Lieutenant Colonel John Julius Velasco Balaoag, a proud Igorot from the Itneg tribe in Abra, pilots the P2 billion ($37 million, 1$ = P48.46) worth Gulfstream G280 presidential jet.
Born in the remote Barangay of Lablabinag, Lacub, Abra, LTCOL Balaoag is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) “Mandala” Class 2006 and graduated from the Philippine Air Force Flying School in 2010.
The newly-promoted LTCOL Balaoag is one of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) pilots who is qualified to fly the newly acquired Gulfstream G280, a super midsized business jet, which was configured as a Command and Control (C2) aircraft for the Philippine Air Force.
Balaoag is married to Elia Marie Valentina Presicaru, a Romanian national. They were blessed with two kids Darren and David. His parents are Merlyn Balaoag and Conrado Balaoag and has two siblings Randy and MJ.
Gulfstream G280 jet
The Gulfstream G280 jet was turned over to the Philippine government on September 17, 2020, at the Dallas, Texas headquarters of Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation in the United States.
It took its inaugural flight on September 21, transporting personal protective equipment (PPE), medical supplies, and top government officials to Davao after a touchdown in the Philippines via Clark in Pampanga.
Amid the controversy, the Duterte administration tried to justify the acquisition of the jet as not a luxury but an air asset that the President, Defense Secretary, and senior military leaders will use for command and control functions in the event of a crisis.
Aside from command and control, the G280 can also be used in airborne early warning, medical evacuation, high-altitude atmospheric research, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions.
The aircraft can accommodate up to ten passengers and features up to two living areas, comprising sleeping space for up to five people. Gulfstream G280 is fitted with extensive communication equipment for the Philippine Air Force. The air force can transport 12 to 15 individuals, including the pilots and crew.
It has a range of 3,600nmi, a maximum cruise speed of 0.84 Mach (482kt), and a maximum cruise altitude of 45,000ft (13,716m). It can fly for 8 hours nonstop.
The brand-new Gulfstream G280 command-and-control aircraft (C2) has been assigned to the Philippine Air Force’s Air Mobility Command, the unit responsible for transport missions based in Mactan, Cebu.