Phenom 100 Completes First Flight In Brazil

Embraer's Phenom 100 Very Light Jet made its first flight Thursday at the company's main facility in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil. The jet was able to take off in a pocket of clear sky as weather... has been postponing the flight for the past few days.

Vice president of Embraer's executive jets, Luis Carlos Affonso told the press Tuesday the program crew was waiting out the weather before completing high-speed runway tests.  As it turns out the crew had loftier ideas for their test once the weather cleared.

"We said we would have first flight in mid-2007, and I am happy we have made that target," Luis Carlos Affonso said.

Phenom serial number 99801 was piloted by Capt. Antonio Braganca Silva and Capt Eduardo Alves Menini. The flight test engineer onboard was Marcelo Toledo Basile.
The flight lasted for about one and half hours, during which several maneuvers were performed to test flight characteristics.

The jet left terra firma at 10:55am and was taken to an altitude of 15,000ft. The first flight was completed with the Phenom's landing gears down.

"Now that the first flight is done we will begin flight testing until May," said.
According to Embraer the flight testing will include static and fatigue tests until mid-2008. The first tests will satisfy the requirements of Brazil's National Civil Aviation Agency. Following will be certification with the FAA before entering service in mid-2008. European certification is planned for completion in the first semester of 2009.

"Because it was flown on time as per our plans it makes all the chances for first delivery in 2008," Affonso said.

Embraer has already boasted 450 firm orders for its Phenom family. Of those firm orders Embraer says a mere 20% of those orders are owner/operators.

When asked where deliveries will take place, Affonso said most of the initial deliveries will happen in Sao Paulo, Brazil. He explained that it wasn't Embraer's intention to have customers take delivery of their aircraft in Brazil. The customers have been deciding to take a vacation in Sao Paulo to pick up their aircraft.

Commenting on the shear size of the Phenom 100 as a VLJ, Affonso suggested it was "in a class of its own. It's much larger than any of the other very light jets."

FMI: www.embraerexecutivejets.com