The Gulfstream GV: the aircraft behind every Vicuna flight

The Gulfstream GV is a large cabin, ultra-long range business jet. The cabin runs just over 50 feet, with 6 feet 1 inch of standing height. It flies 6, 425 nautical miles without stopping. It is more spacious and comfortable than the earlier models, but also significantly faster; New York to London is often under six hours.

The cabin can seat up to 17 passengers, but we usually fly with around 10 guests travelling with their pets. That is a choice rather than a limitation as it helps keep the cabin from feeling crowded and gives all passengers more room throughout the journey.

The cabin space also allows us to arrange seating plans around every dog’s needs. It lets us put distance between animals who would be better apart or give a nervous dog a quiet corner, for example.

Dogs travel on their owner’s lap or on the floor at their feet, wearing a harness clipped to the seat by a bungee restraint. Smaller animals such as cats and guinea pigs travel in carriers throughout.

The Gulfstream GV is faster than the older models, such as the IV, and is specifically designed to be long-range. This matters considerably for your pet. The value is in the one climb and one descent instead of two. Changes in pressure are the part of flying an animal will notice, along with another taxi, another set of engine noises, and several hours added to the day.

The features that matter most to an animal are the ones that you cannot see. The GV holds a cabin altitude of under 6000 feet. Commercial aircraft are permitted up to 8000 feet and most operate close to it. That difference matters to a dog for a specific reason: cabin altitude produces a mild shortage of oxygen, and a dog compensates by breathing harder. Flat-faced breeds are the least able to do that, because the same shortened airway that makes a French Bulldog snore also limits how much harder they can breathe. A lower cabin altitude means there is simply less to compensate for. It is one of the reasons we are happy to fly brachycephalic or snub-nosed pets all year round – dog breeds other airlines are frequently unable to fly.

The air itself is different too. The GV runs a 100% fresh air system that replaces the air in the cabin every two minutes; it is not recirculated and rebreathed for hours at a time.

The aircraft also flies high enough to be above the weather, meaning smoother air and less of the turbulence that unsettles animals.

We have Starlink WIFI, so you are connected for the entire journey. Useful for everyone, and the reason we are able to send photos and updates mid-flight to owners whose companions are travelling in Biscuit Class.

Bark Air use a range of aircraft, primarily Gulfstream IVs and GVs. Similarly, K9 Jets fly a mix, often a Gulfstream G-IVSP.

Every Vicuna charter is a GV. The cabin size, space and range is the same every time. You know before you book exactly what you and your pet will be flying in. And our choice is deliberate: it is the same aircraft every time, chosen because it makes for a calmer, more comfortable journey for everyone on board.

The GV was not designed with dogs in mind. We chose it with them in mind - the space, the hours and how they arrive at the other end.

Ready to fly? Get in touch or message us on WhatsApp to plan your journey.