A Gulfstream G650ER—the extended-range version of the company’s popular top-of-the-line G650 business jet—recently completed a global circumnavigation in about 25 hours, stopping only once to refuel. During the trip, the aircraft set two city-pair speed records—from White Plains, N.Y., to Beijing, and from Beijing to the Gulfstream headquarters in Savannah, Ga.

The jet took off from White Plains with three passengers and four crew, traveling east to take advantage of prevailing westerly winds. It flew acros…