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P16 BARRON’S December 5, 2011
CastlesintheAir
Howtofurnishatop-flightjet
From top, Photos Courtesy of: EAD Aerospace; AirJet Designs; Edése Doret IndustrialDesigns; Gore Design Completions; L-3 Platform Integration
ByKirbyHarrison
THE INTERIOR DESIGNERS OF THE WORLD’S MOST LUXURIOUS
jets are literally pushing the boundaries. We’re talking
walls of ferns.
The New York-based firm Edése Doret Industrial Designrecentlycreatedreal,livewallsoffernsfortheanonymousbuyerofaBoeing787-8i,theprivate-ownershipversionofBoeing’smuchheraldedDreamliner.Theplanewill
havethegreeneryinthestateroom,thecorridor,thelavatory
and the lounge. A turbulence-proof irrigation system
built into the walls will provide water, while an elaborate
system of mirrors will direct sunlight to the plants. Next
thingyouknow,they’llbegrowingtomatoesinthecockpit.
Innovationslikethatinvariablyturnupfirstinthecabins
of the very largest private jets, which can cost more
than $500 million. These are big commercial models, retooledandluxedupforprivateuse.Bysomecounts,about
500oftheseplanesarenowinuseandmoreareontheway,
catering to the sometimes quirky tastes of oil sheiks, oligarchs
and other high-flying billionaires.
Theownersofthemassiveplanesarenotoriouslymum
abouttheiropulentaviation. Butsometimeswordgetsout
aboutwhoisbuying:Airbus,forinstance,hasbeenbuilding
anairframeforanexecutiveversionofitshugeA380airliner
for Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal. Because the prince
placed the first order for this line of planes, Airbus has
openly referred to the massive jet as a “flying palace.”
Theprinceisnotsayingawordaboutwhat’sinside.Nor
are others. The interiors are constructed by third-party
“completioncenters”—atpricesashighas$200million—and
thebuyeroftenrequiresthecentertosignanondisclosure
agreement,withstiffpenaltiesforviolatingit.PrinceAlwaleed
won’t name the completion center he is using.
True to form, Donald Trump hasn’t been so secretive.
TheDonaldhassomeseriousin-flightentertainmentaboard
hisnewBoeing757—avideoscreeningroomand18IMAXlevelspeakers.
Itwasa“totallycustomizedsystem,designed
toexceedMr.Trump’sexpectations,”saysGreggLaunerof
FortLauderdale,Fla.-basedSkyTheater,whichdidthework.
ButTrumpkeptalidonmostofhiscosts,gettingthecompletedplanefor$75million,andmaybeless—ineithercase,
a pittance by Alwaleed standards.
Mostofwhat’sknownaboutinteriorscomesfromphotos
and anecdotes circulated among industry insiders. That’s
howweknowthatonemogul’sBoeing777hasatransparent
floorthatletsguestspeerdownintothecargobay,sothey
can admire the collection of classic cars that always travel
withtheowner.Anotherwide-bodyhasamechanizedroyal
thronethatinterfaceswiththeaircraft’sGPSinsuchaway
thatnomatterwheretheplaneisheading,thethronealways
faces Mecca.
Thespacethatdesignershavetoworkwithinthesebig
birds—from2,000to6,000squarefeet—hasfiredtheimaginationsoftheinteriorsspecialistsattwodozenorsoindependent
completion centers and aircraft interior-design
houses, from Andrew Winch Designs in London to Gore
Design Completions in San Antonio.
Swiss cabin-completion specialist Jet Aviation found
roomforacasino,barandspiralstaircaseinoneofitsproposalsforanAirbusACJ380.AnddesignersatGreenpoint
TechnologiesinKirkland,Wash.,areoftenaskedtocreate
videogame rooms, well-appointed offices, and spacious
staterooms with private lavatories and showers.
L-3 Platform Integrated Systems, a cabin completer in
Waco,Texas,recentlydesignedanArtDecodiningroomfor
aBoeing747-8i,heavyonlinearsymmetry,raremetalsand
stained glass. Images of the iconic
Donald Trump
has 18 IMAXlevel
speakers
for movies on
his Boeing 757.
ChryslerBuildingemblazonedonthe
bulkheads leave no doubt as to the
style.L-3alsohasdesignedanelevatortowhiskuptofourpassengersbetween
that jet’s distinctive “hump”
and the ground, with stops at the
maindeckandeventhebaggagebay.
Ataminimum,theseplanesofferagreatInternetconnection.
Gogo Biz, a system from aviation-broadband specialist
Aircell, offers data-transfer speeds that virtually
matchthoseof homesandoffices—nosmallfeatwhentravelingatMach0.85and40,000feet.AGogosystemmayrun
wellnorthof$150,000,installed,andthemonthlychargefor
unlimited use is $1,995.
Asbillionairesproliferate,expectaplethoraofinnovations.
In-flight ice skating, anyone?
For good or ill, very little of the giant jets’ gear will
trickledowntostandardcorporatejets.Mostboardsofdirectors
wouldn’t be amused by airborne game rooms. But
CEOscanstillgetfinickyabouttheirplanes.InhisnewbiographyofSteveJobs,
WalterIsaacsontellshowtheApple
chief likedtheinteriorofOraclebossLarryEllison’sGulfstreamVsomuchthatheorderedavirtualreplica,withtwo
changes:WhereadoorbetweencabinsonEllison’splanehad
“open”and“close”buttons,Jobswantedasinglebuttonthat
toggled.AndwhereEllison’sbuttonsweremadeofpolished
stainless steel, Jobs demanded brushed metal.
It’sonlyamatteroftimebeforesomebuyerofagiantjet
orders ferns in a darker shade of green.
KIRBYHARRISONisaregularcontributortoBusinessJetTraveler.