The Bombardier Challenger 300 and 350 are super-midsize business jets seating eight to ten passengers, capable of coast-to-coast flights. They are among the best-selling business jets in their class, flown by NetJets, Flexjet, charter companies and corporations.
Challenger 350 at a glance
- First flight
- 2001 (Challenger 300)
- Length
- 68 ft 8 in (20.9 m)
- Wingspan
- 69 ft (21.0 m)
- Engines
- 2 × Honeywell HTF7000-series turbofans
- Seats
- 8–10 passengers
- Cruise speed
- ~459–470 kt (528–541 mph)
- Service ceiling
- 45,000 ft
- Range
- ~3,100–3,200 nmi
How to recognize the Challenger 350
The Challenger 350 has a long, slim fuselage, a swept wing with winglets and a T-tail.
- Tail: a T-tail with the stabilizer at the top of a swept fin.
- Wing: swept, with canted winglets on the 350 (the earlier 300 has smaller, more upright winglets).
- Engines: two Honeywell HTF7000-family turbofans on the rear fuselage.
- Fuselage: long and round, with a sharp nose and oval windows.
- Door: airstair door on the left side forward of the wing.
- Landing gear: retractable tricycle gear.
- Altitude: often FL410 to FL450, on longer trips than smaller jets.
The Citation Latitude is the most similar common jet; it has no winglets and a plumper fuselage. The Gulfstream G650 is much larger, with distinctive oval windows. Note that the larger Challenger 600-series (604, 605, 650) is a different design with a wider body; it uses code CL60.
The Challenger 350's engines sit high on the rear fuselage, close to the base of the fin, and the wing has a pronounced sweep that makes the jet look fast even when parked. Its nose is long and pointed, and the cockpit windows wrap around the front in one smooth line. On final approach it flies a fairly nose-high attitude, typical of swept-wing business jets without leading-edge slats.
Where and when you'll see it
NetJets (callsign EJA) and Flexjet (LXJ) operate large Challenger 350 fleets, and corporate flight departments and charter companies fly many more. They fly longer business trips, including coast-to-coast routes like New York to Los Angeles and trips to the Caribbean and Mexico.
Typical cruise is FL410 to FL450. On ADS-B the Challenger 300 shows type CL30 and the 350 and 3500 show CL35; callsigns are often EJA, LXJ or an N-number. Many fly from business airports like Teterboro, White Plains and Van Nuys; see bizjet.
The Challenger 350's range makes it a favorite for nonstop business trips like New York to Los Angeles, Chicago to Cabo San Lucas or Dallas to the Caribbean. Fractional jets frequently fly empty repositioning legs between owners' trips, so a Challenger crossing your town at FL450 may have no passengers aboard. Traffic peaks on Friday afternoons and Sunday evenings.
Easily confused with
- Cessna Citation Latitude: The Latitude has no winglets and a plumper fuselage.
- Gulfstream G650 / G650ER: The G650 is much larger, with big oval windows.
- Embraer Phenom 300: The Phenom 300 is smaller, with a shorter body.
Quick facts
- The Challenger 300 began life as the Bombardier Continental before it was renamed in 2002.
- The latest version, the Challenger 3500, keeps the CL35 type code.
- Its range lets it fly coast-to-coast across the US nonstop.
Challenger 350 questions
What is the difference between the Challenger 300 and 350?
The 350 is an updated 300 with more powerful engines, canted winglets and a refreshed cabin. They use different type codes: CL30 and CL35.
Is the Challenger 350 a large jet?
It is a super-midsize jet, between midsize jets like the Citation Latitude and large-cabin jets like the Gulfstream G650.
Cities where it's a regular
Kansas City · Columbus · Indianapolis
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for CL30 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.