Embraer said there were no anomalies in the 2.5h first flight of a US-built Phenom 100 business jet from Melbourne International Airport, Florida, on 8 December, marking a trouble-free start for the company's first US-based production plant there.
The aircraft, owned by Missouri-based fractional provider and charter outfit Executive AirShare, flew to its maximum certificated altitude of 12,505m (41,000ft) and to its maximum cruise speed of Mach 0.7 during the post-production flight. Executive AirShare is the largest operator of Phenom 100s globally, with a fleet of 13 aircraft including the first Melbourne-built aircraft, which is to be delivered before January. As of early December, Embraer said there were 220 Phenom 100s in service.
Embraer opened the Melbourne facility to build Phenom 100s and Phenom 300s in February, inaugurating its new Global Customer Centre on the same property on 5 December.
Source: Flight International
