While spending a little time at Boeing Field waiting to see what would be on the move, a Falcon 900 powered up over at the FBO.  Most bizjets can taxi from that ramp down to the threshold but there is a limit on the size of aircraft than can use that taxiway to the end.  Larger jets have to cross over to our side of the runway and use the taxiway that is close to the parking lot.  I hoped that the Falcon 900 was in the class of jets that needed to do that and that they wouldn’t just do an intersection departure instead.

I got lucky and they came my way.  I prefer the look of the cockpits on the newer generation Falcons with the multi window configuration dating back to the Falcon 20 looking a little outdated but, putting that aside, the Falcon 900 is a nice looking plane.

Dassault’s Falcon family has been getting larger both in the number of types and physically.  Now there are long range and wide bodied corporate jets available in their catalog.  Before the jets got wider, their first effort at a longer range version was the Falcon 50.  It introduced the three engine configuration which made it well suited to longer range missions in the days before twin operations over long distances were widespread.

The 50 is now rather long in the tooth so you don’t see them around so often.  That makes it all the better when one shows up.  I was heading home one evening from an event south of the city and the lovely evening light made me stop off at Boeing Field to see if I could get any shots.  Sadly, a cloud bank rolled in just before this Falcon 50 showed up.  Still, it was great to see one in action.  I was back the next day having taken a day off work and it happened to depart while I was there.  Certainly more light but a bit harsh in the middle of the day.