Embraer Phenom 100: how 135 jets are really flown
The busiest 5% made more than 20 flights a month and the quietest 5% fewer than 2: over ten times as many, on the same type.
The hardest-worked 5% log 20 flights a month or more; the easiest-used, 2 or less. The middle aircraft sits at 5.
The harder end, one aircraft in twenty, is at 3,526 ft or more; the easier end at 901 ft or less.
One in twenty flies short hops on 86% or more of its legs; at the easier end it is 17% or less.
Fatigue
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
The middle Phenom 100 flies 1.2 hours for every landing. One in twenty lands every 0.8 hours or sooner, the most cycles for its time.
Middle half 1.0–1.5 : 1Harder end: 5% at 0.8 : 1 or lessEasier end: 5% at 1.8 : 1 or more
Middle half 36–68%Harder end: 5% at 86% or moreEasier end: 5% at 17% or less
Middle half 207–402 nmLowest 5%: 151 nm or lessHighest 5%: 578 nm or more
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Spread of trip lengths
All 135 Phenom 100sThe data behind it
Every measure for the 135 North America Phenom 100s, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.2 : 1 | 1.0–1.5 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 50% | 36–68% |
| Leg length Median leg | 297 nm | 207–402 nm |
Corrosion
What the air around it does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
The middle Phenom 100 spends 0% of its nights within 2 km of the coast. One in twenty spends 19% or more of them there.
Middle half 0–3%Harder end: 5% at 19% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 5.4–9.2 hHarder end: 5% at 11.1 h or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.4 h or less
Middle half 0–10%Harder end: 5% at 21% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Salt air across the fleet
77 Phenom 100sThe data behind it
Every measure for the 77 of the 135 North America Phenom 100s with enough nights at known fields, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (4 on their record since 1 Jan 2025: too few in the 12 months).| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 0% | 0–3% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 3% | 0–26% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.8 h | 5.4–9.2 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 2% | 0–10% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 10.0 g/m³ | 9.0–12.3 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
The middle Phenom 100 leaves from a short runway on 2% of its departures. One in twenty does on 9% or more.
Middle half 0–4%Harder end: 5% at 9% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 0–9%Harder end: 5% at 34% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 1,371–2,183 ftHarder end: 5% at 3,526 ft or moreEasier end: 5% at 901 ft or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Runway margin at departure
9,404 departuresThe data behind it
Every measure for the 135 North America Phenom 100s, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (2 on their record since 1 Jan 2025: too few departures in the 12 months).| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 2% | 0–4% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 2% | 0–9% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,654 ft | 1,371–2,183 ft |
Utilization
How steadily the fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
The middle Phenom 100 made 5 flights a month. The busiest 5% made 20 or more, the quietest 2 or fewer.
Middle half 3.3–7.0Harder end: 5% at 19.8 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.4 or less
Middle half 2.5–5.0Harder end: 5% at 11.2 or moreEasier end: 5% at 1.8 or less
Middle half 50–101 hHarder end: 5% at ≈253 h or moreEasier end: 5% at ≈34 h or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Month by month
12 monthsMedian flights per aircraft that flew that month · darker bar is the busiest month, April 2026
The data behind it
Every measure for the 135 North America Phenom 100s, every active aircraft (no 40% tracking floor here: on this type it would change which aircraft are compared, not just drop undercounted ones), 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 4.5 | 3.3–7.0 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 3.2 | 2.5–5.0 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈67 h | 50–101 h |
Buying, selling or financing a Phenom 100?
See where your Phenom 100 sits in the fleet.
Enter a tail number to place it against these 135 aircraft. TailCheck grades it on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization, with every percentile shown.
Where Phenom 100s are based and fly
Austin-Bergstrom is home to more Phenom 100s than any other field, 5 of the 100 with a home base.
Moffett Federal–Van Nuys is the busiest route: 103 flights by 4 different aircraft.
Where Phenom 100s are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Austin-Bergstrom | 5 | |
| Van Nuys | 4 | |
| Drake | 3 | |
| Sarasota / Bradenton | 3 | |
| Del Norte | 3 | |
| Charlotte Douglas | 2 |
Busiest Phenom 100 routes
| Between | Flights |
|---|---|
| Moffett Federal ⇄ Van Nuys | 103 flights |
| San Antonio ⇄ Del Norte | 68 |
| McCarran ⇄ Van Nuys | 53 |
| Austin-Bergstrom ⇄ Dallas Love | 46 |
| Hayward Air Terminal ⇄ Van Nuys | 44 |
| Oakland ⇄ Van Nuys | 41 |
Longest Phenom 100 flights
| Between | Distance · time |
|---|---|
| Rhinelander-Oneida → Palm Beach | 1,223 nm · 3 h 59 min |
| Dallas Love → Teterboro | 1,191 nm · 4 h 21 min |
| Hayward Air Terminal → Lincoln | 1,190 nm · 3 h 18 min |
| Santa Monica → David Wayne Hooks Memorial | 1,187 nm · 4 h 30 min |
| King → Lincoln | 1,164 nm · 2 h 50 min |
Busiest Phenom 100s this year
The busiest Phenom 100 made 49 flights a month, nine times the middle aircraft.
Even the tenth on this list made 18.
Ranked by flights a month · updated monthly
| # | Tail | Base | Flights a month | Estimated hours a year | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N175EM | Van Nuys | 49 | 548 h | Check this tail → |
| 2 | N298TX | — | 27 | 403 h | Check this tail → |
| 3 | N628AL | Westchester | 25 | 279 h | Check this tail → |
| 4 | N876JC | Van Nuys | 24 | 340 h | Check this tail → |
| 5 | N623DT | Westchester | 23 | 259 h | Check this tail → |
| 6 | N710SC | McClellan-Palomar | 21 | 285 h | Check this tail → |
| 7 | N316N | — | 20 | 242 h | Check this tail → |
| 8 | N717RS | Jack Northrop /Hawthorne | 20 | 273 h | Check this tail → |
| 9 | N356N | — | 20 | 250 h | Check this tail → |
| 10 | N7HC | Witham | 18 | 229 h | Check this tail → |
Phenom 100 vs other aircraft of its size
Medians for each North America fleet, same window and method.
Of the 4 types in its size group, it flies most often.
| Type | Tracked | Flights a month | Hours a year | Median leg | Hours per landing | Short hops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Embraer Phenom 100 | 135 | 4.5 | 67 h | 297 nm | 1.2 : 1 | 50% |
| Cirrus Vision Jet SF50 | 461 | 4.2 | 71 h | 262 nm | 1.3 : 1 | 56% |
| Cessna Citation Mustang | 173 | 3.8 | 63 h | 290 nm | 1.3 : 1 | 52% |
| Eclipse 550 | 75 | 3.8 | 56 h | 281 nm | 1.2 : 1 | 54% |
Phenom 100 vs Citation Mustang →Phenom 100 vs Phenom 300 →Phenom 100 vs HondaJet HA-420 →
Do older Phenom 100s fly differently?
Age makes little difference: by year built, the median Phenom 100 in each band flew between 65 and 70 estimated hours a year.
Show the tableHide the table
| Serial block | Built | Tracked | Hours a year | Median leg | Short hops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 000168–50000220 | 2008–10 | 68 | 70 h | 284 nm | 51% |
| 50000214–50500902 | 2011–25 | 61 | 65 h | 304 nm | 49% |
US-registered aircraft only: the FAA registry gives serial number and year of manufacture for 129 of the 135 we track. Built = year of manufacture. Avionics upgrades are fitted by modification and the registry doesn’t show them, so check an aircraft’s records.
What the Phenom 100’s certification file says
Regulators publish an operational evaluation for each type: how pilots must be rated and trained, and what training must stress.
Here is what the Phenom 100 files say, each item with its source.
Crewing a Phenom 100
| Item | What the file says |
|---|---|
| Type rating | EPHN (single pilot) / EPHN/D (two-pilot operation), covering the EMB-500 (Phenom 100/100E/100EV) and EMB-505 (Phenom 300)ANAC OER Revision 15, p.13 |
| Minimum crew | 1 pilotEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.157 Issue 9, p.9 |
Sources
| Document | Revision |
|---|---|
| EASA TCDS IM.A.157 — Embraer EMB-500 | EASA · Issue 9 · 19 Jun 2026 |
| ANAC Operational Evaluation Report — Embraer EMB-500, EMB-505 | ANAC · Revision 15 |
Chartering a Phenom 100
25 of the 135 North America Phenom 100s we track are on our charter list (19%).
Charter aircraft flew a median 126 estimated hours a year on 12 flights a month; the rest flew 65 hours on 4.
Where charter Phenom 100s are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| McClellan-Palomar | 2 | |
| Westchester | 2 | |
| Cape Girardeau | 1 | |
| Charlotte Douglas | 1 | |
| Dallas Love | 1 | |
| Owensboro-Daviess | 1 |
Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft. No charter rates: prices depend on the operator and the trip. Check a specific aircraft’s record with its tail number before you book.
Phenom 100 questions
How many hours a year does a Phenom 100 fly?
The median North America Phenom 100 flies about 67 estimated hours a year; the middle half sits between 50 and 101. About 1 in 20 flies more than 253.
How often does a Phenom 100 fly?
5 flights a month on 3 flying days at the median. About 1 in 20 makes more than 20 flights a month.
How long is a typical Phenom 100 flight?
The median leg is 297 nm. About 1 in 20 aircraft average more than 578 nm a leg.
How often do Phenom 100 aircraft use short runways?
At the median, 2% of departures are from fields whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the type’s takeoff distance. About 1 in 20 keep it to 0% or less.
Is a high-hours Phenom 100 a bad buy?
Not by itself. High hours on long legs are gentler on the structure than the same hours on short hops. Look at hours per landing and short-hop share alongside hours.
Where are most Phenom 100 aircraft based?
In North America, Austin-Bergstrom is home to the most, followed by Van Nuys and Drake. A base is the field an aircraft touches on most of its flying days, month after month.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Embraer Phenom 100 fleet statistics.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/aircraft/embraer/phenom-100
Method: Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft with most departures in North America and at least 20 tracked flights in the latest twelve full months. Flight measures, bases, routes and rankings use ADS-B tracking 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; corrosion and engines-and-brakes exposure use the same twelve months, or an aircraft’s record since 1 Jan 2025 when it had too few nights or departures in them. Estimated hours from time in the air. Tracking misses some flights, so counts and hours are minimums. ADS-B coverage grew over the window, so we don’t compare one year with the last. Tracking can’t tell one variant from another; the variant split, the busiest table’s variants and the age table use the FAA registry, so they cover US-registered aircraft only. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Corrosion measures cover the aircraft we can place on enough nights. Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft. About our data