Embraer Phenom 300

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June 2010 — Like every other aviation journalist, I've been watching the development of the Embraer Phenom 300 for a few years now, and the more I've learned about the emerging light jet, the more I've come to appreciate just what an innovative airplane it is. It is, in essence, Embraer's attempt to stretch the limits of the light jet segment by creating an airplane with best-in-class performance, comfort and utility while keeping operating costs at turboprop levels. And the airplane itself, which I'd seen but not flown, is a thing of beauty.

Embraer Lineage 1000

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The very busy Teterboro Airport in New Jersey just a few miles west of Manhattan has had a 100,000-pound aircraft weight limit in place since the 1960s, and that has effectively kept the Boeing and Airbus business jets from operating there. But the Embraer Lineage 1000, a business-jet version of the 190 airliner, can meet the Teterboro restrictions.

Following certification in mid-December, Embraer Executive Aircraft delivered the first customer Phenom 300 business jet before year end. The timing enabled Tug Hill, Inc., a Texas-based oil and gas investment firm, to qualify for bonus tax depreciation on aircraft delivered in 2009. The Phenom 300, serial number 5, replaces a Cessna Conquest I twin turboprop previously operated by Tug Hill Aviation, the privately held company's affiliated flight operation.