With commercial air travel becoming more inconvenient because of fewer direct flights and crowded airplanes, corporations are turning to what many of the Fortune 500 have know for years--business jet aircraft can be a productive tool for maximizing use of corporate time. Gulfstream jets fly higher than commercial traffic and are routed directly to a destination without traffic-control delays. Their speed and range are seldom exceeded commercially. Technology advancements such as improved instrumentation displays, satellite navigation, and pilot head-up displays for foul-weather landing were introduced on Gulfstreams before seeing commercial use. Spearheading such innovation has been Charles Coppi. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, he directed engineering and was principal conceptual development engineer on all six Gulfstream models. The airplanes' design versatility is also shown by many Coppi-led adaptations, including the unique training aircraft for teaching astronauts to land the Space Shuttle. He also pioneered work for short and vertical take-off airplanes, airborne surveillance, and anti-submarine aircraft.