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The Private Jets of the US Primaries


Private jet charter is the only way primary candidates are able to maintain the furious pace of the campaign trail, let’s examine their jets of choice.

Face time with the American public has been an essential component during this race, and while some candidates flew commercial in the early days, with things starting to heat up, all of the remaining contenders have made the decision that there was only one possible way to maintain an efficient schedule – private jet charter. Below we’ll take a look at each of the candidate’s aircraft of choice.



The Democrats

Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders and his Gulfstream 200
Bernie Sanders and his Gulfstream 200

Political Affiliation: Democratic Party

Previous Positions: Current Senator for Vermont and Former Mayor of Burlington, Vermont.

Main Political Issues: Income and wealth inequality, free higher education, free healthcare, living wage increase, affordable housing.

Sanders has managed to climb his way through the election as a potential frontrunner, alongside Clinton for the Democratic nomination, despite entering in as the clear underdog. The former Senator for Vermont has represented his state for 16 years, before putting his bid in for the presidential race. Sanders initially flew commercial flights and even traveled on public transit. However, due the closeness of his race with Clinton, he has since switched to flying via private jet. So what’s Sanders’ first choice of Jet you ask? It’s the Gulfstream G200.

Bernie Sanders
Bernie Sanders

His jet of choice was most likely a practical one based on seating requirements and affordability, but the Gulfstream G200 is a beautiful machine regardless. It’s a twin-engine business jet with an impressive top speed for its age. It’s known for its ample cargo capacity and excellent value for money, due to having the range and comfort of a large cabin jet at a midsize cabin price tag. This Gulfstream model is recognized as one of the most successful early-generation private jets but is no longer in production, having been replaced by the new Gulfstream G280. Perhaps notable for the candidate, the technology for the G200 originally came from Israel Aircraft Industries, Israel's primary aerospace manufacturer.

Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton and her Dassault Falcon 900B
Hillary Clinton and her Dassault Falcon 900B

Political Affiliation: Democratic Party

Previous Positions: Secretary of State, Senator for New York, Former First Lady of the United States and Former First Lady of Arkansas

Main Political Issues: Women’s rights, gun violence, affordable healthcare.

As the former First Lady, Clinton has proven knowledge of the political arena. She was elected Secretary of State in 2000, and has also served as Senator for New York. Clinton came into the race as the clear favourite for the Democratic nominee, but is now battling it out against her competitor Sanders, who is putting up quite the fight. She previously ran for Office in 2008 but ultimately lost out to Barack Obama. She’s back at it again, this time around, hoping to become the first female president of the United States. So which is Clinton’s private jet of choice? The Dassault Falcon 900B.

Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton

The Dassault Falcon 900B is a French-made trijet (or triple engine) business jet. The ‘B’ classification denotes a significant improvement over the original 900 series. Improvements include a 5.5% increase in takeoff thrust and 6.5% increase in thrust at altitude, and it’s also known for its large and luxurious cabin which is designed for intercontinental travel. This model has a full-sized private restroom and galley as well as being large enough to carry a sizeable campaign party. The jet is currently still in production with over 500 units already out there and together with the Falcon 7X, is the only trijet model still being manufactured.



The Republicans

Donald Trump

Donald Trump and his Boeing 757-200
Donald Trump and his Boeing 757-200

Political Affiliation: Republican Party

Previous Positions: Businessman, founder of Trump Tower, Trump Golf, etc.

Main Political Issues: Immigration reform, second amendment rights, veterans administration reforms, health care reform.

Trump is largely a newcomer to the realm of politics. However, he has rubbed noses publically with many politicians in his role as a businessman. The FAA declared that they would be renaming three aeronautical navigation points which were named after Trump himself, including DONLD, TRUMP, and UFIRD, due to controversial statements that he’d made. Trump has the advantage of owning his private jet; a large Boeing 757-200 which has been dubbed ‘Trump Force One’.

Donald Trump
Donald Trump

Trump is in possession of a customized Boeing 757-200 which can typically carry as many as 228 passengers, but has had many seats removed as part of its interior redecoration, and now seats up to 43. The jet has a maximum speed of 609 MPH and a cruise speed of 566 MPH, an impressive number for such a large model. This personalized jet is about 125 feet wide and 155 feet long which allows it to include some impressive amenities. It boasts guestrooms, a movie theater, a conference room and let’s not forget the gold plated seat belts.

Ted Cruz

Ted Cruz and his Citation Excel
Ted Cruz and his Citation Excel

Political Affiliation: Republican Party

Previous Positions: Clerk for the Chief of Justice for the United States, and the Solicitor General for the State of Texas.

Main Political Issues: Second Amendment rights, religious liberty, border security, pro-life campaign.

In a turn of events, Ted Cruz has made his mark in the election race, proving to be coming in close competition with the Republican front-runner, Donald Trump. Cruz was the first Hispanic, and the longest-serving Solicitor General in Texan history. In February 2016, he also became the first Hispanic person to win a presidential caucus or primary when he defeated his competition in Iowa. Ted’s career began in the law where serves as Clerk for a Chief Justice of the United States. So how does Cruz get around? On the fan favorite Cessna Citation Excel.

Ted Cruz
Ted Cruz

The Excel is a turbofan-powered, medium-sized business jet which is still in production due to its popularity. While technically a mid-sized jet, its cabin length is 18.7 feet, which also makes it a super light jet class with exceptional handling and maneuverability. This Cessna model contains two Pratt & Whitney PW545 engines and they’re largely responsible for the fact that the Excel outperforms other jets in its class. The interior of the Excel is kept comfortable by two aircon systems and it’s able to ascend to its cruise level in only 18 minutes.



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