Elon Musk's Gulfstream G650ER N628TS flies from Austin to Harlingen in 46 minutes

Elon Musk's Gulfstream G650ER, tail number N628TS, flew from Austin Bergstrom International Airport (KAUS) to Valley International Airport (KHRL) in Harlingen, Texas, on Tuesday, October 20, 2026. The aircraft departed Austin at 13:23 UTC and landed at 14:10 UTC, spending 46 minutes in the air. The great-circle distance between the two airports is 221 nautical miles, or 254 miles.

The flight covered 221 nm at an average ground speed of 286 knots, reaching a top ground speed of 513 knots and a highest altitude of 28,000 feet. The aircraft burned an estimated 363 US gallons of fuel, producing about 3,492 kilograms of CO2, roughly the same as driving a car 8,643 miles. The Gulfstream G650ER is an ultra long range jet with a range of 7,500 nm, a top speed of Mach 0.925, a ceiling of 51,000 feet, and seating for up to 19 passengers.

This was the third landing by one of Elon Musk's aircraft at Harlingen in the tracked window from October 3 to October 19, 2026. The last landing at Harlingen was on October 12, 2026, by the Gulfstream G550 N272BG. Elon Musk's home base is Austin Bergstrom International Airport, and his usual destinations include Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport, Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, and Los Angeles International Airport. In the 30 days before this flight, his fleet of five Gulfstreams visited 24 airports in 4 countries and flew about 60,592 nm.

Valley International Airport in Harlingen is about 30 miles from Starbase, the SpaceX launch facility where Musk maintains a residence. The brief flight from Austin to Harlingen is consistent with a trip to the Starbase facility, which has been a frequent destination for Musk's aircraft.

No public events or meetings tied to Elon Musk or his companies were reported near Harlingen on the day of this flight. The aircraft had been on the ground at Austin for about 21 hours before departing for Harlingen, following a previous tracked landing on October 19, 2026. The flight used only 3 percent of the G650ER's range, reflecting the short distance between Musk's home base and his Texas workspace.

The Gulfstream G650ER N628TS has a tail number that nods to Elon Musk's June 28 birthday. The aircraft is registered through Falcon Landing LLC. The fleet also includes a Gulfstream G800 delivered in February 2025.

Valley International Airport in Harlingen has a longest runway of 9,400 feet at an elevation of 36 feet. Austin Bergstrom International Airport has a longest runway of 12,250 feet at an elevation of 542 feet. The distance from Musk's home base to Harlingen is 238 nautical miles.

In the 30 days before this flight, the most common destination for Musk's aircraft was Los Angeles International Airport with eight landings. The longest leg in that window was a 6,016-nautical-mile flight from San Jose to Denizli on October 3, 2026, by the same Gulfstream G650ER.

The Gulfstream G650ER N628TS is the primary aircraft in Musk's five-jet fleet, which also includes a Gulfstream G800, two Gulfstream G550s, and a Gulfstream G450. The fleet is registered through Falcon Landing LLC. This flight adds to a busy month for Musk's aircraft, which logged 39 flights and 131.9 hours in the air in the 30 days prior.