Bombardier Experience Magazine 33

Bombardier Business Aircraft Magazine | Issue 33 | 2019

EXPERIENCE

High Notes Berlin’s New Buildings • A Metropolitan Rhapsody Learjet 75 Liberty Makes a Grand Entrance • And More

©CHANEL, Inc. CHANEL ®

B® CHANEL S. de R.L.

"CAMÉLIA" NECKLACE IN WHITE GOLD, RUBY AND DIAMONDS "CAMÉLIA" RING IN WHITE GOLD AND DIAMONDS

CHANEL.COM

www.velaaprivateisland.com

Breath taking

memories ARE MADE HERE . . .

A LUXURIOUS ESCAPE UNLIKE ANY OTHER Founded on the vision of a “beyond luxury” hideaway, Velaa Private Island Maldives was established for only the most discerning guests. Nested in the collection of islands that form the Noonu Atoll, a 45-minute seaplane flight north of Malé, Velaa is an exotic oasis, a verdant paradise protected by a large and healthy coral reef, where turquoise waters meet cerulean blue skies.

The resort is comprised of 18 over-water villas, 25 beach villas and houses and 4 four-bedroom private residences, all stylishly appointed and nothing short of spectacular. It also boasts of the highly exclusive Romantic Pool Residence, which is only accessible by boat. Each dwelling is serviced by a personal butler, ready to accommodate any desire that one might have in mind.

Velaa’s greatest asset is being able to ensure that each guest experiences the Island as their own personal hideaway.

A DESTINATION IN A CATEGORY OF ITS OWN Velaa Private Island is truly private - owned by a family. The owners, Jiří and Radka Šmejc, have spent countless weeks in Maldives both on holidays and in between business trips from Europe to Asia. Velaa Private Island represents their true passion to create an ultra-luxe escape for those who demand only the finest vacation. Jiří and Radka created what is essentially their dream paradise from scratch. They have made the Island a must go to destination in a category of its own, host to an unique and exclusive array of amenities unseen at any other resort across the Indian Ocean.

Delight in a wide range of high-tech toys for various water sports. Alongside jet skiing, windsurfing, kayaking, sailing, wakeboarding and water skiing; there is the crazily fast hover board, the sci-fi jetpack, and the adrenaline inducing fly board. To cap it all off, an exclusive semi-submarine is available for use, allowing guests to deep dive and explore the reefs that are teeming with marine life. The hotel’s dive centre also offers PADI certification courses and snorkelling excursions through some of the most breath-taking underwater vistas.

Velaa’s lavish over-water spa was recently recognised as the “Best Luxury Private Island Spa in the Indian Ocean” at the 2018 World Luxury Spa Awards. The spa features six treatment suites and offers a holistic range of treatments including Asian-inspired massages, Ayurveda therapy and ancient healing methods such as Reiki. It is also home to the only snow room and Cloud 9 relaxation pod in Maldives - all nestled over the Island’s pristine lagoon.

To complement its innovative facilities, guests at Velaa also have access to professional trainers and instructors. From personal sessions with a yoga master, consultations with fitness trainers to better their exercise regime, to improving their stroke in a one-on-one class with a PGA certified pro at Velaa Golf Academy, a 9-hole course designed by two-times Masters Champion José María Olazábal.

There are three delectable culinary options available at Velaa, each with their own unique identity. The Island’s signature over-water restaurant - Aragu, is helmed by the renowned Chef Gaushan De Silva and pushes the boundaries of fine dining modern-European cuisine. Tavaru, at 23m high, is one of the highest restaurants in a Maldivian resort and dishes up a refined degustation celebrating the Teppanyaki grill. Tavaru also houses one of the most exclusive wine collections in Maldives, with over 1,000 labels spanning the spectrum from boutique wineries to grand marques. Athiri is Velaa’s casual, beach front all-day dining restaurant where guests can enjoy a feast of international dishes served fresh to their tables or prepared to their request.

A wood-fired oven also means that hot, freshly made pizzas are available throughout the day - a must try specialty!

Discover the freedom and comfort of being on a privately-owned island paired with the luxurious amenities of a world-class resort. With innovative spa facilities, distinguished dining experiences, a multitude of activities for thrill-seekers and unrivalled views, this opulent retreat is one that we whole-heartedly embrace and know you will too.

To book or find out more, visit: www.velaaprivateisland.com

| Contents |

TRAVEL

30

Spot Check Sri Lanka’s Wild Coast Tented Lodge offers a sustainable getaway that aims to protect the country’s leopards.

By Stephanie Drax

36

Such Great Heights Berlin is a playground for worldclass starchitects who have taken the city to the next level.

By Christopher DiRaddo CRAFTSMANSHIP

44

Love. Lust. Revenge. Repeat.

How the Metropolitan Opera has enchanted audiences the world over by crafting the greatest dramas on Earth.

By James Gavin WINGSPAN

50

Under the Wing Innovative wing design is behind Bombardier Business Aircraft’s exceptionally smooth ride.

By Michael Stephen Johnson IN EVERY ISSUE

07 Insight 08 Contributors 09 Radar

44 —

26

Command Performance The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft brings unrivaled flexibility to light jet travel.

By Christopher Korchin

24

Up to the Challenge The Challenger 350 aircraft proves that the best keeps getting better.

By Christopher Korchin

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EXPERIENCE

Bombardier Worldwide

55

Sales Team

56 News

Building Betterment How Home Depot cofounder Kenneth Langone puts his earnings toward a higher purpose.

By Isa Tousignant

28

Off the Charts JetRight is putting its growing fleet of Learjet aircraft to work for country-music greats and business leaders.

By Isa Tousignant

9

PHOTOS: SÉRGIO NOGUEIRA • REBUS

Bombardier’s Global 5500 and Global 6500 business jets are redefining luxury and performance.

By Michael Stephen Johnson

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53

PROFILE

AIRCRAFT

Power Couple

City Guide

54 Fleet

On the Cover

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| Insight |

I

n many ways, music represents the ultimate experience. It isn’t something we can touch or hold and yet it is among the most powerful of expressions.

Few things can rival the soaring thrill of a musical composition that captivates an audience by hitting a high note with an untethered expression of artistry that electrifies the senses and leaves the audience wanting more.

At Bombardier, hitting the high note comes with the creation of the world’s most luxurious, versatile aircraft families on the planet—a vast product portfolio that provides the industry’s smoothest ride, unsurpassed performance and meticulously designed cabins that exceed all expectations.

From the iconic Learjet aircraft—including the new Learjet 75 Liberty— to the Challenger 350 jet, the most successful business aircraft platform ever built, to the newly launched Global 5500 and 6500, and the industry-defining Global 7500 aircraft, the world’s largest and most luxurious business jet, we consistently push the boundaries of comfort, speed and performance while tantalizing the senses with the finest attention to detail and design.

In this issue of Experience magazine, we feature customers who have hit the high note in their own way. New York business tycoon Kenneth Langone, cofounder of Home Depot, has built a 20-year relationship with Bombardier and uses his sleek, powerful Global 5000 aircraft to maximize his corporate objectives and philanthropic efforts. His extraordinary story epitomizes the high note philosophy, building a legacy that few can match.

Nashville-based aviation company JetRight hits the high note in its seamless delivery of maintenance, storage, management and staffing of your most precious aviation assets. Their staff exceed expectations with an off-the-charts service to remember.

This issue also includes an in-depth look at the science behind Bombardier’s signature smooth ride. Unlike others, the wings on Bombardier jets are designed to help you soar, no matter the highs or lows—with the utmost comfort.

True mastery occurs in many forms: We also step behind the velvet curtain of New York City’s famed Metropolitan Opera, a jewel in the world’s crown of creativity. We travel to destinations that have risen to extraordinary heights in their own right: From the exotic splendor of Abu Dhabi, to Berlin’s Bauhaus birthday, to the finest teas of Sri Lanka and its efforts in leopard conservancy, this 33rd issue of Experience magazine is an ode to great heights.

At Bombardier, our portfolio of business jets travel to every corner of the globe—continuing to perfectly hit the highest of notes and every one in between. 

“WE CONSISTENTLY PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF

SPEED AND PERFORMANCE WHILE TANTALIZING THE SENSES.”

Peter Likoray

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT WORLDWIDE SALES & MARKETING BOMBARDIER BUSINESS AIRCRAFT

Visit Experience magazine online at businessaircraft.bombardier.com/en/experience or at issuu.com

• Bombardier, Learjet, Learjet 70, Learjet 75, Challenger, Challenger 300, Challenger 350, Challenger 650, Global,

DIRECTOR, COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS

Mark Masluch

Global 5000, Global 5500, Global 6000, Global 6500, Global 7500, Global 8000 and Bombardier Vision are trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries.

• All performance data are preliminary estimates and are based on certain operating conditions.

• The Global 8000 aircraft is in the development phase. All data and specifications are estimates, subject to changes in family strategy, branding, capacity and performance during the development, manufacture and certification process.

MANAGER, COMMUNICATIONS & PUBLIC RELATIONS

Anna Cristofaro

SENIOR ADVISOR, PUBLIC RELATIONS & SUSTAINABILITY

Dominique Cristall

Canada Post Publications Mail Agreement Number 40064924 • ISSN 1925-4105

EXPERIENCE

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| Contributors |

James Gavin

ISSUE 33

Love. Lust. Revenge. Repeat. / page 44

experiencemagazine@bookmarkcontent.com

For his behind-the-curtain peek at New York’s iconic Metropolitan Opera, James Gavin relied on his many friends in the opera world to get him the inside story. An avid researcher whose work is never done—“I never relax,” he admits—Gavin is known for his vivid biographies of musical greats, including Chet Baker and Lena Horne (next up: George Michael). His five weeks per year on Fire Island are the closest he gets to a peaceful vacation, working until late afternoon before strolling along the beach for hours.

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Elio Iannacci

MANAGING EDITOR

Christopher DiRaddo SENIOR EDITORS

Renée Morrison Kelly Stock COPY EDITOR

Simone Hutsch

Jonathan Furze

Such Great Heights / page 36

FACT CHECKER

Award-winning architecture photographer Simone Hutsch found her passion after studying graphic design in her hometown of Berlin, where the geometry, patterns and shapes in buildings sparked her imagination.

Hutsch has as much fun retouching her photos as she does taking them: “Every building in my pictures has a surreal touch, and I sometimes create something entirely new in the retouching process,” she explains. Hutsch now lives in London, where she works as a graphic designer.

Tara Dupuis

ART ART DIRECTOR

Anna Minzhulina PRODUCTION DIRECTOR OF PROJECT DELIVERY

Alain Briard

SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER

Jennifer Fagan

Selman Hoşgör

CONTRIBUTORS

Love. Lust. Revenge. Repeat. / page 44

Multidisciplinary visual artist Selman Hoşgör’s bold collages are a combination of photographs, typography fonts and bright colors—“the result of individualistic and spontaneous inspiration,” he says. Born in Istanbul and currently living in London, he has worked with brands such as Longines and Bulgari, as well as publications, including The Guardian, Vogue and Vanity Fair.

Vanessa Basille, Chris Bertram, Guy Bird, Donny Colantonio, Stephanie Drax, James Gavin, Selman Hoşgör, Simone Hutsch, Anne‑Laure Jean, Michael Stephen Johnson, Christopher Korchin, Katie Moore, Isa Tousignant, RM Vaughan COVER PHOTOGRAPHER

Jonathan Tichler (Metropolitan Opera)

Spot Check / page 30

Based in London, Stephanie Drax is a freelance writer and editor (House & Garden, Condé Nast Traveler and Vanity Fair, among others) who also produces short in-flight travel films for her company, VisionAir City Guides.

During her time in Sri Lanka for her story on the leopards of Yala National Park, she had a magical dinner under the stars when every light at the resort was turned off for Earth Hour. Her next destination? Iceland, where she’ll head to a remote lodge surrounded by waterfalls and lava meadows.

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EXPERIENCE

VICE-PRESIDENT, CONTENT & CREATIVE STRATEGY

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ADVERTISING & MEDIA SALES NATIONAL SALES DIRECTOR

ADVERTISING PRODUCTION SENIOR AD PRODUCTION MANAGER

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EVP, LUXURY & LIFESTYLE GROUP

© Copyright 2019 by Bookmark Content and Communications, a Spafax Group Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of the publisher is prohibited. Experience magazine is published twice per year by Bookmark Content and Communications, a Spafax Group Company. Points of view expressed do not necessarily represent those of Bombardier Business Aircraft.

The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject all advertising matter. The publisher assumes no responsibility for the return or safety of unsolicited art, photographs or manuscripts. Printed in Canada.

Steve O’Connor steve.oconnor@spafax.com EUROPE, SPAFAX HEAD OF GLOBAL LUXURY & DIRECTOR OF EUROPE

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PHOTOS: BOBBY MILLER (GAVIN) • SIMONE HUTSCH ECE UYGURTÜRK (HOŞGÖR) • JENNIE SCOTT (DRAX)

Stephanie Drax

| Radar |

R ADAR Goods • Design • Inspiration

 Go Pro

PHOTO: WILLIAM WINRAM “ENCOUNTER WITH A GREAT HAMMERHEAD SHARK ON A SINGLE BREATH OF AIR”

www.somertonsc.com

If you don’t have 10,000 hours to master your chosen sport, then Somerton can offer a shortcut to skillfulness: train with true experts. For an annual fee, this ultra-sporting club arranges coaching sessions across 70 disciplines with any of the 300 professional athletes and 150 elite coaches on the Somerton roster. Trial new activities as a novice or improve on familiar techniques, from joining an introductory polo day with your family to perfecting your putt with a pro. Using a dedicated sports planner, Somerton builds sport, health and fitness into busy lives, even using local trainers when you travel who loop back your progress to the club.

B espoke coaching with the world’s sporting elite also offers access to sites, events and experiences that are wildly off the beaten track. Ski with freestyle legend Candide Thovex in his hometown of La Clusaz in the French Alps, the resort where he first learned the sport; go spearfishing among the humpback whales and tiger sharks with freediving World Record Holder William Winram, or scale Spain’s lesser-known mountains with American rock climber Chris Sharma, renowned for his deep-water soloing. Under the expert mentorship of world champions, world record holders, Olympic medalists, and their coaching and support circles, motivation and commitment should be a breeze. 

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 Trip the Light Fantastic www.brokis.cz

Playful design doesn’t have to look frivolous. Brokis blends traditional Czech glass mastery with clever lamp shapes inspired by plants, toys, pastries and Edison-era industrial lighting. The results are sconces, pendants and table lamps that are both cozy and witty. Manufactured in the legendary, 200-year-old Janštejn Glassworks, Brokis lights are patiently designed and often take years to go from sketch to finished product. Best known for their wildly popular “Memory” series—ceiling and wall lamps that resemble floating party balloons—Brokis adds charm to busy spaces and even busier lives. 

 A Full Plate

www.marcolorenzetto.com

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EXPERIENCE

 One Ring to Rule Them All www.rebussignetrings.co.uk

Prince Charles wears one. Cara Delevingne sports one on her pinky finger. Signet rings, often decorated with family crests or personal mottoes, have been around since biblical times. And when letters were sealed with wax, signet rings were used to make a stamp—an ancient version of a return address. London’s Rebus jewelry atelier handcrafts intricate, bespoke signet rings from heirloom metals and gemstones. Available in the classic flat-front, ovoid style (perfect for wax impressions) and in more contemporary shapes, these highly individualized rings can be engraved with anything from your initials to a replica of your thumbprint. 

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF BROKIS • MARCO LORENZETTO • REBUS

Los Angeles-based multimedia artist Marco Lorenzetto might live in the United States, but his art is fueled by a close connection to his Italian heritage—in particular, his birthplace of Faenza, world-famous for majolica ceramics. His fidelity to tradition shows: Lorenzetto’s ceramic works teem with life and deep, pulsing colors, yet are never fussy or antique. Rather, his plates jump with a jazzy pop sensibility.

“I believe that art is for everyone to enjoy. I created my ceramic collection as a way for art to be part of daily life with ease.” Critics agree.

Lorenzetto’s work has been featured in leading design magazines, and he has become a key figure in the Los Angeles visual art renaissance.

But can you eat off the plates? “Yes, please,” Lorenzetto says. “My clients always tell me that my artwork brings a sense of peace to their homes, which is the ultimate gift to me.”

Looking at his Cerchi Della Vita series of plates and bowls, each dappled with heavenly blue glaze, triggers memories of still swimming pools, pockets of sky peeking out between clouds, and the mystical Berber blue dyes beloved by Moroccans (and Yves Saint Laurent). The Dream Code White series, lyrical tableware that appears to be everemerging from a puffy cloud, might leave you in a Jungian haze, or prompt you to push your salad aside for a deeper look. Function and inspiration rarely pair so well. 

| Radar |

 Hôtel Très Particulier www.sothebys.com

Fashion icon and beloved philanthropist Countess Jacqueline de Ribes is having a sale. Her vast art, furniture and much-coveted book collection— assembled over centuries by the de Ribes family and greatly increased by herself and her late husband, Count Édouard de Ribes—will be dispersed by Sotheby’s in three auctions, starting in December. As famous as the Countess herself, the de Ribes collection features stunning examples of French decorative arts, 17th-century drawings and paintings, and pieces once enjoyed by MarieAntoinette. In the spring of 2020, the contents of the de Ribes hôtel particulier will be sold as well, but a highly anticipated event of the December auctions is the sale of the family book collection—considered by bibliophiles to be one of the world’s great assemblages of French literature and rare editions. 

 Fit for a Queen

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF SOTHEBYS • TASCHEN

www.taschen.com

You name them, David Bailey has photographed them: pop music icons from the Beatles to George Michael, world-renowned supermodels, Queen Elizabeth II (who invested Bailey with a CBE) and any actor handsome enough to play James Bond. Taschen Books celebrates Bailey’s still-thriving career with a massive survey of his portraits, presented in Taschen’s famed SUMO style: big, heavy and built to last. Bailey has an uncanny ability to capture the vulnerability in his subjects, especially the super-famous. In turn, his subjects look like they are daring Bailey to photograph them at their most relaxed. It’s a hide-and-seek game played out on gleaming, clear surfaces and under exquisite lighting. Bailey’s is an old-fashioned, more beguiling brand of glamor and a perfect counterpoint to Instagram blandness.  EXPERIENCE

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| Radar |

 The Big Blue

PHOTOS:MIR • IVAR KVAAL

www.under.no

Part aquarium, part next-level dining experience, Norway’s Under has a front door perched on a tempestuous spot of rough coastline and a dining room five meters below the surface. Diners can watch their dinner swim by while marveling at the crashing undercurrents caused by competing storms. Seating only 40 guests, the restaurant is both intimate and spectacular, with just a hint of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea wonder. Located in Lindesnes, on the edge of Norway’s gorgeous southern coast, the world’s largest underwater restaurant is only a 90-minute drive from Kristiansand Airport. Menus correspond with the restaurant’s extreme localism, taking the next step in the growing locavore movement by including regionally harvested seaweeds, herbs and fresh catches of the day.  EXPERIENCE

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 Power Up

www.automobili-pininfarina.com

The headline stats of the Pininfarina Battista full-electric hypercar, due for delivery in 2020, are impressive: 1900 hp, 0 to 62 mph in under two seconds, 250 mph-plus top speed and a circa $2.2 million price. The new automobile also heralds the launch of the world’s first zero-emission luxury car brand—Automobili Pininfarina. If that name sounds familiar, it is: Pininfarina is the Italian design house behind almost all of Ferrari’s 20th-century masterpieces and is renowned for its elegant designs on other marques, including Alfa Romeo. But after almost 90 years working on legends, the company will now see its famous crest adorn the hoods of its own luxury sports cars. A maximum of 150 Battistas will be available for purchase, with three more practical and affordable zero-emission luxury models to follow. 

www.fendi.com

When Louis Vuitton partnered with Supreme, the fashion world fell in love with the combination of iconic luxury and modern streetwear. Now, Italian fashion house Fendi has collaborated with Gentle Monster, the cult Korean eyewear brand, to form an exclusive capsule collection. Gentle Fendi features two eye-catching styles of sunglasses, each available in three colors. The distinct shapes and limited availability mean they’re sure to become a coveted part of any eyewear aficionado’s collection, adding an edge to both seaside and city looks.  14

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF AUTOMOBILI BATTISTA • FENDI

 Throwing Shade

By Chris Bertram

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EXPERIENCE

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PHOTO: JUAN CAMILO GUARIN (SHEIKH ZAYED GRAND MOSQUE)

Iconic Abu Dhabi

he momentum that Abu Dhabi has built up over the past decade is awe-inspiring to say the least.

Backed by vast sovereign wealth, it is the second-largest of the seven United Arab Emirates, boasting a growing population of more than two million. As the city continues to transform, so do its aspirations.

With more than 200 islands—many of them manmade—the city is already brimming with plentiful beaches, luxurious hotels and stunning skyscrapers that pop against its open skies. Abu Dhabi’s next big goal is to be seen as one of the world’s great cultural hubs. Propelling it toward this ambition are the city’s ever-expanding arts scene, the recent opening of the first Louvre outside of Paris and plans for a Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim (set to open in 2022).

| City Guide |

—STAY—

Located just outside Abu Dhabi, Qasr Al Sarab by Anantara offers a more tranquil and authentic Arabian experience than the myriad of gleaming, towering downtown hotels. Located a quick helicopter ride away in the Empty Quarter (the world’s largest uninterrupted sand desert), the resort’s secluded Royal Pavilion Pool Villas each offer 1,400 square feet of indoor and outdoor space replete with expansive dune views and a private plunge pool. Watch the sun melt into the rolling hills from the rooftop terrace of Suhail restaurant while enjoying a plate of fresh scallops and mussels. Next day, explore the dunes on camel before unwinding with the four-hour Arabian Desert Rose Ritual, a fragrant spa journey inspired by Abu Dhabi’s rejuvenating elixirs.

—VISIT—

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is the first foreign outpost of the world’s iconic museum. Opened on Saadiyat Island in fall 2017, the building is a work of art, with a honeycombed roof and a series of white-colored cube buildings that mimic the surrounding Arab villages. Inside, the galleries offer a sweeping, chronological story of civilization, including Egyptian relics, such as the funeral set of Princess Henuttawy. Artworks are often on loan from the Paris Louvre, as well as from d’Orsay, Pompidou and Versailles, with works by Monet, van Gogh, Pollock and Warhol regularly on display. Until February 18, discover 10,000 Years of Luxury, a fascinating exhibit of 350 extraordinary objects that explores opulence through the ages.

—PLAY—

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF QASR AL SARAB • LOUVRE ABU DHABI • ABU DHABI GOLF CLUB • ZUMA

Dubai may have more golf courses, but Abu Dhabi offers more quality, hole for hole, than its neighbor. Ranked as the number one golf course in the Middle East and North Africa this year by the UK’s National Club Golfer magazine, Yas Links Abu Dhabi offers a spectacular gulf-side location, with eight of its challenging holes spread out alongside shining turquoise waters. Designed by world-renowned architect Kyle Phillips, the terrain is the first true links course in the region and is located close to the Yas Marina Circuit Formula 1 race track. Those looking to walk in the footsteps of modern greats might want to visit nearby Abu Dhabi Golf Club, where pros such as Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson played in the European Tour in January 2019.

—DINE—

Zuma’s contemporary take on Japanese food offers dishes as neatly presented as they are bursting with flavor, whether from the main kitchen, the sushi counter or the robata grill. Friday brunch—a straightforward afternoon of drinking and eating—is an institution in the U.A.E. and Zuma has one of the best, with its signature sashimi, miso black cod and juicy slices of wagyu beef sirloin. Also on Al Maryah Island, Butcher & Still is a prohibition era-themed steakhouse with a peerless range of cuts led by the 21-day aged bone-in rib eye. Alternatively, the Grand Seafood Tower is bursting with prawns, lobster, scallops, oysters, mussels and octopus. And the 1920s theme, right down to its dashing servers (courteous, but unfussy), adds to its sophistication. 

TRAVELING TO THE MIDDLE EAST? A Regional Support Office is located in Dubai, providing flight operations support, technical expertise and customer account management for Bombardier buisness aircraft. A Line Maintenance Station is also set to open in Dubai later this year. +971-4-250-0181

EXPERIENCE

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POWER COUPLE Bombardier’s Global 5500 and Global 6500 business jets are redefining what it means to have both luxury and performance in one flight experience.

By Michael Stephen Johnson

T

his might sound strange, but one of life’s great luxuries is not having to think.

Not in an anti-intellectual way. No, this is about trust—the kind that’s so genuine, so complete, it offers true peace of mind.

Bombardier’s Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft inspire that kind of trust. Like the rest of the Global family platform, they are reliable and proven aircraft. And when they enter into service at the end of 2019, they will set a new standard for design, comfort, performance and personalization: Once your cabin’s been customized to your liking, you won’t have to think about a thing. Now that’s true luxury.

Strong Silent Type

Let’s start with their unmatched performance. The ranges for the Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft—5,700 and 6,600 nautical miles respectively—are best in class, connecting you nonstop to business hubs and remote destinations like never before. They’ll get you to your destination faster, too, reaching top speeds of Mach 0.90 thanks in part to their brand-new Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engines. What’s more, because of their superior field performance, you’ll effortlessly access more challenging airfields, like London City Airport, where some others can’t venture.

No matter the distance or approach, it’s going to be a smooth ride.

Both aircraft feature the next-generation Global wing, whose re-profiled trailing edge and new flaps are as flexible as they are aerodynamic. The result: a smoother ride—and perhaps the best night’s sleep in business aviation.

Inner Peace

The cabins of the Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft are portraits of comfort: spacious, inviting and thoughtfully designed. Each aircraft boasts the widest cabin in its class. The kitchen introduces new 18

EXPERIENCE

cabinets, countertops and, on the Global 6500 jet, high-end appliances and a dedicated Crew Suite that can accommodate fine dining, last-minute cravings and everything in between.

The kitchen gives way to the Club Suite, a space dedicated to those who travel for business and pleasure, and the Conference Suite, where you’ll break bread surrounded by seamless, ergonomic design and new features like the game-changing Nuage seating system. Be sure to check out the new Nuage chaise, a lounge chair that converts into a flat surface for sleeping or banquet-style dining around the table.

The Private Suite is your sanctuary. Featuring two patented deep-recline Nuage seats, a three-place berthable divan and a stateof-the-art 4K bulkhead monitor—optionally equipped with the industry’s fastest in-flight internet connectivity—this fully customizable space is pure escapism.

Finally, the jet's advanced air management system can provide 100 percent fresh air and optimized pressurization to make the cabin feel like a low-altitude environment, which can help curb the effects of long hauls and jet lag.

Finishing Touches

Earlier this year, Bombardier welcomed the first production Global 6500 aircraft into its cutting-edge facilities at the Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre in Montreal, Quebec.

The Global 6500 aircraft also made an important stop at the Centre of Excellence (CoE), one of the more intriguing facilities in the Completion Centre ecosystem. From cabinetry to seat fabrication to upholstery, the CoE is a one-stop-shop where fabrication technology and craftspeople work together on Global business jets’ interior design. It’s here where the Global 6500 aircraft owners will see their personalized cabin configurations and design touches come to life.

Expected to enter into service at the end of 2019, the Global 5500 and Global 6500 aircraft are welcome new additions to Bombardier’s esteemed Global family. 

| Aircraft |

NO MATTER THE DISTANCE OR APPROACH, IT’S GOING TO BE A SMOOTH RIDE. BOTH AIRCRAFT FEATURE THE NEXT-GENERATION GLOBAL WING, WHOSE RE-PROFILED TRAILING EDGE AND NEW FLAPS ARE AS FLEXIBLE AS THEY ARE AERODYNAMIC.

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“THE LEARJET 75 LIBERTY AIRCRAFT REPRESENTS A STEP UP FOR CUSTOMERS IN THE LIGHT JET SEGMENT...

DELIVERING A FLIGHT EXPERIENCE THAT ECLIPSES THE COMPETITION.” —David Coleal | President Bombardier Aviation •

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| Aircraft |

COMMAND PERFORMANCE Combining outstanding operating costs and an exceptionally spacious cabin, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft brings unrivaled freedom to light jet travel.

By Christopher Korchin

A

Smooth ride. Speed. Range. Comfort. When the Learjet 75 aircraft made its entry into service in 2013, it redefined the light jet class with the quintessential flair that the iconic Learjet brand first brought to the skies some 50 years earlier. And now, Bombardier has raised the bar even further with the introduction this past summer of the new Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft, aptly named for the absolute freedom it gives today’s business traveler.

“The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft represents a step up for customers in the light jet segment, with unprecedented spaciousness and Bombardier’s renowned smooth ride,” says David Coleal, President, Bombardier Aviation. “The newest member of the Learjet family delivers a flight experience that eclipses the competition.”

Swift and Sound

With a range of 2,080 nautical miles (3,852 kilometers) and top speeds of Mach 0.81, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is easily able to connect major hubs, offering nonstop transport for up to 7 people between city pairs like New York and Las Vegas, San Francisco and Mexico City, or Seattle and Washington, D.C. Two Honeywell TFE731-40BR engines provide category-best climb rates, while Bombardier’s advanced wing design and best-in-class wing loading promise passengers the smoothest ride in the light jet category. And unlike its competitors, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is certified to the industry’s stringent Part 25 safety standards, which means peace of mind with the addition of unique features EXPERIENCE

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A spacious, forward cabin two-seat Executive Suite and pocket door deliver the most legroom and the quietest, most private and productive cabin in its class.

The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft also features a stowable, oversized ottoman to provide optimal leg and knee support.

such as flight control redundancy, thrust reversers, two main landing gear dual wheels, and a greater ability to withstand the impact of birds and ice.

In addition to these performance advantages, the new jet also offers superior fuel efficiency compared to competing aircraft traveling at similar speeds. Factor in longer intervals between necessary maintenance, an unparalleled service network, advantageous operating costs and attractive pricing, and the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft makes for not only one of the most stylish business jets, but also a clear-cut value proposition.

Suite Spots

One of the most remarkable features of the new Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is its ingenious dual-suite cabin. With two distinct flat-floor areas, the light jet segment’s most spacious cabin offers a quiet and luxurious environment for either work or relaxation.

A noise-minimizing pocket door separates the cockpit, entranceway and galley from the segment’s first private Executive Suite, where two front-facing club seats with ergonomic swivel and multi-position recline capability await. Equipped with stowable ottomans for optimal leg support, extra-large concealable side tables and a segment-defining 35 inches (89 centimeters) of passenger legroom, these seats also offer quick access to storage compartments, useful USB connectors and power outlets, as well as ergonomic side ledges with recessed cup holders for convenience and comfort.

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Aft of the Executive Suite is the Club Suite, which features a class-leading 24 inches (61 centimeters) of legroom in a four-seat club configuration. With available 4G air-to-ground high-speed Internet connectivity, the Club Suite allows you to stay in touch with the office, or with loved ones, via video conferencing. You can even watch a movie from your favorite streaming platform.

At the back of the cabin, the lavatory lets in an abundance of natural light, while a large mirror and vanity with optional sink and faucet add to the refined comfort. And all throughout the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft, passengers benefit from 15 cubic feet (0.42 cubic meters) of available in-cabin storage (in addition to the external 50-cubic-foot (1.42-cubic-meter) heated baggage compartment).

Pride and Purpose

If Learjet has long been the choice of in-the-know business travelers, it has also become a favorite among pilots. Today, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft offers cutting-edge cockpit features and a Garmin G5000 avionics suite that puts it at the head of the light jet class. The Bombardier Vision flight deck includes Synthetic Vision System (SVS), enhanced ergonomics, advanced controls to reduce pilot workload and a triple-integrated Flight Management System (FMS) with graphical flight planning—all of which means that both passengers and crew can fly in safety and style.

Get ready! The first deliveries of the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft are slated for 2020. 

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| Aircraft |

UP TO THE CHALLENGE

The best keeps getting better as accolades and continuous enhancements reinforce the Challenger 350 aircraft’s segment-leading status.

By Christopher Korchin

The Challenger 350 jet recently set a world speed record, flying from Gstaad's Saanen airport to Malaga, Spain in two hours and four minutes.

T

he Challenger 350 aircraft, the latest iteration of the best-selling Challenger 300 series that has redefined the business jet experience, was designed to provide an unparalleled combination of performance and luxury. And since the new model’s debut in 2014, it continues to evolve— with innovative improvements and enhanced customer amenities.

In June 2019, the Challenger 350 business jet was hailed by Robb Report magazine as the Best of the Best in the super-midsize aircraft category for the second year in a row. “This prestigious recognition speaks to the worldwide acknowledgment that there is simply no aircraft like the Challenger 350 jet in its segment,” says Peter Likoray, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Bombardier Business Aircraft.

It comes as no surprise, then, that the Challenger 350 jet’s sales success is also unrivaled in the segment. Last July, the 300th aircraft was delivered, making it the fastest business jet in history to reach that mark in the medium and large categories.

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EXPERIENCE

Constantly Evolving

From the future-proof functionality of the cockpit to the luxurious, customizable decor of the cabin, the Challenger 350 jet blends advanced technology with state-of-the-art ergonomics. It’s also the only super-midsize aircraft capable of flying full range at full fuel with full seat capacity. Climbing promptly to 43,000 feet, where it cruises above commercial traffic and weather, the Challenger 350 jet offers Bombardier’s signature smooth ride and the lowest operating costs in its class. And with a true 3,200-nautical-mile range, it can connect New York to London nonstop.

In the cockpit, recent enhancements include an available compact Head-up Display (HUD) and Enhanced Vision System (EVS), which can also be installed as retrofits at Bombardier service centers. Last year, the Challenger 350 jet achieved steep-approach certification, and a performance improvement package now enables the aircraft to fly up to 1,500 nautical miles farther out of short runways. Stateof-the-art soundproofing and 4G air-to-ground (ATG) internet coverage make the new cabin ideal for both work and relaxation.

Clearly, the “Best of the Best” keeps getting better. 

One of life’s privileges.

Building

Betterment

How the Home Depot cofounder puts his earnings toward the highest possible purpose.

By Isa Tousignant

26

EXPERIENCE

PHOTO: ALLISON MICHAEL ORENSTEIN

“I HAVE A

MORAL OBLIGATION TO SHARE WITH OTHER PEOPLE, PARTICULARLY WITH THOSE LESS FORTUNATE.”

QA &

How much flight-time do you clock in per year?

About 200–250 hours.

What’s the greatest perk of owning your own aircraft?

You never have to go through an airport.

What are some of your favorite places you’ve been on your Bombardier jet?

Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, both for business and pleasure.

Where do you go most often?

I have a house in North Palm Beach, another in Western North Carolina in the mountains, my apartment in Manhattan and my main home in Long Island.

You’ve lived in Long Island your whole life. What makes it the perfect place?

Well, I was born there. And since my business is in New York, this beautiful home in Long Island with plenty of land and a lot of fresh air makes for a nice balance.

What’s your life mantra?

The golden rule: Do unto others as you’d have others do unto you.

Is that a philosophy that you’ve tried to pass on to your own kids?

I want my kids to understand that I enjoy the good life, but that there’s more to life than the good life.

How do you like to pass the time, inflight?

I read history books, particularly the period from 1900 to right about now. The more we understand human nature, the more we recognize how predictable it is.

What’s the greatest risk you’ve ever taken?

Picking my partner for the rest of my life!

In business, every time I make an investment it’s a risk.

What’s the one that paid off the most?

Home Depot. 

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| Profile |

W

hen New York business tycoon Kenneth Langone met his Home Depot cofounders Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, it was 1976; he was a young Wall Street financier, and never did he suspect he’d one day own an aircraft. Fast forward to today: The investor and philanthropist has built a 20-year relationship with Bombardier, regularly upgrading his personal aircraft as his needs and net worth have expanded. Currently the owner of a sleek, powerful Global 5000 jet, Langone still keeps miniature replicas of all the different aircraft he’s owned proudly displayed in his 22nd-floor Manhattan office.

“I spend a lot of my time on a plane these days.

I’m chairman of the NYU Langone Medical Center, I’m very active on a number of other charitable boards, including the Harlem Children’s Zone and the Ronald McDonald House NY. I’ve got business at the family office—I spend a lot of time on our investments, and to make connections with those investments I frequently travel to meet with the managements. For example, this past week I went to Indianapolis and met with the chairman of Eli Lilly. I’m a man on the move!”

The son of first-generation Italian immigrants, Langone grew up humbly: His father was a plumber and his mother a cafeteria cook. He credits his parents with his ability to keep his feet on the ground despite his soaring success; they instilled in him a deep faith and the knowledge that status isn’t determined by material possessions. “My first purchase of a private jet was purely practical,” he says. “It was because if you want to go someplace, it’s the best way to go. Bombardier makes a great product, and when new iterations have come out over the years, I’ve wanted upgrades for more capacity. Now, in my Global 5000 jet, I can go nonstop to Europe.”

European trips are on Langone’s regular roster, be it for business or pleasure. But most of his travel is domestic and concerns the investments the 84-year-old is still very much involved in for the family business. And that’s aside from his philanthropic initiatives in the health sector, which are Langone’s pride and passion. In 2018 Langone pledged $100 million in funding towards a $450 million program to make tuition free for all medical students at the NYU School of Medicine. “Health touches everybody,” he explains. “I feel strongly that from humble origins, I’ve been blessed with this good fortune, and I have a moral obligation to share with other people, particularly those people less fortunate than I’ve been.” 

Off the

Charts

By Isa Tousignant

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EXPERIENCE

PHOTO: DONNY COLANTONIO

How JetRight is putting its growing fleet of Learjet aircraft to work for both country-music greats and business leaders.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF JETRIGHT (RAKASKAS) • COOPER STEEL (COOPER) JOHN SHEARER (RHETT)

| Profile |

W

hen JetRight was founded in 2017, the Nashville company already had deep expertise in the transport industry and a long-standing relationship with Bombardier aircraft. JetRight was born from a desire to capitalize on opportunities in the aviation sector.

Today, the team of 40-plus employees serves as a broker between companies and personal clients who want all the convenience of owning a private jet without any of the operational upkeep.

Whether you own your own private jet or simply require a private charter service from time to time, JetRight is the middleman that can help you maintain, store, manage and staff your operations. Their flagship service is the coownership program, which offers a distinguished clientele—ranging from famous musicians to businesses—the opportunity to own a part in their growing fleet of Learjet aircraft. With partnership segments ranging from one eighth of an aircraft to one half, clients get as much use out of the jets as they need, while being guaranteed topof-the-line services behind the scenes.

“If you fly in excess of 250 or 300 hours per year, that probably justifies the purchase of an airplane,” says JetRight Vice President Chris Rakaskas, a manufacturing operations expert who worked as a Learjet specialist for Bombardier for years. “But if you fly, say, 100 hours a year, a share in our co-ownership program can be an optimized solution. Our program members have all of the benefits of ownership and none of the operational considerations. It’s a turnkey solution. JetRight is also a Learjet Authorized Service Facility so members know that their aircraft are maintained to the highest standard, and we top it off with personalized customer service.”

Learjet aircraft have been a part of JetRight’s offer since the start, and in Rakaskas’ mind, the Learjet aircraft is the perfect choice for its speed, range, performance, payload and reliability. “It’s a very valuable airplane to us, for our owners and also for the charter market, because we never have to worry about weight and balance issues,” he explains. “That’s in stark contrast to similar light jets.” The aircraft’s adaptability enables JetRight to sell its services to a wide variety of clients, from sports teams—they’re the official aviation partner of the Nashville Predators—to world-traveling musicians like Thomas Rhett and national corporations like Cooper Steel. “It’s a completely turnkey solution. We can give customers their time and privacy back, while also providing impeccable comfort,” says Rakaskas. 

“WE CAN GIVE

CUSTOMERS

THEIR TIME

AND PRIVACY BACK, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING IMPECCABLE COMFORT.”

—Chris Rakaskas | Vice President • JetRight |

TIME SAVING TOOL

TOUR DE FORCE Jordan Cooper Cooper Steel |

Thomas Rhett | country-music star |

Cooper Steel is a Nashville-based national

As one of the stars of Nashville’s country

leader in the steel industry whose relation-

music scene, Thomas Rhett is constantly

ship with JetRight started in 2015. They

on the road. Or rather, in the air—thanks to

use their share in their JetRight Learjet 75

JetRight.

| CAO

•

aircraft for about five hours a month to zip

“He’s one of the top-tier entertainers in

to and from jobsites and suppliers spanning

Nashville, and he and his wife Lauren have

35 states.

two little kids—with one on the way,” says

“We’ve seen Cooper Steel teams head

Rakaskas. “He had 72 tour dates this sum-

out in the morning with blueprints under

mer, including dates in Canada, so he uses

their arms and hit four, five cities with-

his shares in JetRight to get home to his

in an eight-hour workday, and then back

family. Rather than be out on a tour bus for

home to Nashville,” says Rakaskas. “It’s

weeks, he can be home within hours.”

very impressive that the airplane can do that for them.”

That’s truly the most important convenience, to Rhett: “JetRight has helped me

From Cooper Steel CAO Jordan Coo-

take on opportunities I wouldn’t have been

per’s perspective, the Learjet 75 aircraft

able to on a bus or a commercial flight, be-

is perfect for their needs. “The plane

cause there was no way to get to certain plac-

has plenty of space to fit our teams and

es within a certain timeline,” he says. “Time

their luggage, and its speed and ability to

is a precious commodity. To be able to come

maneuver around or above the weather

off stage on a Saturday night and be home in

is comforting as we travel. Keeping our

bed by 12:30 am and be able to get up and go

employees safe and comfortable, while get-

to church with my family on a Sunday… I look

ting them to their destination as quickly as

at traveling this way as somewhat of a time

possible, is critical.” 

machine.” 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON JETRIGHT and its products and services, please visit jetrightnashville.com or call 800-519-4222.

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PHOTOS: TK

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EXPERIENCE

| Travel |

SPOT CHECK

A HAVEN FOR LEOPARDS AND THEIR DEVOTED FOLLOWERS, SRI LANK A’S WILD COAST TENTED LODGE OFFERS A SUSTAINABLE GETAWAY THAT AIMS TO PROTECT THE FUTURE.

By Stephanie Drax

PHOTO: THILANKA PERERA

F

rom the air above the southeastern coastline of Sri Lanka, where the Indian Ocean meets the jungle, four giant paw prints appear to mark a leopard’s path from beach into bushland. Look more closely, and each ‘claw’ is a canvas cocoon tent, each ‘palm pad’ a pond of water. It’s a whimsical expression of an eco-safari resort’s genuine affinity with nature: Wild Coast Tented Lodge is designed to meld with its rugged landscape and welcome the wildlife that thrives there.

“When I first saw this spot, I was seduced by both the design potential and the unique experience of a safari lodge beside a beach,” admits Malik Fernando, Wild Coast’s affable owner. The camp has an embarrassment of natural riches: soul-stirring scenery of an unblemished stretch of coastline rippled with sand dunes, scattered with granite and pummeled by pounding surf; and the adjacent Yala National Park, an unfenced reserve of approximately 380 square miles that teems with 44 species of mammals including Asiatic elephants, wild buffalo and sloth bears.

Sri Lankan leopards are the apex predator here and, with nothing to fear, they are nonchalant: Guests have, on average, a 30 percent chance of a sighting per drive. Yala boasts the highest density of leopards in the world, but habitat loss across this island has

endangered all Sri Lankan wildlife, including these big cats. Malik has ambitious plans for Wild Coast Tented Lodge to be an instrument in their survival.

On a mid-afternoon game drive in one of the lodge’s open-sided 4x4 vehicles, it’s just a 10-minute trundle to reach Yala’s entrance.

Arid grasslands display strolling peacocks and sambar deer, langur monkeys and iridescent green bee-eater birds that skim between the branches of Ceylon oaks. Saranga, one of the lodge’s expert rangers, manages guests’ expectations with a beaming smile: “When we go on a drive, we go looking for ‘cake’—animals and birds like these. If we see elephants, it’s the ‘icing,’ and a leopard would be the ‘cherry,’ but it’s good to be satisfied with cake.”

As the sun lowers, the scenery appears glazed with honey. A crocodile naps in the shade, camouflaged by the baked-in mud on its back; meanwhile, a mother elephant and her two offspring frolic in a nearby watering hole. Moments later, just 65 feet from the dirt road, a leopard is seen feasting on a fresh kill of wild boar. The spot on a leopard’s forehead is like a fingerprint to identify it, says Saranga, and this big male is known as Brutus. It’s a moment to savor.

Wildlife tourism has given Sri Lanka a much-needed boost following the country’s turbulent past: a civil war that raged between separatist Tamil Tigers and government forces from 1983 to 2009.

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“OUR KIND OF TOURISM HAS EVOLVED AS LIGHTWEIGHT, SUSTAINABLE AND AUTHENTIC.” —

Since the end of the war, tourism and tea exports have worked in “We wanted to make the camp unconventional and playful,” says tandem to strengthen the economy and raise the country’s profile. Malik. “We didn’t start with a brand template, but our kind of tourism Malik, as hotelier and head of Dilmah Tea, a single-origin Ceylon has evolved as lightweight, sustainable and authentic.” tea brand, has found himself written into these delicate next chapAt Wild Coast, they’ve broken the mold. Two gravity-defying, ters of Sri Lanka’s story. open-air pavilions mimic the contours of the boulders on the golden “ It was all about the tea,” says Malik, whose father, Merrill, beach beyond; inside, two bridges arch over a free-form swimming founded Dilmah in 1988 and promoted their plantation by putting pool that meanders between the restaurant and bar. At night, parafhis personal story on every box. It piqued the interest of tenacious fin lamps lead to tables under the stars where spiced freshwater fish tea drinkers: “During the conflict, consumers wrote to us asking to in lotus leaves is served to a natural soundtrack of crashing waves. visit our estate. We put them up in tea managers’ bungalows that Dilmah Tea—known across Sri Lanka for its social philanweren’t in great condition, but they loved the experience.” It was then thropy—engaged one hundred fishermen from a nearby village to that Malik and his brother Dilhan (Dilmah is an amalgamation of create these organic structures of bamboo and recycled teak shintheir names) saw an opportunity for more sophisticated hospitality gles. “It was a community project to generate new skills for men in the Central Highlands. They opened Ceylon Tea Trails in 2005— whose livelihood is limited to six months of the year,” says Malik, the country’s first Relais & Châteaux property and the world’s first “And they’re great with knots!” The pavilions fuse so harmoniously tea bungalow resort. with their environment that, on one quiet night, an THIS PAGE: Resort Now Dilmah Tea has three resorts under their inquisitive elephant sidled right up to the bar. pavilions consist of Resplendent Ceylon collection that complete a cultural The sand on the beach is the perfect canvas to spot bamboo structures clad in reclaimed circuit across the country: tea at the Ceylon Tea Trails in tracks—from elephant to dung beetle and everything in teak shingles.

Hatton, sea at the cliffside retreat in Cape Weligama near between. It’s the first pursuit of the Junior Ranger OPPOSITE PAGE: Galle, and safari, here at Wild Coast, which opened in program at Wild Coast, a clever way to cultivate future Indian Peafowl in 2017 to accolades for being as eco-friendly as it is funky. conservationists. Anjalie, the lodge’s winsome naturalist, Yala National Park.

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PHOTOS: NOMADIC RESORTS • THILANKA PERERA (PEACOCK)

Malik Fernando • hotelier

PHOTO: XXXXXX

| Travel |

EXPERIENCE

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EXPERIENCE

PHOTOS: SHALOM RUFEISEN (TREES) • TIM EVAN-COOK

PRIVATE JETS CAN LAND AT MATTALA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (+94 472 031 000), a one-hour drive from Wild Coast Tented Lodge. For a tea, sea and safari experience, a seaplane can whisk you between all three Resplendent Ceylon properties (reccomended stay: 2–3 nights at each resort).

| Travel |

PHOTOS: TIM EVAN-COOK

RECYCLED WATER FILLS PONDS THAT ATTR ACT WILD ANIMALS, BRINGING SAFARI STR AIGHT TO YOUR VER ANDA. takes clusters of kids aged five to 15 on ranger activities, to acquire Dilmah Tea has both the reputation and clout to lobby the Sri skills and earn a certificate. It’s like an adventurous kids club, and Sri Lankan government—which owns the land—to increase road Lankans have a knack for winning children over instantly. access and introduce strict ecological guidelines that limit traffic The 36 elevated and vaulted guest pods are a mix of four-poster bed in the region. Dilmah’s work will begin in the buffer zone: “We’ve ‘Cocoons’ and twin bed onion-domed ‘Urchins,’ some connected by been given approval to turn the 2,000 acres of land adjacent to Wild walkways so kids can be curled up near to their parents. It’s a sleek Coast into a conservation area where guests will be able to safari interpretation of colonial expedition style, with varnished teak floors, by bicycle and foot,” explains Malik. It will include a leopard rich leather chairs and trunks, and free-standing copper baths. But research station that will open in 2020, he says, adding: “The leopbehind the polish are rigorous sustainability principles: Air- ard is a keystone species that plays a vital influencing role on the conditioning exhausts from tents heat water, a solar power plant entire ecosystem, and understanding the leopard better means provides energy, food waste is used for bio gas and all water (except conserving our habitats and other wildlife throughout the drinking water) is supplied by the ocean (recycled water fills ponds that country.” attract wild animals, bringing safari straight to your cocoon’s veranda).

The research station will be home to five dedicated local and But perhaps Dilmah Tea’s loftiest plan for Wild Coast is to inter- international researchers who will collect data for the public sect economic value with conservation and layer meaningful impact domain. At a visitor’s center, Wild Coast guests will be able to attend on top of luxury hospitality. Sri Lanka is one of the presentations and assist researchers on camera traps OPPOSITE PAGE: world’s biodiversity hotspots, but as wildlife tourism has and photo ID projects. Up until now there has never Inside Yala National boomed, so has industrial development. Iconic safari been a shared public and private conservancy initiative Park; Family Cocoon Suite with Urchin. animals and smaller endemic species have been pushed in Sri Lanka, but Wild Coast can trail blaze because of THIS PAGE: Rooms Dilmah Tea: “We have the credibility to push the right into protected areas, and in Yala, where the dirt road come with copper causes in the national interest,” says Malik. And, natunetworks traverse just eight percent of the park, there bathtubs; Stairway to the Ten Tuskers bar. rally, the local fishermen will be back to build it.  can be a scrum of vehicles at leopard sightings.

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35

Such Great Heights Berlin is a playground for world-class starchitects who have taken the city to the next level. Here, buildings are impressive feats, each housing stories that mix the past, present and future. ▲■●

By Christopher DiRaddo

36

EXPERIENCE

| Travel |

German Historical Museum Exhibition Hall

PHOTO: SIMONE HUTSCH

Much like world-famous architect I.M. Pei’s pyramid entrance to the Louvre, this glass and steel spiral staircase and gallery serves as a reverential extension to the German Historical Museum, a stunning 300-year-old work of Baroque architecture. ●

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37

T

hrough the windows of Berlin’s Barenboim-Said Akademie, instruments can be heard warming up; horns and flutes are competing for space as a trickle of young musicians run into the imposing classicized structure, late for practice.

It is here that Miriam Bers starts her tour today. As owner and co-founder of GoArt!—an agency that offers expert-led art, food and design tours of the city—Bers and her team regularly escort architecture addicts on customized tours of some of Berlin’s best builds. And this world-famous music school is a good place to start.

“One thing that makes Berlin exciting is the juxtaposition of old and new, of past and future,” says Bers, referring to the block-long building the academy calls home. Originally used as a storage depot for the Berlin State Opera’s sets, this commanding structure was all but destroyed in the Second World War before being rebuilt in the 1950s. Today, the school, which opened in 2016, is home to up to 90 young musicians from many of the world’s

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EXPERIENCE

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HOTEL ODERBERGER • JULE MUELLER

THIS PAGE: After being closed for three decades, the Hotel Oderberger’s historic three-story swimming hall reopened in 2016; At Pauly Saal, conversation starter “Miss Riley,” by artist Cosima von Bonin, demands your attention.

| Travel |

Futurium

PHOTO: SIMONE HUTSCH

A laboratory and exhibition space where scientists, artists and the public come together to consider what life will be like in the future, this building’s impressive facade is made up of more than 8,000 panels of both folded metal reflectors and ceramic-printed cast glass. �

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39

Hotel Am Steinplatz Opened as a guest house for Eastern European gentry in 1913, and renovated and reopened as a luxury property in 2013, Hotel am Steinplatz offers quiet accommodations for those looking for something outside the tourist areas. Located in the West, in a largely residential neighborhood around Charlottenburg’s Savignyplatz, the 87-room masterpiece combines modern Art Deco elements, Moorish architecture and the spirit of the 1920s (Berlin’s golden era). No two rooms are alike, with the most exclusive being the Spa Suite, complete with an in-room sauna, free-standing bathtub and a separate rain shower.

Their award-winning Bar am Steinplatz serves 10 signature cocktails, all served as a clear liquid in the same cordial glass.

Try the Meteoro (Mezcal with mandarin, lime water and agave) for a taste that is smoky, sour and fruity. ■

war zones, including Israel, Palestine and northern Africa. “Barenboim is Argentinean-Israeli, and Said was Palestinian-American,” she explains of the school’s namesakes. “Their goal was to connect the world through music.”

Evidence of that goal can be found in the Pierre Boulez Saal, a 682-seat concert hall designed

by Frank Gehry as a home for academy performances (and where Gehry himself celebrated his 90th birthday this past year). The room is a stunning 360-degree multipurpose concert hall with ovals of red and blue textured seats surrounding the performers. Gehry believed in the academy’s mission of reconciliation through music so strongly that he designed the room for free, creating a space that is at once the combined vision of architect (Gehry), conductor (Barenboim) and theorist (Said). “Maybe this is the point of everything,” says Bers. “That art, architecture and music can link us together in a peaceful way.”

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EXPERIENCE

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HOTEL AM STEINPLATZ (TOP) • SIMONE HUTSCH

Boros Collection A five-story, 32,000-square-foot former Nazi bunker, the Boros Collection’s building is as fascinating as the privately owned artwork inside. Guided tours tell the story of the tomb-like structure and profile the contemporary artists whose work has been specially chosen to fit the space. ▲ ■ ●

T

his idea of the power of the interconnectedness of the arts is not a new one in Berlin.

Germany, after all, is the birthplace of the Bauhaus movement, which celebrates its centenary this year. The famous school, founded by Walter Gropius in 1919, may have only lasted 14 years before it was shuttered by the Nazis for its perceived communist leanings, but one hundred years later its guiding philosophy of “form follows function” continues to have a profound influence on art, architecture and design around the world.

To celebrate, Berlin has planned a series of events and activities this year, from exhibits to shows, to tours of the most important buildings in the cities where everything began (Weimar, Dessau and Berlin). Bers herself is setting up visits to the city’s famous designs, from Haus Lemke, a timeless residence designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe before he fled to the United States, to Hufeisensiedlung, the horseshoe-shaped social-housing settlement where visitors can book a stay overnight in a restored 1920s flat.

Those looking for longer-term lodging might want to visit Das Bauhaus. Now under renovation, this former women’s clinic from the 1930s was purchased by frozen pizza magnate Ernst Freiberger to become part of Forum an der Museumsinsel, a refurbished grouping of residential and office buildings within walking distance of Museum Island. Its facade is unmistakably Bauhaus: a simple, clean, three-floor design that runs the length of the street, ending in a rotunda with large windows and a glassed-in terrace on the roof. The owner won’t be selling the apartments, though; he’ll be renting them, making them the most coveted rental addresses in the city.

Like many of the buildings on Bers’ tour, Das Bauhaus is located in the former East, in Mitte, not far from Scheunenviertel (or the Barn Quarter) where many of the city’s contemporary art galleries and ateliers are located. “It’s important to understand where was West and where was East,” says Bers, who also offers private tours of some of the city’s more than 300 galleries. “When

| Travel |

Eastgate

PHOTO: SIMONE HUTSCH

A shopping complex located in the Northeast of Berlin, in Marzahn, the Eastgate Mall is a marvel at night, lit up like a pinball machine. â—?

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James Simon Gallery

PHOTO: SIMONE HUTSCH

Part of a 20-year master plan to unite the five museums on Museum Island through an underground Archaeological Promenade, this recent David Chipperfield design is expected to welcome upwards of 10,000 visitors per day. â—?

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| Travel |

Hotel de Rome Designed by Tommaso Ziffer and Olga Polizzi, this 145-room Rocco Forte property offers an elegant combination of historic and contemporary design. The former headquarters of the 19th century Dresdner Bank, the building was refurbished and opened in 2006. Efforts were made to preserve traces of the structure’s past, turning four historic bank manager offices into well-appointed suites, replete with high ceilings, leather-clad doors and original oak- and mahogany-paneled walls. Elements of the former bank’s jewel vault can also be seen in its basement swimming pool and spa.

Located in the Mitte district, the hotel is within walking distance of the Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island, and its front rooms overlook the Bebelplatz. This public square, home to the State Opera, was the site of the 1933 Nazi book burning. A memorial to the infamous event can be seen in the center of the square, where a glass-topped subterranean chamber holds a series of empty bookcases large enough to hold the 20,000 destroyed titles. ■

the wall fell, everything in the East was run down but very inexpensive. The old houses were empty because people preferred to live in pre-fab builds with heating—so the artists came.”

A prime example is the former Jewish girls’ school on Auguststrasse. Occupied by the Nazis in 1930 and later serving as a deportation center and hospital, this five-story red brick building, built by Jewish architect Alexander Beer, stood empty for decades before being turned into the Haus für Kunst und Esskultur (House of Art and Dining Culture) in 2012 by gallery owner Michael Fuchs. Today, the building is home to a number of contemporary art galleries and two restaurants, the Jewish deli Mogg and the Michelin-starred French restaurant Pauly Saal. The latter’s elegant dining room is outdone by the striking 20-foot-long red-and-white missile sculpture over its kitchen. And along the front of the building, a series of brass plates are embedded in the cobblestone, each one marking the last residence of a victim of the Holocaust.

All poignant reminders of Berlin’s tragic past.

PHOTO: COURTESY OF HOTEL DE ROME (TOP) • SIMONE HUTSCH

B

erlin’s buildings have so many stories, one is reminded with every visit—each construction clamoring to tell its tale. The stories all sound familiar: A historic building gets damaged or seized during the war only to fall into disuse and disrepair behind the iron curtain. But then, after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, there’s hope—an incredible opportunity to reclaim and reimagine the city. “When the wall came down thirty years ago, a totally new architectural context came into life,” Bers says. The challenge was to find a way to connect the disparate styles of the East and the West, to acknowledge both the city’s legacy and complicated past while also finding innovative ways to tackle the empty spaces.

“We knew we could never have a homogenous townscape, like Paris or London,” says Bers.

After the fall, world-class architects like I. M. Pei, David Chipperfield and Renzo Piano, among others, began to put their own marks on the buildings in what would turn out to be, in some cases, decades-long projects (some of which are only wrapping now). And whether it is Pei’s clever use of a spiral staircase for his extension to the Baroque-style German Historical Museum, or Chipperfield’s overt tribute to the Parthenon in his central addition to the five antiquities museums on Museum Island, the new work finds a dignified and understated way to pay tribute to the history of these buildings without overshadowing them. “Their idea was not to compete with the designs, but build a bridge between past and future,” says Bers.

Somehow, all of this work makes the face of this centuries-old city feel impossibly young. But still, Berlin does not shy away from its scars. It puts them on display, so no one forgets the past.

“Berlin would not be Berlin if it didn’t have an open mind,” Bers says. “The reuse and redevelopment of historic buildings—in Berlin often linked to war—adds a new meaning. And after all that has happened, you have to look forward. Art and architecture are important tools to do so.” 

König Galerie Located in St. Agnes, a former church built in the 1960s in Brutalist style, König Galerie is the brainchild of Johann König, a visually impaired gallerist and dealer who credits his disability with helping him develop a keen sense for the value of art. ▲ ■ ●

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LOVE. LUST. REVENGE. REPEAT. THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HAS ENCHANTED AUDIENCES THE WORLD OVER FOR DECADES. ACCLAIMED AUTHOR JAMES GAVIN RAISES THE CURTAIN ON THIS CULTURAL LANDMARK.

PHOTO: XXXXXX

Illustrations by Selman Hoล gรถr

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PHOTO: XXXXXX

| Craftsmanship |

45

EXPERIENCE

T

o sing at New York’s Metropolitan Opera is like scaling Mount Everest: It’s a peak that can’t be topped, and the view is both exhilarating and terrifying. Met voices have to project, unamplified, past an orchestra of about eighty pieces and fill the immensity of the world’s largest indoor opera house. The sprawling main floor and five tiers hold nearly 3,800 seats—a thousand more than Carnegie Hall.

Swirling amid the red velvet and gold leaf are the ghosts of opera’s greatest legends, who set the bar almost unreachably high. The critics can be brutal. Given the three-figure price of most of the tickets, audiences too insist on magic.

Christine Goerke, one of the Met’s leading dramatic sopranos— this season she stars as a merciless Chinese princess in Puccini’s Turandot—knows what is expected of her. “It is intimidating as hell to stand on that stage, no matter how many times you’ve done it,” says Goerke.

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EXPERIENCE

Every production must present a feast for the eye while ringing dramatically true. Singers must rise to superhuman vocal heights; conductors have to blanket the audience in emotion and excitement.

“There’s not a lot of room for error, because expectations are so high,” says assistant conductor Gregory Buchalter, a 30-year Met veteran.

“We all take what we do there so seriously.”

Canadian baritone Gerald Finley—a Met star since 1998, he returns in February as Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Cosí fan tutte—is dazzled by what goes on behind the scenes. “You have the best artistic teams in the world guiding you through your role. It is a huge factory, with productions being rehearsed in two stage-sized rehearsal halls every single day. You see sets being moved in the wings, costumes jammed along corridors, and the sounds of many singers in the myriad studios.

It is an opera city!”

So how is the Met holding up today? Impressively, given that its annual budget hovers around $300 million and it has reportedly operated with a balanced budget for the last four years. According to Fred Plotkin, a world-renowned opera authority who probes the art form in his wqxr.org column, the institution is singular in its offering. “Day in, day out,” he says, “no company has the ability to present great opera as often as the Met.”

PHOTO: JONATHAN TICHLER (METROPOLITAN OPERA) OPENING SPREAD: JAMES HEFFERNAN (PRICE) • CHRISTIAN STEINER (PAVAROTTI) HIROYUKI ITO (NÉZET-SÉGUIN) • ARTHUR SIEGEL (CALLAS) CHRISTIAN ALMINANA (NORMAN)

THIS PAGE: The Metropolitan Opera House’s starburst chandeliers (also called sputniks) are composed of more than 50,000 Swarovski crystals.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Opera legends Leontyne Price and Luciano Pavarotti.

OPENING SPREAD (from left to right): Leontyne Price, Luciano Pavarotti, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Maria Callas and Jessye Norman.

| Craftsmanship |

“DO YOU REMEMBER LEARNING TO SWIM? …

IT FELT A BIT LIKE FLYING— BUOYANT, SUPPORTED, FREE. THAT IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE WITH THE MET ORCHESTRA.” — Christine Goerke

PHOTOS: JAMES HEFFERNAN/ METROPOLITAN OPERA ARCHIVES (PRICE) CHRISTIAN STEINER (PAVAROTTI)

F

•

soprano

rom the night it opened (October 22, 1883) in its original Times Square location, the Met’s goal was to cream the local competition, while rivaling the great European opera houses. There were obstacles. Arturo Toscanini, one of the Met’s first principal conductors, deemed the acoustics “horrible.” Backstage space was so tight that painted scrims and drops usually had to pass for scenery.

The Met compensated by becoming home to the best singers in the world—Enrico Caruso, Nellie Melba, Rosa Ponselle—who filled every gap with their artistry.

The new Met, launched at Lincoln Center on September 16, 1966, was a state-of-the-art wonder whose architect, Wallace Harrison, had masterminded Rockefeller Center. Its main stage had seven sections that could rise or descend; two auxiliary stages could change a scene in less than two minutes. On opening night, soprano Renata Tebaldi, a Met goddess since 1955, raved: “Oh, the sound is fantastic!”

In the ’70s, under the guidance of James Levine, the Met entered a golden age the likes of which it will surely never see again. The casts were among the starriest in Met history, led by such luminaries as Leontyne Price, Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti. All

were household names at a time when stars were invited on Johnny Carson’s The Tonight Show. Levine, says Fred Plotkin, molded the Met’s musicians into “unquestionably the greatest opera orchestra in the world. He made the orchestra think about storytelling as much as beautifully performed music.”

Asked about the sensation of singing with it, Goerke says: “Do you remember learning to swim? When your mom or dad would hold you up in the water with your arms out in front and your feet out in back?

It felt a bit like flying—buoyant, supported, free. That is what it feels like with the Met orchestra.” Gregory Buchalter, who worked closely with Levine, marveled at how he helped refine singers. “He made them feel confident about what they did well, and not self-conscious about what they needed improvement on.”

Today, the demands on an opera singer go beyond the years of intensive and costly training and the continuous study. Thanks to the Met’s 10-camera HD tapings, spearheaded by general manager Peter Gelb, its offerings are seen in theaters, up close, by more people than will ever watch them in person. Vocal coach Daniel Shigo, who sang at the Met and the New York City Opera, works with many Met singers. “They have to sing in four or five languages and look good while doing it,” he says.

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47

“THESE DAYS THE CLOTHES ARE CONSTRUCTED LIKE COUTURE GOWNS. THEY ARE TREMENDOUSLY COSTLY AND MINUTELY EXQUISITE…” —

“Today, opera singers are asked to be singing actors and move a great deal onstage. The singing can and does suffer from this, but the eye is more important than the ear right now. The director reigns.”

Starting in the 1960s, director Franco Zeffirelli helped set a gold standard for visual riches at the Met. Fred Plotkin, who worked at the Met in the ’80s as performance manager, tells of the 1987 Zeffirelli production of Turandot, with costumes by designer Dada Saligeri. The star, Eva Marton, was garbed in a bejeweled blue gown with a massive headdress, crafted with more than 10,000 handmade beads. At the final dress rehearsal, a jittery Marton took off the headdress and flung it to the ground. Beads went flying. Minions fell to their knees to gather them; then came a mad rush to reassemble the piece in time for opening.

Once in a while, fashionable names such as Miuccia Prada and Christian LaCroix are brought in to up a production’s cachet. Whoever the designer, the process is grueling as well as costly. Outfits are used for years; they have to be adjustable for different-size singers and designed with stage lighting in mind. Up to a hundred wigs are carefully made per opera production. According to Plotkin, dark human hair is bought from Korea because its thickness makes it easy to style; 48

EXPERIENCE

when white hair is needed, yaks are the source. Jewelry creation can be an ordeal. For the 2019 production of Saint-Saëns’s Samson and Delilah, designer Larry Vrba fashioned 120 handmade pendants from Swarovski crystal and gold-plated metal. The scrutiny of the HD cameras, he explains, has intensified the designers’ work. “These days the clothes are constructed like couture gowns. They are tremendously costly and minutely exquisite up to two inches away, because that is a necessity of the movie experience.”

Ticket sales don’t begin to pay for all this opulence. The Met’s lifeblood has traditionally come from a colorful bevy of opera-loving philanthropists, who dig into personal fortunes to keep the craft up to standard. Met chairman Ann Ziff’s $30 million gift in 2010 remains the biggest single donation in the house’s history, but every bit helps. Major donors, who give tax-deductible gifts of $25,000 and up, receive major perks: They meet the artists, attend VIP events and have performances dedicated to them. One of the Met’s angels is board member and production underwriter Andrew Martin-Weber, an Australian arts philanthropist. His job, he explains, is to support, not interfere. “If you want to micromanage,” he says, “don’t join. That’s difficult for a lot of influential people. They have to acquiesce to the greater good of the organization.”

PHOTOS: HIROYUKI ITO (NÉZET-SÉGUIN) • CHRISTIAN ALMINANA (NORMAN)

Larry Vrba • costume designer

| Craftsmanship |

THIS PAGE: Located inside, the Grand Tier restaurant is open two hours before every performance and available for either pre-curtain or intermission dining.

OPPOSITE PAGE: The current Music Director of the Metropolitan Opera, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and dramatic soprano Jessye Norman.

PHOTO: JENNIFER MAY/ PATINA RESTAURANT GROUP

M

artin-Weber is an advocate for contemporary operas: He underwrote Nico Muhly’s Marnie (2018), based on the novel that inspired the Alfred Hitchcock thriller, and has cosponsored Philip Glass’s Akhnaten, which premieres at the Met in November. New works, while essential to the growth of the form, are notorious financial risks yet the Met consistently pumps new blood into its programming. The 2019–2020 season will lean on such proven stars as Anna Netrebko, Diana Damrau, Joyce DiDonato, Roberto Alagna and Sir Bryn Terfel, whose ages—all over 45—place them in the third act of an opera career. But a wealth of rising young singers will take on leads, too. They include countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo as an Egyptian pharaoh in Akhnaten; and the Grammy-winning soprano Lisette Oropesa in Manon and La Traviata.

Oropesa sprang out of the Met’s very own training ground, the Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. It was there that

Goerke’s fiery expressiveness and old-fashioned opera-star presence were nurtured through a bonanza of “voice lessons, language study and diction classes, acting and movement classes, and access to the rehearsal rooms,” she says. “I learned about how [Met singers] worked out their breathing in conjunction with movement, different tempi, negotiating a set, their spin on character development.”

Now the Met is in transition as it welcomes a new music director and part-time maestro. The lauded symphonic conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin is 44, French-Canadian, flamboyantly physical with a baton, Instagramming, tattooed, and proudly part of the LGBTQ2 community; his very presence pulls the Met closer to the present. Notes Martin-Weber: “You see his love of music, his charisma, his joy.”

For audiences, the takeaway from a trip to the Met is essentially no different from what it was in 1883. “I thrill at what human beings are capable of producing when I’m at the Met,” says Vrba. “It is life-changingly magnificent.” 

TRAVELING TO NEW YORK CITY? Bombardier Business Aircraft has an elegant new 14,000 square-foot showroom and regional office located in the heart of the city, providing customers with even more convenient access to our experienced teams.

EXPERIENCE

49

Under the

Wing

Ride quality, or a smooth ride, is built into the DNA of every Bombardier business jet, and the defining feature is an exceptionally flexible wing design.

By Michael Stephen Johnson

B

ombardier business jets are renowned for their superior blend of not only speed, range and field performance but also their smooth ride. Speed and range tend to take precedence in a customer’s initial assessment of an aircraft, but after that first haul through turbulence, ride quality is top of mind.

That’s why it is a cornerstone of the business jet experience. From the Global 7500 jet’s patented Nuage seat to the Challenger 350 aircraft’s best-in-class soundproofing, there are numerous examples of Bombardier’s high-profile ride quality features, but true ride quality is measured by two highly underrated metrics: wing loading and wing flexibility.

Wing loading is the relationship between an aircraft’s weight and the area of its wings. A high wing loading is indicative of a small wing area for a given weight of an aircraft. The smaller the wing area, the smaller the area affected by up and down gusts of air (turbulence), and hence, the smoother the ride. Two aircraft of the same weight 50

EXPERIENCE

OPPOSITE PAGE: Dr. Daniel P. Raymer, the man who wrote the textbook on aircraft design, inspects the leading edge of one of Bombardier’s technologically advanced wings.

can have vastly different wing areas. For example, a Global aircraft wing is smaller by 21 percent than its equal weight competitor, thus leading to a much smoother ride.

The other key metric is wing flexibility. It’s measured by how much the jet’s wing bends in response to the wind. The more flexible the wing, the more easily it will absorb gusts of air, and the smoother the ride. Wing flexibility is a function of its geometry. For example, the wing on the Global 6000 jet is smaller than other aircraft in its class—not in span, but in chord length (the distance from the front to the back of the wing). A shorter length means a more flexible wing (think of how a narrow diving board is more flexible than a wide one).

Bombardier wanted to put these features to the test with a fly-off between a Global 6000 business jet and a competitor aircraft with a similar weight. The goal: to quantify and compare wing flexibility and ultimately, ride quality, between the two aircraft.

During the fly-off, the Global 6000 jet and its competitor were outfitted with custom-designed tables in the aft cabin, each mounted

| Wingspan |

THE FINAL RESULTS DEMONSTRATED UP TO 2.5 TIMES LESS AMPLITUDE OF MOVEMENT—IN OTHER WORDS, A NOTABLY SMOOTHER RIDE. — with laser scanners measuring wing flexibility on the ground and in the air. Rigorously controlled to perform with micrometer accuracy, the laser scanners produced a 3-D rendering of each wing so that the team could precisely measure its response during a turn. The result: The Global 6000 jet’s wing was at least 15 percent more flexible.

The second and most important objective of the fly-off was to quantify and compare cabin vibrations, as this is the ultimate measure of a smooth flight. This was accomplished by installing ultraprecise accelerometers used during the Global 7500 aircraft flight test program. The accelerometers were mounted in four identical locations in each cabin, with one mounted on a seat cushion, precisely where a passenger would sit. The test was meticulously controlled, designed for a fair comparison relative to fuel and payload. Each aircraft was loaded for the same 3,000-nautical-mile mission, each with an 8-person flight test crew, and flew almost simultaneously to ensure the same air conditions; testers even went so far as to filter out engine vibrations that featured prominently in the competitor’s results.

“I looked at the test conditions and examined the airplanes,” says Dr. Daniel P. Raymer, president of Conceptual Research Corporation in Los Angeles and foremost authority on aircraft design. Dr. Raymer was brought in to ensure the tests were fair and repeatable. “I also looked at the weights that they loaded on to the airplanes, the instrumentation—the accelerometers—that they had in place… and it was all fair, honest and the same for both airplanes.” The accelerometers mounted on the Global 6000 jet showed fewer accelerations responding to the same wind gusts. The final head-to-head fly-off results demonstrated up to 2.5 times less amplitude of movement—in other words, a notably smoother ride.

These are inspiring results for a business jet family built on the promise of industry-leading comfort, but Bombardier is equally encouraged by the work that went into obtaining these results, achieved through measurement methods that are more robust than ever. The conclusion is definitive: Bombardier business jets do offer the smoothest ride, and now the numbers prove just how smooth.  EXPERIENCE

51

| Bombardier Worldwide |

Bombardier’s Mobile Response Team, an ever-expanding service and support network.

Mobile Response Team

A fleet of 30 Mobile Response Team vehicles worldwide AMERICAS Atlanta, GA Chicago, IL Columbus, OH Dulles, VA Houston, TX Las Vegas, NV Miami, FL Nashua, NH Orlando, FL Rogers, AR San Francisco, CA San Jose, CA Santa Ana, CA Scottsdale, AZ Seattle, WA Van Nuys, CA West Palm Beach, FL White Plains, NY EUROPE Cannes, France (2) Linz, Austria Luton, UK (2) Milan Linate, Italy (2) Nice, France (2) Paris, France (2) — Two dedicated Mobile Response Aircraft AMERICAS Learjet 45 aircraft Chicago, IL EUROPE Challenger 300 aircraft Frankfurt, Germany

Regional Support Offices

Service Centers

ASIA PACIFIC Beijing, China Hong Kong, China Melbourne, Australia Singapore

ASIA PACIFIC Singapore Tianjin, China

AMERICAS Dallas, TX Fort Lauderdale, FL Hartford, CT Toluca, Mexico

EUROPE Biggin Hill, UK Munich, Germany MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA Dubai, UAE Johannesburg, South Africa

Parts & Component Repair & Overhaul Facilities AMERICAS Chicago, IL Dallas, TX Montreal, QC Wichita, KS

ASIA PACIFIC Hong Kong, China Singapore Sydney, Australia Tianjin, China

AMERICAS Dallas, TX Fort Lauderdale, FL Hartford, CT Tucson, AZ Wichita, KS

EUROPE Berlin, Germany Biggin Hill, UK

Line Maintenance Stations EUROPE Cannes, France Linz, Austria Luton, UK Milan Linate, Italy Nice, France Olbia, Italy Paris, France

Authorized Service Facilities 39 Authorized Service Facilities

Customer Response Center AMERICAS Montreal, QC

EUROPE Frankfurt, Germany

Contact our 24/7 Customer Response Center

MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA Dubai, UAE

ac.yul@aero.bombardier.com

1 866 538 1247 (North America) 1 514 855 2999 (International)

EXPERIENCE

53

| Fleet |

Learjet 75 Liberty

Challenger 350

Challenger 650

Global 5000

Global 5500

Global 6000

Global 6500

Global 7500

Global 8000

Features • Part 25 certification • Private Executive Suite • Flat floor • B aseline Synthetic Vision System

Passengers Top speed Maximum range Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

Features • B est-selling business jet platform of the last decade • Full range with 8 passengers • Lowest-in-class direct operating costs • Steep approach certified

Passengers Top speed Maximum range Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

Features • Fastest in-flight internet connectivity worldwide* • L owest-in-class direct operating costs • W idest-in-class cabin

Passengers Top speed Maximum range Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

Features • Fastest in-flight internet connectivity worldwide* • Steep approach certified • S afe and unrestricted access to baggage

Passengers Top speed Range at M 0.85 Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

Features • True combined vision system • E xclusive Nuage seat • 4 k-enabled cabin with the fastest in-flight connectivity worldwide* • N ew Rolls-Royce Pearl engine

Passengers Top speed Range at M 0.85 Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

Features • Fastest in-flight internet connectivity worldwide* • Private Suite with available shower • Steep approach certified

Passengers Top speed Range at M 0.85 Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

Features • True combined vision system • Exclusive Nuage seat and chaise • 4k-enabled cabin with the fastest in-flight connectivity worldwide* • New Rolls-Royce Pearl engine

Passengers Top speed Range at M 0.85 Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

Features • Only business jet with four living spaces and a dedicated crew rest area • Fastest in-flight internet connectivity worldwide* • Bombardier Vision flight deck with fly-by-wire • Master Suite with available shower

Passengers Top speed Range at M 0.85 Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

Features • Farthest-reaching business jet • Fastest in-flight internet connectivity worldwide* • B ombardier Vision flight deck with fly-by-wire • S afe and unrestricted access to baggage

Passengers Top speed Range at M 0.85 Takeoff distance Maximum operating altitude Total baggage volume

2,080 nm 4,440 ft 51,000 ft 65 ft3

Up to 7 Mach 0.81 3,815 km 1,353 m 15,545 m 1.8 m3

3,200 nm 4,835 ft 45,000 ft 106 ft3

Up to 10 Mach 0.83 5,926 km 1,474 m 13,716 m 3 m3

4,000 nm 5,640 ft 41,000 ft 115 ft3

Up to 12 Mach 0.85 7,408 km 1,720 m 12,497 m 3.3 m3

5,200 nm 5,540 ft 51,000 ft 195 ft3

Up to 16 Mach 0.89 9,630 km 1,689 m 15,545 m 5.5 m3

5,700 nm 5,490 ft 51,000 ft 195 ft3

Up to 16 Mach 0.90 10,556 km 1,674 m 15,545 m 5.5 m3

6,000 nm 6,476 ft 51,000 ft 195 ft3

Up to 17 Mach 0.89 11,112 km 1,974 m 15,545 m 5.5 m3

6,600 nm 6,370 ft 51,000 ft 195 ft3

Up to 17 Mach 0.90 12,223 km 1,942 m 15,545 m 5.5 m3

7,700 nm 5,800 ft 51,000 ft 195 ft3

Up to 19 Mach 0.925 14,260 km 1,768 m 15,545 m 5.5 m3

7,900 nm 5,880 ft 51,000 ft 195 ft3

Up to 17 Mach 0.925 14,631 km 1,792 m 15,545 m 5.5 m3

All specifications and data are approximate, may change without notice and are subject to certain operating rules, assumptions and other conditions. All maximum range data is based on long range speed. The Global 8000 aircraft is in development phase.

This document does not constitute an offer, commitment, representation, guarantee or warranty of any kind. Bombardier, Learjet, Challenger, Global, Learjet 70, Learjet 75, Challenger 350, Challenger 650, Global 5000, Global 5500, Global 6000, Global 6500, Global 7500, Global 8000, Nuage and Bombardier Vision are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. *In-flight excluding North and South poles.

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SENIOR VP,

WORLDWIDE SALES & MARKETING

USA Jim Amador

LATIN AMERICA Nic Aliaga*

GREATER CHINA Jason Guan

peter.likoray@ aero.bombardier.com + 514 855 7637

DC, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV jim.amador@aero.bombardier.com + 864 905 4510

SALES DIRECTOR

SALES DIRECTOR

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VP, SALES, USA & CANADA

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khader.mattar@ aero.bombardier.com + 971 50 640 2383 Peter Bromby

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VP, SALES, LATIN AMERICA & SPECIALIZED

stephane.leroy@ aero.bombardier.com + 514 826 0141 Michael Anckner

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valeria.kolyuchaya@ aero.bombardier.com + 79036 11 32 92

ID, NM, NV, OR, UT, WY wayne.cooper@aero.bombardier.com + 316 619 2287 Steve Eck

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SALES DIRECTOR

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SALES DIRECTOR

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SALES DIRECTOR

Todd Spangler SALES DIRECTOR

GA, IA, MN, ND, SD, WI todd.spangler@aero.bombardier.com + 404 971 7432 Paula Stachowski* SALES DIRECTOR

AZ, WA paula.stachowski@aero.bombardier.com + 316 619 4587

nilesh.pattanayak@ aero.bombardier.com + 41 796 166 247

RVP, SALES, GREATER CHINA

SALES DIRECTOR

Caribbean, Latin America fernando.zingoni@aero.bombardier.com + 54 9 11 526 16964

Brandon Mayberry

Ed Thomas

Yubin Yu

Fernando Zingoni

Middle East wassim.saheb@aero.bombardier.com + 971 50 6546 627

Nilesh Pattanayak

RVP, SALES, ASIA PACIFIC

SALES DIRECTOR

SALES DIRECTOR

Central & Eastern Europe, Ukraine mirkka.lampinen@aero.bombardier.com + 44 752 595 1031 Ameer Otaky*

SALES DIRECTOR

CIS, Russia ameer.otaky@aero.bombardier.com + 971 56 401 8892 ASIA PACIFIC Rafik Elias

SALES DIRECTOR

SALES DIRECTOR

IL, KS, MO, NE ed.thomas@aero.bombardier.com + 316 737 5692

Bangladesh, Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore rafik.elias@aero.bombardier.com + 971 561 0 237 27

Henry Yandle

Yuji Shiraishi

Corporate Fleets, Western USA henry.yandle@aero.bombardier.com + 830 237 3252

Japan, Mongolia, South Korea yuji.shiraishi@aero.bombardier.com + 81 80 2290 8879

SALES DIRECTOR

SALES DIRECTOR

| Sales Team |

Peter Likoray

SALES DIRECTOR

SALES DIRECTOR

Liam Zhu

SALES DIRECTOR

East Central &Â Southwest China liam.zhu@aero.bombardier.com + 86 1381 821 5498 LEARJET Dave Douglas

SALES DIRECTOR

AK, AZ, CO, HI, ID, NM, NV, MT, OR, UT, WA, WY dave.douglas@aero.bombardier.com + 316 239 8650 Michael Hissam SALES DIRECTOR

AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN michael.hissam@aero.bombardier.com + 912 663 9720 Mark Serbenski SALES DIRECTOR

CT, DC, DE, IL, IN, MA, MD, ME, MI, NJ, NH, NY, KY, OH, PA, RI, VA, VT, WI, WV mark.serbenski@aero.bombardier.com + 269 312 0237 Zachary Wachholz SALES DIRECTOR

AR, CA, IA, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, OK, SD, TX zachary.wachholz@aero.bombardier.com + 316 648 7416 PRE-OWNED Chuck Thomas SALES DIRECTOR

Eastern USA chuck.thomas@aero.bombardier.com + 702 249 6543 Bill Wendell

SALES DIRECTOR

Central USA bill.wendell@aero.bombardier.com + 512 818 0151 SPECIALIZED Michael Calderone SALES DIRECTOR

USA michael.calderone@aero.bombardier.com + 469 651 4438 Carolyn Cheam SALES DIRECTOR

Southeast Asia carolyn.cheam@aero.bombardier.com + 514 855 8221 Jonathan Cree SALES DIRECTOR

Asia, Australia jonathan.cree@aero.bombardier.com + 416 716 2925 Simon Jackson

CANADA Justin Jones*

Vinod Singel

SALES DIRECTOR

Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka vinod.singel@aero.bombardier.com + 98450 22663

Canada, Europe, India, Israel, Pakistan simon.jackson@aero.bombardier.com + 514 826 2342

Antonio Regillo*

Paul Wauchope*

Kamel Srour

Eastern Canada antonio.regillo@aero.bombardier.com + 514 244 1130

Australia, New Zealand, Oceania paul.wauchope@aero.bombardier.com + 61 488 456225

Africa, Middle East, Turkey kamel.srour@aero.bombardier.com + 514 298 0271

SALES DIRECTOR, Western Canada justin.jones@aero.bombardier.com + 403 614 4334

SALES DIRECTOR

* New and pre-owned aircraft.

SALES DIRECTOR

SALES DIRECTOR

SALES DIRECTOR

EXPERIENCE

55

NEWS People • Events • Awards

July 15, 2019

Global 7500 Jet Soars in Switzerland

Last summer, the Bombardier Global 7500 jet demonstrated its unrivaled versatility and short-field performance at Switzerland’s Gstaad Saanen Airport. The spacious, purpose-built aircraft’s advanced wing design allows it to access challenging airfields with short runways or high-altitude locations, even in high temperatures—giving passengers direct access, in the case of Gstaad, to the heart of the Swiss Alps year-round.

“This demonstration strengthens the Global 7500 as a jet that simply has no peer in terms of combining size and real-world capabilities,” said Peter Likoray, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Bombardier Business Aircraft. The Challenger 350 aircraft, which recently earned steep-approach certification, was also showcased at Gstaad before jetting off to Malaga, Spain, and setting a world speed record for its class of 2 hours 4 minutes for the route in the process.  56

EXPERIENCE

| News |

May 21, 2019

New Refurbishment and Repair Shop at Biggin Hill

Bombardier has partnered with Austrian-based F/LIST, a global manufacturer of highend interiors for business aircraft, to create an enhanced interior shop at Bombardier’s London Biggin Hill Service Center that will significantly expand support and service operations for customers in Europe. The nearly 3,000-square-foot facility will offer a full spectrum of in-cabin repairs, from touch-ups to complete cabin refurbishments. F/LIST is well-versed in Bombardier’s business aircraft programs, having installed components such as flooring, veneers, cabinetry and showers on various aircraft platforms for over a decade. “We are proud to be Bombardier’s partner in Biggin Hill to provide the highestquality interior services,” said Katharina List-Nagl, CEO of F/LIST. 

April 29, 2019

Soleil Shines on Global 7500 Jet

At the 2019 Milken Institute Global Conference, Bombardier unveiled the Soleil lighting system, developed exclusively as a standard feature for Global 7500 aircraft. Soleil, aviation’s first circadian-rhythm-based cabin lighting technology that is fully integrated with the Flight Management System, introduces Dynamic Daylight Simulation, which uses combinations of red and blue light wavelengths to help stimulate or suppress the production of melatonin in the body.

This can assist in regulating the sleep-wake cycle and synchronizing passengers’ circadian rhythms to the time at their destination, decreasing jet lag. “Along with the aircraft’s master suite with a full bed, stand-up shower and exceptionally smooth ride, the Soleil lighting system helps passengers arrive at their destination feeling more rested and refreshed,” said Peter Likoray, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Bombardier Business Aircraft . 

July 11, 2019

May 30, 2019

Challenger 350 Jet Reaches 300 Mark

Nuage Seating Lands Top Design Award

The 300th Challenger 350 jet was delivered in July, making it the fastest business aircraft in history to reach that mark in the medium and large categories. Peter Likoray, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Bombardier Business Aircraft, said, “The delivery of the 300th Challenger 350 jet in only five years after its entry-into-service represents another exciting milestone for Bombardier, and underscores the trust our customers place in this industry-leading aircraft.” After outpacing the competition with 60 aircraft produced in 2018, the Challenger 350 jet was hailed by Robb Report as the Best of the Best for the second year in a row. 

Bombardier’s innovative Nuage seating collection took top honors in the Seating Design category at the 2019 International Yacht & Aviation Awards, held in Venice, Italy. The revolutionary Nuage seat has a patented tilt-link system with a new deep-recline position to maximize support and relaxation. The precision-engineered floating base has a first-ever fully trackless footprint and permanently centered swivel axis for intuitive positioning, while an adjustable tilting headrest provides optimal neck support. The seat is featured aboard Global 5500, 6500 and 7500 aircraft. The Nuage chaise, inspired by a chaise longue, is a first in business aviation, with a modular architecture merging utility, comfort and style. A four-in-one design, the Nuage chaise can be used for meetings, dining, lounging and sleeping. It’s featured aboard Global 5500 and 6500 aircraft.  EXPERIENCE

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A rainbow-colored Learjet 35 aircraft named Dream Chaser 5 salutes the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

May 2019

May 18 and 20, 2019

Chasing Rainbows

Fueling the Future

Last May, a rainbow-colored Learjet 35 aircraft named Dream Chaser 5 took children facing serious illnesses on a magical trip high above their hometowns in the western United States. This is the fifth time that aircraft charter and management company International Jet Aviation has donated an aircraft with a special rainbow livery to salute the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Over a weeklong period, the aircraft visited Denver, Co, Colorado Springs, Co, Albuquerque, NM, Santa Ana, CA, Los Angeles, CA and Salt Lake City, UT. The kids met with the pilots in the cockpit before their flight, and each received a hat and T-shirt featuring the rainbow jet to commemorate their adventure. Post-flight, they signed their names on the side of the aircraft.

The Dream Chaser 5, which has now been retired from service, helped create some wonderful memories. Said Lynn Krogh, CEO of International Jet Aviation: “Many of our employees volunteered their time to make this project possible. It gave us all a chance to bring something special to the lives of the Make-A-Wish children.”  58

EXPERIENCE

The global business aviation community’s journey toward a lowercarbon future gained momentum at separate events last spring. On May 18, business aircraft from major manufacturers, including Bombardier, showcased the viability of sustainable alternative fuels (SAF) during demonstration flights as part of the Fueling the Future summit at TAG Farnborough Airport, UK. And on May 20, some 23 business aircraft using alternative fuels, including Challenger, Global and Learjet series aircraft, landed at Geneva Airport in an SAF Fly-In staged by the annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition. Speaking at Farnborough about “new paths to lowering emissions,” David Coleal, Chair of the Environment Committee of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association and President of Bombardier Aviation, said: “SAF represents an available and tangible solution that can make a measurable and impactful difference right now.” 

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And most importantly, rest, peace and relaxation. At Velaa, luxury is more than wealth or surplus. Luxury is a state of mind. velaaprivateisland.com