Aircraft
Embraer Legacy 500 Makes 'Flawless' First Flight
A one-hour 45-minute first flight from Embraer's headquarters at Brazil’s São José dos Campos Airport.
The Legacy 500 achieved first flight today from Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil.
The Legacy 500 achieved first flight today from Embraer’s headquarters in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

The Embraer Legacy 500 made a “flawless” one-hour 45-minute first flight today from the aircraft manufacturer’s headquarters at Brazil’s São José dos Campos Airport, marking the beginning of the midsize jet’s flight-test program. Embraer test pilots Mozart Louzada and Eduardo Camelier, along with flight-test engineers Gustavo Paixão and Alexandre Figueiredo, flew the fly-by-wire aircraft, performing handling and performance characteristics evaluation.

As a result of the extensive use of simulation and ground testing, the aircraft was able to cover a “significant flight envelope” on the maiden flight, though the company hasn’t yet released speed or altitude data. Aircraft systems were assessed during the flight, including landing-gear retraction.