The first Phenom 300E outfitted with the Bossa Nova interior design has been delivered to Joe Howley, co-founder of Patient Airlift Services (PALS). The first Phenom 300E was delivered around two months ago.
Announced simultaneously with the new, enhanced Phenom 300E, the optional Bossa Nova edition interior for the light jet was named for the Brazilian style of jazz music. Portuguese for ‘new trend’, Bossa Nova encompasses a package of Embraer’s latest interior developments, with features including carbon fibre accents and Embraer’s Ipanema sew style. It’s also the first of the Phenom 300 series to feature piano black surfaces. The Bossa Nova interior was first introduced with the debut of the Phenom 300E’s larger siblings, the Praetor 500 and Praetor 600, and won best design in the 2019 International Yacht & Aviation Awards.
PALS was established in 2010 by a group of pilots in the northeast USA. In conjunction with the organisation’s 10-year anniversary, Howley took delivery of a new Phenom 300E at a ceremony held at Embraer’s Global Customer Center in Melbourne, Florida. The aircraft will be used to advance the organisation’s mission to arrange free transportation for individuals requiring medical diagnosis, treatment or follow-up who cannot afford or are unable to fly commercially. “PALS is an organisation of volunteer pilots who choose to dedicate their time and resources to serving families struggling through the hardest times in their lives,” said Howley. “To further serve the PALS mission, I am excited to take delivery of this single-pilot-certified aircraft in order to provide the speed, passenger comfort and flexibility our valued passengers deserve.”
“We are humbled knowing the Phenom 300E will aid the vital role served by PALS, and we know its passengers will be well-served by the best cabin environment and lowest cabin altitude in the light jet class,” said Michael Amalfitano, president and CEO of Embraer Executive Jets.
“Mr Howley and I immediately bonded over compelling stories, and we got immersed discussing the inspirations for the Bossa Nova interior, but I can’t imagine a better story than that of PALS,” said Jay Beever, vice president of Embraer Design Operations. “Especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, PALS is playing an invaluable role in people’s lives, and we are honoured Mr Howley has selected the Phenom 300E to help serve this most honourable mission.”
Other enhancements made with the Phenom 300E include the addition of 4G connectivity via Gogo Avance L5, cabin sound improvements, more cockpit legroom, and avionics upgrades including a runway overrun awareness and alerting system (ROAAS), predictive windshear, Emergency Descent Mode, PERF, TOLD and FAA Datacom. The aircraft is capable of reaching Mach 0.80, and delivering high-speed cruise of 464 knots with a five-occupant range of 2,010 nautical miles (3,724km) with NBAA IFR reserves.
