to give passengers more control over their environment. The cockpit features advanced Rockwell avionics that include a synthetic vision system, weather radar and dual inertial reference system. The Challenger 350 can cruise at over 500mph at 45,000 feet and has a range of 3200nm. Following the presentation, the Bombardier Challenger 350 team was given a token of appreciation from GSLBAA, accepted by Business Aircraft Sales Director, Ed Thomas.     

A tour of the Challenger 350 revealed the amenities of the full-width cabin - no crouching, bending or slithering required in this living room of the skies. Six oversized seats, a couch and fold-out table tops offer comfort and utility, and the large cargo capacity and lavatory make the cross-country flights more practical. The cockpit, though not large, is well organized and offers excellent pilot visibility. The following walk-around and cabin series illustrates the overall impression of the Challenger 350:

       












The Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association (GSLBAA) has over 300 members and represents over 40 different businesses. GSLBAA provides a forum for members to learn about the latest business aviation aircraft, products and services and network among each other to strengthen the local business aviation community. The membership and guests meet monthly, and special fund-raising events provide resources for the GSLBAA Education Foundation and Wings of Hope humanitarian aviation operations. See the links above for more information on GSLBAA and the Bombardier Challenger 350 series business jet.

The Aero Experience thanks the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association and Aero Charter for their hospitality during our visit to the April monthly meeting.