Experience Beyond Limits, Safety Without Compromise

Nearly a Half-Century of Experience... Right in Your Cockpit

Experience Beyond Limits, Safety Without Compromise

Nearly a Half-Century of Experience... Right in Your Cockpit

Meet your Captain

Captain James W. Bufalino

With over four decades of command in the world’s most demanding aviation environments and experience flying to all corners of the globe, I bring unparalleled expertise, leadership, and an uncompromising commitment to safety... to your flight.

I began flying Falcons at age 21 and joined the airlines at 24. Today, after a distinguished 40-year career flying multiple heavy jets—from Airbus and Douglas to Boeing—I serve as the Senior Boeing 777 Captain and Instructor at a major airline.

My more than 24,000 hours of flight time, global experience, rigorous training, proven leadership, and decision-making are now dedicated to you.

My priorities are simple: to deliver the highest level of Safety, Reliability, Precision, and Discretion so you can truly sit back and enjoy your flight. Now relax...you are in the most capable hands in corporate aviation.

WELCOME ABOARD!

The Falcon 900

French jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation (formerly Avions Marcel Dassault) introduced the Falcon 900 in 1986. The jet you are traveling on today is a newer version of the original “TriJet.”

The Falcon is known by pilots as an extremely well-built, stable, and ultra-responsive high-performance aircraft. This is due to Dassault incorporating many engineering aspects used in their military fighter jets—the Mirage and Rafale—into the design of their Falcons.

The 900 can fly high—up to 51,000 ft (over most weather), safely take off and land on very short runways, and fly fast—up to 87% of the speed of sound—all in the quiet comfort of a large cabin.

Even with the third engine (again, for your safety), it’s efficient to operate, comfortable to ride in, and a true dream to fly!

Ask your Captain: Common Questions

What happens if an engine fails on takeoff?

The single most practiced emergency a pilot trains for is an engine failure on takeoff.

Before every takeoff, we compute our performance data to ensure the jet can safely continue the takeoff with the loss of an engine and climb to a safe altitude. Additionally, I will brief what we will do (who flies the jet, who runs the checklist, who talks on the radio) in the unlikely event a failure should happen. Every. Single. Takeoff.

We will then complete our checklists, restart or secure the engine and land safely.

The Falcon 900 has 3 engines and performs very well if one should fail. It could literally fly for hours on two engines, but we would actually choose to land at the nearest suitable airport.

The engines on the Falcon 900 are made by Honeywell and are found on many other corporate jets. They are regarded as some of the most reliable engines in the world with the chances of failure on takeoff in the 1 in millions.

What's all the noise from the engines after we land?

Right before we touchdown, the thrust is reduced to idle. The jet touches down, and the pilot then raises a lever on the center thrust lever called the Thrust Reverser. The Falcon 900 is unique in that it has a single thrust reverser on the center engine only. Pulling that lever up deploys big clamshells that close over the engine's exhaust and directs the thrust forward (reverse).

Think of driving down the interstate, rolling your window down, and sticking your hand out palm forward. Feel that force on your hand pushing it back? Thats thrust reverse. The more the lever is pulled back, the more the engine spools up and the louder the engine gets.

Interestingly, the landing performance (how much runway we need to stop) does NOT consider reverse thrust - it's a bonus!

Also, we can actually back the jet up if we needed to!

I see lightning out the window, are we going to fly in a thunderstorm?

Short answer?

ABSOLUTELY NOT! Never!

If we are on the ground and there are storms in the area, I will never takeoff and fly into one. If we are already in the air and there are storms ahead, I will ALWAYS avoid them.

Remember, light travels a long way in a cloud. A storm could be miles away but the flash from the lightning can seem pretty close. Before takeoff I pay particular attention to our route of flight and the potential of storms. When planning the flight, I'll check radar maps, satellite imagery, reports from pilots and Air Traffic Control and make sure our route isn't going to take us too close to any thunderstorms.

If we need to delay our takeoff to let the weather clear, we will. If we are in the air and need to avoid any storms, we will. If there are storms at our destination, we will enter holding and let them move on or we will divert to an airport where there are no storms.

We have very good radar on the Falcon 900 that helps us avoid the bad stuff. Air Traffic Control also has weather radar they use to assist pilots as well.

Does this mean we won't ever fly in rain or feel some bumps? No, I wish I could promise a smooth flight all the time. But, just because it's bumpy or you're in the rain, doesn't mean you are "in a thunderstorm".

What's the rumbling and shaking I feel when we are descending or about to land?

What you are feeling are the Air Brakes. If I need to either slow down quickly or descend at a higher rate, I will deploy 6 panels (3 on the top of each wing). There's a little lever in the cockpit I can pull back to extend the panels. The first position is a "little bit" and the second position is "all the way" deployed.

When these panels pop up the air is "disturbed" that's flowing over the top of the wing and that causes the rumbling you hear. Those panels also pop up when we land. They help the brakes work better by reducing the "lift" the wing is creating and putting more weight on the wheels.

I know, they can be a little startling when flying along if you're not expecting it.

Trust me...I try to be real smooth with them when I deploy or stow them in the air!

Turbulence scares me! Is the wing going to fall off?

Nope. But it can be scary. I will try (emphasis added) to avoid any known turbulence and give you the smoothest flight possible. Let's talk about what causes the bumps.

Turbulence is really just uneven air—think of it like bumps or potholes on a highway. Air isn’t always smooth; it can have currents, eddies, and waves just like water in a river. Our Falcon 900 is built to handle it effortlessly (the wings flex on purpose to absorb it).

I always look for the smoothest path using radar and reports from other pilots. Air Traffic Control is constantly updated with what we call "ride reports" that they pass on to other pilots.

The best thing you can do? Always keep your seatbelt loosely fastened whenever you’re seated—it keeps you secure and comfortable.

Surface Friction Winds During Takeoff and Landing

Close to the ground, wind doesn’t flow smoothly—it gets stirred up by trees, buildings, hills, and even the airport itself. This creates little gusts and swirls we call surface friction. You might feel the plane rock side-to-side or get a few quick bumps right after takeoff or just before touchdown. It’s completely normal, especially on windy days or at airports surrounded by mountains or hills. I adjust for it constantly with small control inputs, maybe even having to add or reduce power when we are landing to compensate for a gust, but modern jets like ours are designed to handle these gusts with ease. On takeoff, it usually smooths out quickly once we’re a few thousand feet up.

Thermal Heating

Ever look at the top of a road and see the heatwaves rising? Those waves create turbulence (remember, hot air rises). So, it could be a perfectly calm day, but if it's really hot, expect some bumps down low.

The Jet Stream

High up where we cruise the air can look perfectly clear and smooth, but strong jet streams—fast-moving rivers of air—can create turbulence. The jet stream can have winds blowing up to 200 mph (great if it's a tailwind, not so great if it's on our nose!) this is called clear air turbulence. It’s the most surprising kind because you can’t see it coming, but our weather radar, satellite updates, and reports from other aircraft help me anticipate and avoid the worst areas.

When we do hit a patch, it’s usually brief because I will always try and find us some smooth air by climbing or descending. Remember, the plane is stressed-tested for much stronger forces than turbulence ever produces, so structurally it’s no issue at all.

If we simply can't find smooth air, I will slow us down to make the bumps a little better.

MaxQ Pro Pilot Services, LLC.

Experience Beyond Limits, Safety Without Compromise

Experience Beyond Limits, Safety Without Compromise

Meet your Captain

Captain James W. Bufalino

The Falcon 900

Ask your Captain: Common Questions

Contract Falcon 900/900EX Services

MaxQ Pro Pilot Services, LLC.

Contact Captain Bufalino

Experience Beyond Limits, Safety Without Compromise

Experience Beyond Limits, Safety Without Compromise

Meet your Captain

Captain James W. Bufalino

The Falcon 900

Ask your Captain: Common Questions

Contract Falcon 900/900EX Services

MaxQ Pro Pilot Services, LLC.

Contact Captain Bufalino

Connect With Me

This website uses cookies.