Embraer Picks Mesa, AZ for New Phenom Center
Embraer (ERJ) broke ground for a new executive jet service center in Mesa, AZ. The facility is scheduled for completion in mid-2008 and will be one of three locations in the U.S. dedicated to full service care for the Phenom 100, Phenom 300 and Legacy 600 executive jets. Partners in the 45,000-square-foot facility, which is expected to create 60 jobs, include the State of Arizona, the Williams Gateway Airport Authority (WGAA), and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC). The new facility will consist of a hangar, workshops and office space, for an estimated investment of $8 million. The facility will be one of three in the US including sites at Fort Lauderdale and Bradley International Airport in Hartford. The investment for all three new facilities will total approximately US$ 40 million.

Mexican Air Taxi Takes Lineage
Grupo Omnilife de México ordered an Embraer Lineage 1000 jet. The new aircraft will be operated by the company’s air taxi services subsidiary, Omniflys.
With this order, Grupo Omnilife becomes the first customer of Embraer’s ultra-large executive jet in Mexico. The company is scheduled to take delivery of the aircraft in December 2009. The Lineage 1000 is the fourth and the largest member of Embraer’s growing executive jet portfolio and is expected to enter service in mid-2008.
Begun as Omnitrition de México in 1991, but changed its name to Omnilife de México in January 2001, the company offers a series of goods and services and is responsible for providing the support for the commercialization of products through the national distribution centers, telemarketing and mobile distribution centers. Grupo Omnilife has more than 86 distribution centers in Mexico, in addition to 97 others in 19 countries, and will start operations in Brazil at the end of this year.

Phenom 100 Readies for First Flight
Embraer is currently performing the ground tests for the Phenom 100 very light jet, in preparation for its first flight. Progress is steady as engineering teams confirm the design quality of the aircraft and test the functionalities and integration of its systems. These tests are an integral part of the quality program. The first test conducted was the engine run, when the Phenom’s Pratt & Whitney Canada engines were powered up after being mounted on the aircraft. The Ground Vibration Test (GVT) is designed to validate the aero-elastic model of the aircraft. During the test, the aircraft is suspended with elastic cables in order to float as if in flight.
Flight controls will be tested for flexibility, validating the primary control systems. The entire circuit of cables and brackets will be tested with a full surface load on the ailerons, rudder and elevator, confirming attrition and deflection conditions and no jamming.
Systems functionality and integration are the object of the main group of ground tests. All systems are evaluated both individually and jointly, confirming the aircraft’s operational capabilities, from taxiing through the first flight. The engines are powered up, in order to generate and distribute electricity to all systems. The gyromagnetic compass, Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Attitude and Heading Reference Systems (AHRS) will be verified. System failure simulations will be performed to guarantee the safety of the aircraft during its first flight. Electromagnetic interferences will be applied to the aircraft to ensure accurate systems operation. Finally, the test crew will perform low and high-speed taxi runs to confirm controllability of the steering, braking and emergency systems on the ground.