N520NA

N520NA is a Gulfstream Aerospace Gulfstream III, a twin-engine jet operated by NASA LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER. SkyMeter has tracked 192 flights totalling 615 hours of airtime via ADS-B. The most frequent segment is KLFI to KLFI. Service window in our records spans 341 days. Of those flights, 8 (4.2%) carry at least one detected incident — go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Gulfstream Aerospace Gulfstream III has a 78 ft wingspan, a maximum takeoff weight of 69,700 lb.

About the Gulfstream Aerospace Gulfstream III

The Gulfstream III revolutionized long-range business aviation when it entered service in 1979 as the first purpose-built intercontinental corporate jet capable of nonstop transatlantic crossings. Gulfstream stretched the fuselage of its earlier GII design, added winglets for improved efficiency, and fitted more powerful Rolls-Royce Spey engines, creating an aircraft that could carry eight passengers 4,200 nautical miles at Mach 0.85. The GIII became the template for modern ultra-long-range business jets and served as the basis for numerous military variants including the C-20 executive transport and the E-11A battlefield communications platform.

NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center operates several Gulfstream IIIs as airborne laboratories and chase aircraft, using their high-altitude capability (ceiling 45,000 feet) and speed to support experimental flight test programs at Edwards Air Force Base. The type's spacious cabin and long endurance make it ideal for carrying research instrumentation and flight test engineers during envelope expansion work on prototype aircraft. Beyond government research, the GIII found favor with corporations and charter operators seeking reliable transoceanic range, though most have since been retired or upgraded to GIV/GV standards.

Production ended in 1986 after 202 aircraft were built, but the design's DNA lives on in every modern Gulfstream—the G650 and G700 are direct descendants of the GIII's pioneering long-range architecture. The type remains notable for its robust systems, excellent high-altitude performance, and the distinctive winglets that became a Gulfstream signature. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.