Key takeaways
- The Falcon 8X is a stretched Falcon 7X: about 1.1 meters more cabin, more powerful engines and 6,450 nm of range.
- The fastest way to identify it: three engines at the tail – that instantly rules out the Global 7500, the Gulfstream G650 and almost every other business jet.
- The real challenge is telling it apart from the Falcon 7X. Length helps visually, but you only get certainty from the type designator FA8X or the registration.
- Legally, the 8X is a 7X variant: EASA added it to the existing type certificate in 2016.
- Good odds of a sighting at airports with plenty of business travel, such as Geneva, Zurich or Munich.
Contents
- 1.What is the Dassault Falcon 8X?
- 2.The three features that are enough to identify it
- 3.Falcon 8X, 7X, 6X or 900LX?
- 4.Falcon 8X, Global 7500 or Gulfstream G650?
- 5.Where to find the Falcon 8X
- 6.Spotting in Geneva, Zurich and Munich
- 7.Photo tips specifically for the Falcon 8X
- 8.Common mix-ups and how to rule them out
- 9.Conclusion
Profile
| Manufacturer | Dassault Aviation (France) |
|---|---|
| Family | Falcon (including Falcon 2000, 900LX, 6X, 7X, 8X) |
| ICAO type designator | FA8X |
| Basis | Development of the Falcon 7X, same type certificate |
| Unveiled | May 2014 at EBACE in Geneva |
| First flight | February 6, 2015 in Bordeaux-Mérignac |
| EASA certification | June 24, 2016 (as a sub-variant of the Falcon 7X) |
| First delivery | October 2016 |
| Engines | 3 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D, about 29.9 kN thrust each |
| Length | 24.46 m |
| Wingspan | 26.29 m |
| Height | 7.94 m |
| Cabin | about 13 m long, 2.34 m wide, 1.88 m high |
| Passengers | 12 to 16 (depending on configuration) |
| Range (manufacturer figure) | 6,450 nm, about 11,945 km (with 8 passengers) |
| Max. takeoff weight | about 33.1 t |
| Maximum speed (MMO) | Mach 0.90 |
| Max. altitude | 51,000 ft |
Identifying features
Is this really the aircraft type in front of you?
- Three engines at the tail: two mounted on the sides of the fuselage, the third in the center of the tail with its air intake on top of the fuselage ahead of the vertical stabilizer
- The horizontal stabilizer sits low at the base of the vertical stabilizer directly above the center engine – not a T-tail
- Slim, stretched fuselage with a long row of large cabin windows; about 1.1 m longer than the Falcon 7X
- Swept wing with upturned winglets
- Pointed nose and a comparatively short, low landing gear
- Listed as FA8X on tracking services; the shorter sister ship shows up as FA7X, the twin-engine Falcon 6X as FA6X
Updated: October 2026 – A white business jet taxis to the runway, and as you look at the tail you do a double take: there are not two but three engines. The third is buried in the middle of the fuselage, its air intake opening on top ahead of the vertical stabilizer. That tells you that you are looking at a large Dassault Falcon. If the fuselage is also noticeably long, there is a good chance it is the Falcon 8X – the long-range flagship among France’s trijets. Here is how to tell it from the nearly identical Falcon 7X and where in Germany, Austria and Switzerland you have a good chance of a sighting.
Check off the FA8X in your hangar
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What is the Dassault Falcon 8X?
The Falcon 8X is a three-engine, long-range business jet from Dassault Aviation, the French manufacturer that also builds the Rafale fighter. Depending on the configuration, it seats 12 to 16 passengers. The cabin is about 13 meters long, 2.34 meters wide and 1.88 meters high. Dassault quotes a range of 6,450 nautical miles, or just under 11,950 kilometers with eight passengers on board. On paper that is enough to fly nonstop from Paris to Singapore or from Geneva to the US West Coast.
Dassault unveiled the aircraft in May 2014 at EBACE in Geneva, the big European business aviation trade show. The prototype made its first flight on February 6, 2015 at Bordeaux-Mérignac. In June 2016 the European agency EASA added the 8X to the existing type certificate of the Falcon 7X, and in October 2016 the first aircraft went to a customer.
Technically, the 8X is a logical development of the Falcon 7X. At its first flight in 2005, the 7X was the first business jet with full digital fly-by-wire controls, and the 8X carries that concept over completely. On top of that come a fuselage stretched by about 1.1 meters, a reworked, lighter wing and, with the PW307D, a more powerful version of the Pratt & Whitney Canada engine. That raises the maximum permitted takeoff weight from about 31.8 to about 33.1 tonnes.
The three features that are enough to identify it
Many business jets look alike at first glance: white fuselage, engines at the tail, hardly any logos. With the Falcon 8X you are lucky that one feature rules out almost all competitors at once.
Count the engines
Two engines hang on the sides of the tail, and the third sits in the center of the rear fuselage. You can spot its air intake as an opening on top of the fuselage directly ahead of the vertical stabilizer. On current business jets, three engines almost always mean: Dassault Falcon.
Look at the tail
On the 7X and 8X, the horizontal stabilizer sits low at the base of the vertical stabilizer, directly above the exhaust of the center engine. The older Falcon 900 carries it a bit higher up the vertical stabilizer. There is no T-tail like on a Gulfstream or Bombardier.
Check length and type designator
If the fuselage is long and slim with an extended row of windows, that points to a 7X or 8X rather than a Falcon 900. The deciding factor is the type designator: FA8X on a tracking service or the registration lookup.
Dassault quotes up to 32 large cabin windows for the 8X – depending on the configuration. That is a good hint but not an exclusion criterion, because the number of windows varies with the cabin outfitting. How to read registrations and which country is behind which prefix is explained in the article Understanding aircraft registrations. You will also find all the country codes in the guide Aircraft country codes.
Practical tip: registration first, then the shot
Falcons often park on remote general aviation aprons. At every sighting, photograph the registration on the rear fuselage first – for the 7X and 8X it is the only reliable difference. Then use Planetrack to assign the sighting to a type, airport and spot.
Falcon 8X, 7X, 6X or 900LX?
The current Falcon family consists of several types that look very much alike. The table helps you sort out the large models.
| Feature | Falcon 900LX | Falcon 7X | Falcon 8X | Falcon 6X |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICAO type designator | F900 | FA7X | FA8X | FA6X |
| Engines | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Controls | conventional | Fly-by-wire | Fly-by-wire | Fly-by-wire |
| Length | shorter | 23.38 m | 24.46 m | check via registration |
| Range (manufacturer) | – | 5,950 nm | 6,450 nm | – |
The Falcon 7X is the basis of the 8X and the hardest to tell apart from the outside. Both share the tail, the engine layout and the wing planform, and the wingspan differs by only a few centimeters. The main difference is the fuselage: on the 8X it is a good meter longer. With only one aircraft in front of you, that is hard to judge reliably by eye.
The Falcon 6X is easier to rule out: it is Dassault’s large twinjet with an especially wide and tall cabin. If you see only two engines at the tail, it is not an 8X. The Falcon 900 family also has three engines but is shorter, and its horizontal stabilizer sits higher on the vertical stabilizer.
Falcon 8X, Global 7500 or Gulfstream G650?
In the segment of large long-range business jets, you mainly run into three types in Europe. The finder narrows them down with three questions.
Quick ID: large long-range business jet
Dassault Falcon 8X (or 7X)
Three engines and the low-set horizontal stabilizer are the clear mark of the large fly-by-wire Falcons. Whether it is an 8X or a 7X is settled by the type designator or the registration.
Bombardier Global 7500
Two tail engines, a T-tail and a fuselage of about 34 meters point to the big Global – it is almost ten meters longer than the Falcon 8X.
Gulfstream G650
The typical large Gulfstream oval windows and the T-tail point to the G650. Like the Global, it has only two engines.
The Bombardier Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G650 compete with the 8X for the same customers but look fundamentally different: both rely on two engines and a T-tail. The Falcon is also the smallest of the three. In return, Dassault advertises comparatively low fuel consumption and good performance on short runways. For an overview of more types, see the guide Spotting business jets.
By the way, trijets used to be common among airliners too, such as the Boeing 727-200 with three tail engines or the McDonnell Douglas MD-11 with an engine in the vertical stabilizer. In current operations, the large Falcons are the last newly built three-engine aircraft you regularly get to see.
Where to find the Falcon 8X
Business jets do not fly fixed routes. The Falcon 8X turns up wherever its owners and charter customers want to go – and that follows a rhythm of business trips, trade shows, summits and vacation seasons. Operators include charter and management companies across Europe, among them providers from Switzerland, Luxembourg and Denmark, plus companies and private owners worldwide. Air forces also use the type, for example the Indonesian Air Force for VIP transport.
Switzerland: Geneva Airport is one of the best places in Europe for Falcon fans. International organizations, banks and wealthy private clients generate plenty of business jet traffic all year round, and several 8Xs are based in Switzerland. The 8X was also unveiled here in 2014 at EBACE. Zurich Airport regularly sees a rush of large business jets around the World Economic Forum in Davos in January.
Germany: At Munich Airport, trade shows and the Security Conference in February bring additional business and government traffic. Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Hamburg also see large Falcons, although spread out over the year. You can read more about state and government aircraft in the article Spotting government aircraft.
Austria: In Salzburg and Vienna, keep an eye on festival season, the winter season and large events, when private travelers fly into the city and the ski resorts.
| Location | Hit chance | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Geneva | high | Strong business jet traffic all year, 8Xs based in Switzerland |
| Zurich (January, WEF) | high | Many long-range business jets in a short time |
| Munich | medium | Trade shows, Security Conference, business traffic |
| Salzburg, Vienna | medium | Seasonal, depending on events |
| Frankfurt, Hamburg, Düsseldorf | low to medium | Irregular single arrivals |
No schedules, plenty of surprises
Business jets are not in the published schedule, and some operators have their data filtered on tracking services. Plan with probabilities instead of fixed times and keep checking for FA8X during your session.
How to follow flights live and what ADS-B data reveals is explained in the guide to Flight tracking with ADS-B. Which apps are up to the job is compared in the article Flight tracker apps compared.
Never miss a Falcon again
Set up a sighting alert for the FA8X type or for individual registrations – Planetrack notifies you as soon as a Falcon 8X is on approach or has landed. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist.
Spotting in Geneva, Zurich and Munich
In Geneva, the observation deck is the obvious starting point. The airport has only one main runway, so every business jet necessarily passes the same spot.
In Zurich, the Butzenbüel and observation deck B are good places to start. In Munich, the visitors’ hill offers a good view of the apron and runways, and in Salzburg the observation deck. Which runway is in use depends on wind and operating hours – how to estimate the runway direction in use in advance is explained in the article Understanding runway direction at airports.
Ready for the Falcon hunt?
- I checked whether a major event is taking place at the target airport right now.
- I have a tracking service open with a filter on FA8X.
- I know the likely runway direction in use.
- My vantage point is publicly accessible and permitted.
- I brought enough focal length for aircraft on distant aprons.
Whether your vantage point is legally unproblematic is covered in the article Is plane spotting legal?. Especially during summits and state visits, extended security areas apply on some days – follow barriers and instructions.
Photo tips specifically for the Falcon 8X
At just under 24.5 meters long, the Falcon 8X is smaller than any airliner. For photos that means: more focal length, and the tail deserves special attention.
Plan for more focal length
To fill the frame you need much more focal length than for airliners – especially when the aircraft is parked on a distant GA apron. Which lenses are suitable is covered in the guide Focal length for plane spotting.
Show the tail
The identifying feature is the three engines. A slightly angled view from behind, or a side profile with the air intake visible on the fuselage, makes the Falcon unmistakable in the photo.
White needs light behind you
Most 8Xs are painted almost entirely white. Shooting into the sun, they lose all detail; with the sun at your back, windows and lines stay visible. Tend to expose a bit darker.
Short landing roll
The 8X comes in at a low approach speed and slows down quickly. Be ready for the landing before it disappears behind buildings or hangars.
You can calculate in advance when the light suits your spot – the guide Planning the sun position for your photo spot shows how. What gear you need is covered in the Plane spotting gear checklist. Other rarities and how to find them are covered in the article Spotting rare aircraft.
Common mix-ups and how to rule them out
It points to the Falcon 8X if …
- you can see three engines at the tail, one of them in the center of the fuselage
- the horizontal stabilizer sits low at the base of the vertical stabilizer
- the fuselage looks long and slim, with a long row of windows
- the tracking service shows FA8X as the type
Take a closer look if …
- everything fits but you have no type designator – then it could also be a Falcon 7X
- the aircraft looks shorter and the horizontal stabilizer sits a bit higher – then more likely a Falcon 900
- you only see it from far away on the apron
It is not a Falcon 8X if …
- you see only two engines – then it is something like a Falcon 6X, a Global or a Gulfstream
- you see a T-tail
- the engines hang under the wings – then it is an airliner like the Embraer E190
- there is a propeller up front – as on the Pilatus PC-12
If you are interested in the system behind type designators like FA8X, the article IATA and ICAO codes explained explains how the abbreviations are built.
Conclusion
The Falcon 8X is one of the easiest business jets to recognize – and at the same time one of the trickiest. Three engines at the tail rule out almost all competitors, but the Falcon 7X looks confusingly similar. If you are in the right place at the right time, for example in Geneva on a normal weekday or in Zurich during the WEF, you have good chances. You can confirm the sighting through the type designator FA8X and the registration.
In brief
Three tail engines, a low-set horizontal stabilizer and a long, slim fuselage: that is a large Falcon. Whether it is an 8X or a 7X is decided by the type designator – if you are searching deliberately, filter for FA8X and plan airports like Geneva, Zurich and Munich.
Summary
- Dassault unveiled the Falcon 8X in May 2014, the first flight followed in February 2015, and the first aircraft went to a customer in October 2016.
- It takes over the wing planform, fly-by-wire controls and trijet layout of the Falcon 7X, but gets a longer fuselage and more powerful PW307D engines.
- Three tail engines set it apart from almost all competitors; fuselage length and the type designator FA8X set it apart from the Falcon 7X.
- Besides private and charter operators, air forces also use the type; France is having a military reconnaissance version, the Falcon 8X Archange, developed.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ICAO type designator of the Falcon 8X?
The Falcon 8X is listed as FA8X. Its sister ships have their own codes: the Falcon 7X appears as FA7X, the twin-engine Falcon 6X as FA6X, and the Falcon 900 family as F900. So FA8X lets you filter specifically for the long version on tracking services.
How do I tell the Falcon 8X from the Falcon 7X?
This is the hardest task with this type. Both have three tail engines, the same tail and almost the same wing. At 24.46 meters, the 8X is about a meter longer than the 7X and has a correspondingly longer row of windows. Without a side-by-side comparison that is hard to see – you only get certainty from the type designator on a tracking service or a registration lookup.
Why does the Falcon 8X have three engines?
Dassault has traditionally used three engines on its large Falcons, ever since the Falcon 50 and the Falcon 900. The manufacturer cites flexibility on long routes over water and remote areas, as well as good performance on short runways. The newer Falcon 6X shows, however, that Dassault now builds large twinjets as well.
Which engines does the Falcon 8X have?
Three Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307D engines. According to Dassault, each delivers about 6,700 lbf, or just under 30 kilonewtons of thrust – slightly more than the PW307A of the Falcon 7X.
How do I tell the Falcon 8X from the Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G650?
Count the engines. The Bombardier Global 7500 and the Gulfstream G650 have two engines and a T-tail. The Falcon 8X has three engines, and its horizontal stabilizer sits low on the vertical stabilizer. At just under 24.5 meters it is also much shorter than the Global 7500.
What is the Falcon 8X Archange?
A military version for the French Air and Space Force, developed for electronic and signals intelligence. Additional antennas and fairings on the fuselage set it apart from civilian 8Xs. Two aircraft are on order, with a third planned.
Can the Falcon 8X land on short runways?
Dassault quotes a typical landing distance of about 680 meters and names London City Airport, with its short runway, as a departure point for nonstop flights to places like Chicago. For spotters that means the 8X shows up not only at large hubs but also at smaller airfields.
Collect the Dassault Falcon 8X, don’t just see it
Post a photo with registration, type, airport and spot, check off the type in your hangar and get an alert when a registration you are looking for lands. Planetrack is launching soon – join the waitlist and get early access.
Related aircraft types
Bombardier Global 7500
Two engines at the rear, a T-tail and a fuselage as long as a small regional jet: the Global 7500 is one of the largest business jets in the world. Here is how to spot it.
Business jetGulfstream G650/G650ER
Huge oval windows, two engines at the tail and a fuselage full of confidence: the Gulfstream G650 is the business jet spotters recognize fastest. Here is how to identify it with certainty.
TurbopropPilatus PC-12
A single turboprop up front, a tall T-tail and a huge cargo door at the rear left: the Swiss Pilatus PC-12 is a business aircraft, air ambulance and workhorse in one. Here is how to recognize it.
HistoricBoeing 727-200
Three engines at the rear, a T-tail and a staircase in the tail cone: the 727-200 was one of the most-produced jets of its time. Today it is a true rarity – here is how to recognize it and what your chances are.
FreighterMcDonnell Douglas MD-11
Three engines, winglets and an engine in the middle of the vertical stabilizer: the MD-11 was the last big trijet and today flies almost only as a freighter. Here is how to recognize it, how to tell it from the DC-10 and what your chances are after the 2025 grounding.
Regional jetEmbraer E190
The regional jet with mid-haul comfort: the E190 puts around 100 passengers in the air in a 2+2 cabin with no middle seat – and is often mistaken for its successor, the E190-E2.
Related airports & manufacturers
Airports, manufacturers, airline groups and alliances – who is behind them and what you should know as a spotter.
Dassault Aviation
Dassault Aviation builds fighter jets and the Falcon family of business jets in France. For spotters, that means Rafales at air shows and military airfields, Falcons at every larger airport with business travel – and a few features at the tail let you tell the models apart with confidence.
AirportGeneva Airport
Switzerland’s second-largest airport has just one runway – but the longest in the country. Geneva lives on easyJet, SWISS and one of Europe’s strongest business aviation scenes. With the free Panorama terrace and the train station right at the terminal, it is also one of Switzerland’s most convenient spotting destinations.
AirportZurich Airport
Switzerland’s largest airport has three runways in three directions, an operating concept that changes with the time of day and the weather, and an official network of spotting points around the fence. If you know the concepts, you almost always stand in the right place in Zurich.
AirportMunich Airport
Germany’s second-largest airport and Lufthansa’s second hub: two parallel 4,000-meter runways in the Erdinger Moos, a Terminal 2 just for Lufthansa and Star Alliance – and, with the visitors’ park, one of the most convenient spotting places in the country.
Where to see the Dassault Falcon 8X
Specific vantage points with the runway configuration, light times, coordinates and an honest take on whether the trip is worth it.
Observation terrace at Geneva Airport
On the fourth floor of Terminal 1 you look over the apron onto Switzerland’s longest runway and the Jura range behind it. The Terrasse Panorama costs nothing, you get in without security screening – and thanks to business aviation, an easyJet base and long-haul guests it is rarely boring. The only catch: it is open only from mid-March to the end of October.
Spotting hillButzenbüel and the spotter hill at Zurich Airport
The classic spotter hill at the Heligrill on the west side of Zurich Airport has been gone since September 2023, and the Butzenbüel is a park hill behind The Circle – not a spotter point. Here you learn what is going on with both places and where you can legally spot today in the west and around the fence.
Observation deckObservation Deck B at Zurich Airport
On the roof of Dock B you stand in the middle of the action at Switzerland’s largest airport: SWISS long-haul, taxiing traffic right below you and heavy takeoffs on the longest runway. Probably Switzerland’s best-known legal spotting place – with security screening, admission and clear rules.
Spotting hillMunich Airport visitors’ hill (Besucherhügel)
The best-known vantage point at Lufthansa’s Munich hub: from the visitors’ hill in the Besucherpark you look out over the airport grounds from above – with its own S-Bahn stop right next door.
Related guides from the blog
- Spotting business jets: how to identify Gulfstream, Global, Falcon and more
- Spotting government aircraft: how to catch state jets without a flight plan
- Flight tracking for spotters: using ADS-B, Flightradar and more
- Aircraft registrations explained: how to read any tail number
- Spotting rare aircraft: unicorns, first visits and ferry flights
- IATA and ICAO codes explained: decoding airports, airlines and aircraft types