N540W

N540W is a Gulfstream Aerospace GA-7 Cougar, a twin-engine piston aircraft operated by WILMINGTON TRUST CO TRUSTEE. SkyMeter has tracked 466 flights totalling 892 hours of airtime via ADS-B across 2 callsigns. The most frequent segment is KSBA to KTEX. Service window in our records spans 496 days. Of those flights, 10 (2.1%) carry at least one detected incident: a go-around, unstable approach, stall warning, or runway excursion. The Gulfstream Aerospace GA-7 Cougar has a maximum takeoff weight of 3,800 lb, light wake category.

About the Gulfstream Aerospace GA-7 Cougar

The Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar is a light twin-engine trainer developed in the late 1970s to fill the gap between single-engine aircraft and more complex twins. First flown in 1974 and certified in 1978, the Cougar was designed with a T-tail configuration and fixed tricycle landing gear, prioritizing docile handling characteristics over raw performance. Gulfstream American built 115 examples before production ended in 1979, making it a relatively rare type compared to competitors like the Piper Seminole or Beechcraft Duchess.

Powered by two Lycoming O-320 engines producing 160 horsepower each, the Cougar cruises at around 140 knots and offers a useful load of approximately 1,200 pounds. Its benign stall characteristics and spacious cabin made it popular with flight schools teaching multi-engine ratings, though its fixed gear and modest speed limited its appeal in the owner-flown market. The type remains in service today primarily with flight training organizations and private owners who value its forgiving flight characteristics and relatively low operating costs for a twin.

SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with the largest observed operator.