Embraer Phenom 300e private jet flight: tour, review, photos

The Embraer Phenom 300E and me!Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

• The Embraer Phenom 300E made its world debut last October at the National Business Aviation Association conference and exhibition in Las Vegas.
• The updated 300E builds on the success of the original Phenom 300 that entered service in 2010. 
• Since 2013, the Phenom 300 has been the most delivered private jet in the world. 
• The Phenom 300E has room for as many as 10 passengers and can fly more than 2,200 miles.
• The Embraer Phenom 300E costs $9.45 million while most customers end up paying around $10 million.

The Embraer Phenom 300 has been an unqualified success since its debut in 2010. Over the past half-decade, more customers have taken delivery of the Phenom 300 than any other private jet in the world. According to Embraer, it has delivered more than 400 of the planes to customers in roughly 40 countries around the world. 

In October 2017, Embraer unveiled an updated version of the plane called the Phenom 300E at the 2017 National Business Aviation Association conference and exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada.

In case you’re wondering, the “E” in 300E stands for enhanced. It’s in reference to the extra dose of technology and luxury Embraer baked into its new plane.

The Phenom 300E enters the light business jet segment to some stiff competition from traditional stalwarts like Textron’s Cessna Citation CJ3+ and Bombardier’s Learjet 70. There are even new entrants like Switzerland’s Pilatus PC-24. 

Even though Embraer is a renowned Brazilian planemaker, the company builds its dedicated private jets like the Phenom and Legacy 500 at its facility in Melbourne, Florida. It’s larger, commercial airliner-derived private jets like the Legacy 650E and the Lineage 1000E will continue to be produced in Brazil. 

Earlier this year, Business Insider got the chance to experience the Phenom 300E in person on a short a demo flight from Teterboro Airport in New Jersey to White Plains in New York. 

Teterboro is also where we checked out the $20 million Embraer Legacy 500 last year. 

Here’s a closer look at the new Embraer Phenom 300E:

Here’s a nice view of Connecticut from the plane as we turn south to land in White Plains, New York.

Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider

The Phenom 300E can fly as high as 45,000 feet. From take off until 27,050 feet of altitude, the Phenom’s cabin is pressurized to mimic the conditions at sea level. Above that, it’s pressurized to the equivalent of 6,600 feet. Most commercial airliners are pressurized to 8,000 feet while new carbon composite jets like the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 are pressurized to around 6,000 feet.