Lombardo covers business aviation maintenance-related issues. He is also a writer and on-air reporter for AINtv. He has over 3000 articles published and is the author of several books on aircraft systems for pilots and on the topic of flight simulation.
He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in education from the University of Illinois, has taught aviation for over 35 years in industry and as a university professor and academic dean at three different universities. He is also a frequent seminar and after-dinner motivational speaker.&nbsp;
Lombardo holds an A&amp;P Certificate, ATP, CFI and Ground Instructor ratings. He was a corporate pilot and was a research pilot and flight instructor at the University of Illinois. An FAA Safety Counselor for over 25 years, he was one of the original 13 Counselors appointed to the FAA’s Airworthiness Safety Program for maintenance technicians.&nbsp;

Contributor

David A. Lombardo

Embraer has a Legacy 600 on display at Asian Aerospace for the first time. Yesterday the company capitalized on the occasion by announcing two more Legacy 600 business aircraft have been sold in the Asian market.&nbsp; Both aircraft will be delivered to customers in Indonesia this year–one to Jakarta-based PT Ekspres Transportasi Antarbenua (Premiair) and the second to an undisclosed company. 

“With out southeast Asian customers expanding their business into the Middle East and China, the Legacy 600 gives us the cabin and range to support these longer missions while still maintaining a price point acceptable to a nascent corporate aircraft market,” Fritz Simandjuntak, managing director of Premiair, said. The latest sales bring the total number of Legacy 600 aircraft in the region to eight. 

Priced at $23.6 million, the Legacy 600 provides first-class comfort and privacy for up to 16 passengers depending upon configuration. It also features a full-size galley, lavatory and spacious 242-cu-ft baggage compartment. The high-end entertainment system includes DVD players, satellite telecommunications, high-speed data and wireless fidelity (wi-fi). The aircraft cruises at up to Mach 0.80 and has a range of 3,250 nm with eight passengers. NBAA IFR reserves giving it the legs to fly those long trips nonstop. 

“We see great potential for the business jet market in China, Asia/Pacific and the Indian subcontinent in light of the relatively small fleet in the region compared to its GDP,” said Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer’s senior vice president for Executive Aviation.&nbsp; “We expect the region to account for deliveries of 250 business jets over the next decade at an average growth rate of 9.1 percent each year, totaling $2.8 billion by 2015.” The company has established sales offices in Beijing and Singapore. 

According to Affonso market growth is fueled by export-driven economies, Japan’s recovery, China’s exports and investment-led economy as well as India’s service and manufacturing sectors’ boom. 

The company also confirmed that the new Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 jets are on track. According to Affonso, the company will cut metal on the Phenom 100 during the second quarter of this year with an eye towards first flight the second quarter of 2007. The aircraft is slated to be a four-passenger, club-seating configuration powered by two Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada PW617F engines. The powerplants will deliver 1,615 pounds of thrust each, providing a 1,160-nm range with NBAA IFR reserves and a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.7. The aircraft is currently priced at $2.75 million (2005 economic conditions) and expected to enter service in mid-2008. 

Embraer has yet to announce a timetable for the larger Phenom 300 but continues to predict it will enter service in mid-2009. Configured for a maximum of nine passengers, the aircraft is slated for $6.65 million based on 2005 economic conditions. Powered by P&amp;WC PW535E engines with 3,200 pounds of thrust each, it will have a maximum range of 1,800 nm (NBAA IFR reserves) with six persons onboard and a maximum operating speed of Mach 0.78.

Two Legacy 600s go to Indonesia

Embraer has a Legacy 600 on display at Asian Aerospace for the first time.

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