The Contour of Luxury Summer 2019 | Page 564

When it comes to how the wealthy commute, there are one of two ways to go: travelling in style, or travelling in exclusive, palatial fashion. The latter is reserved for the ultra-high net worth individu- als who do not just own their own private planes, but own impres- sive, luxurious private jets that are unattainable for anyone not in the top tier of the 1%. French private jet maker Dassault is seeking those extraordinarily wealthy in- dividuals for its new Falcon 8x jet, which flaunts a purchase price of approximately US$60 million. The Falcon 8x originates from a line of enviable Dassault Falcon jets, all of which are attached to a hefty purchase price—and upkeep costs. Procuring a used version of the previous model Falcon 7x can set one back between an estimated US$20 million and US$40 million. According to private jet special- ist Business Jet Traveler​ , reported by Stuff, with the cost of the crew amounting to US$558,480 a year and then US$10,000 to fill the jets’ petrol tank, the total rate of using the Falcon 8x would be US$2.4 million a year. Dassault Falcon Asia Pacific presi- dent Jean Michel-Jacob equated the Falcon 8x to a “flying carpet.” Whether it is ice in Antarc- tica, the middle of London, or the rough terrain of Papua New Guinea, the 8x can land on pretty much any surface its owner wishes, as stated by Michel-Jacob. Additionally, Dassault used its military aviation background to incorporate the Falcon Eye head-up display system, which proj- ects an image from a highly-sensitive camera onto a lens in front of the cockpit window. Such innovative technology was initially developed for fighter jets to assist with landing in poor vis- ibility and bad weather, making it safer to do so.