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Inside Bola Shagaya’s N11.5 billion Gulfstream G650 private jet

Daisy Danjuma, Diezani Alison Madueke, Folorunsho Alakija also step up

women

Billionaire mogul, Hajia Bola Shagaya has proved that what a man can do, a woman can equally do, if not better.

The Kwara born billionaire has joined the league of top wealthy Nigerians with private jets. She has acquired the latest edition of a brand new Gulfstream G650 model jet reportedly worth N11.5 billion which is similar to the brand obtained by former governor of Borno state, Ali Modu Sheriff .The jet was acquired few weeks back in commemoration of her 55th birthday on October 10, 2014.

It is arguably the fastest civilian jet in the world, has room for a basketball court, 8,000-statute-mile range and some of the most sophisticated avionics rivaling nearly anything in the sky. And it’s also perfect for doing business on a global scale. Gulfstream described the aircraft as ultra-high-speed, ultra-long-range business jet and the gold standard in business aviation.

The main price of the aircraft is $65 million but other charges could have raised it to $71 million, and according to US-based Forbes magazine, the Gulfstream G650 has an order book of 200 customers throughout the world.

“A $65 million price tag doesn’t seem to detract from the fascination with this incredible airplane. While the rest of the business aviation industry is battling the depressed economy, there seems to be a buoyant market in the US and abroad for this ultra-high-priced, high-performance jet.

“And why not? With a top speed of 92 per cent of the speed of sound (arguably the fastest civilian jet in the world)…this airplane is perfect for doing business on a global scale.

“Because of its superlatives, including price, however, it also appeals greatly to the ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it’ crowd,”

Forbes said on its Brand Voice website.

The model was introduced in 2008 with a capacity for eight passengers and a crew of four on nonstop legs of 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km) for standard configuration.

“That means it will link Dubai with New York and London with Buenos Aires. With its powerful Rolls-Royce BR725 engines, the G650 will cover shorter distances at a speed of Mach 0.925. No traditional business jet will take you closer to the speed of sound,” Gulfstream said on its website.

The Gulfstream G650 was formally launched as an internal company project in May 2005, and publicly unveiled on March 13, 2008. At the public announcement, company executives stated the new model would become Gulfstream’s largest, fastest and most expensive business jet on entry to the market.

The G650 has a cruise speed of Mach 0.85 to 0.90, with maximum speed of Mach 0.925 and a range of up to 7,000nmi (13,000 km). It can be equipped with a full kitchen and bar and may be equipped with a variety of entertainment features including satellite phones and wireless Internet.

The jet uses two Rolls Royce BR725 engines, each producing a maximum thrust of 17,000 pounds-force (75.6 kN). Gulfstream states that with a weight of less than 100,000 pounds (45,360 kg), it is able to land at small airports avoiding the busy airports around the world.

The aircraft controls are completely fly-by-wire, with no mechanical control between pilot and flight surfaces. The surfaces are moved by dual hydraulic systems. More airliners today are using fly-by-wire, but only one other current business jet (the Dassault Falcon 7X) is so equipped.

The G650 taxied under its own power for the first time on September 26, 2009. A public rollout ceremony was later held on September 29, 2009. The G650 had its maiden flight on November 25, 2009.

Flight testing for the maximum operating speed of Mach 0.925 was announced as completed on May 4, 2010.Gulfstream reported on August 26, 2010 tGulfstrwam v-001hat the G650 hit a maximum speed of Mach 0.995 during a dive as part of its 1,800-hour flight test programme. In April 2011, a G650 crashed during flight testing.

The G650 test aircraft were grounded until May 28, 2011, when the remaining test aircraft were allowed to return to flight testing. On September 7, 2012, the G650 received its type certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Its first delivery was to an American customer named Preston Henn on December 27, 2012.

By this acquisition, she has toppled fellow billionaire Folorunsho Alakija. Checks by ENCOMIUM Weekly revealed that amongst the over 200 private jet owners in Nigeria, four of them are powerful female Nigerians.

Interestingly, checks by ENCOMIUM Weekly revealed that the four jets reportedly owned by these women of substance are worth over N27.1biillion. Aside Bola Shagaya, who now topped the chart, the second person on the list is Folorunsho Alakija who has a Bombardier Global Express jet which was bought for N7.3 billion.

The third woman whose jet raised a lot of controversies is reported to own a Bombardier Challenger 605. Its market value is N5.1 billion.

The last woman on the rung is Daisy Danjuma whose hubby has a Bombardier Challenger 605. The second one was speculated to have been given to his delectable wife. It’s a Hawker 900XP valued at N3.2 billion.

                       Name                             Type                               Worth

  1. Bola Shagaya                  Gulfstream G650.               N11.5b
  2. Folorunsho Alakija     Bombardier Express          N7.3b
  3. Diezani Madueke          Bombardier 605                   N5.1b
  4. Daisy Danjuma               Hawker 900xp                       N3.2b

Total                                                                                               N27.1b

-FEMI OYEWALE

Encomium

Written by Encomium

A media, tech and events company.

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