Business & GA

Flight International has learned that Embraer has completed type rating training for several US-based Phenom 100 owners in two Brazilian-registered Phenom 100s operating on experimental type certificates. The training is taking place at the Fort Worth Alliance airport in advance of deliveries that owners Flight contacted say will take place no sooner than the second or third week of December. Embraer maintains the twin-jet will be certified by the end of the November.

Originally slated to complete its simultaneous Brazilian and FAA certification in the summer, issues with the aircraft’s seats, flap control software and additional icing testing required by the FAA have drawn out the effort. Embraer in its most recent earnings report committed to delivering 10 Phenom 100s this year and between 120 and 150 Phenom 100s and Phenom 300 light jets next year, though the company is revisiting its ability to deliver that many aircraft in light of the delay.

Embraer had planned to complete pilot certifications in a CAE-built full-flight simulator under the Embraer-CAE joint venture training program headquartered in Dallas, but the simulator will not be ready until early 2009. As such, Embraer confirms that the first owners have received their type ratings in the Alliance-based “pre-production” aircraft, a practice not uncommon for business jet manufacturers.