Premier I vs Phenom 100: how the two fleets are really flown
On all four chapters' lead measures, the gap inside each fleet is bigger than the gap between the Premier I and the Phenom 100. On flights a month, the middle half of Premier Is runs 5–10 and of Phenom 100s 3–7; the medians are 7 and 5.
Beechcraft Premier I/IA fleet statistics →Embraer Phenom 100 fleet statistics →
Fatigue
On hours per landing, the two fleets' medians match, at 1.2 : 1.
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
Hours per landing
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Every active aircraft of each type in North America: 141 Premier Is and 135 Phenom 100s.| Measure | Premier I median | Middle half | Phenom 100 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.2 : 1 | 1.0–1.3 : 1 | 1.2 : 1 | 1.0–1.5 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 46% | 34–58% | 50% | 36–68% |
| Leg length Median leg | 330 nm | 258–410 nm | 297 nm | 207–402 nm |
Corrosion
On salt air, the two fleets' medians match, at 0%.
What the air around the fleet does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
Salt air
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Aircraft we can place on enough nights at known fields: 81 Premier Is and 77 Phenom 100s.| Measure | Premier I median | Middle half | Phenom 100 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | 0% | 0–2% | 0% | 0–3% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 3% | 1–7% | 3% | 0–26% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 5.7 h | 2.8–7.5 h | 6.8 h | 5.4–9.2 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 3% | 1–16% | 2% | 0–10% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 8.2 g/m³ | 6.5–10.3 g/m³ | 10.0 g/m³ | 9.0–12.3 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
On short runways, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Premier I at 3%, the middle Phenom 100 at 2%.
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
Short runways
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Departures we could assess: 141 Premier Is and 135 Phenom 100s.| Measure | Premier I median | Middle half | Phenom 100 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 3% | 0–5% | 2% | 0–4% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 6% | 0–13% | 2% | 0–9% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,800 ft | 1,511–2,438 ft | 1,654 ft | 1,371–2,183 ft |
Utilization
On flights a month, the gap between the types is smaller than the spread inside either fleet: the middle Premier I at 7, the middle Phenom 100 at 5.
How steadily each fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
Flights a month
Where the two fleets sitSide by side
Premier Is with at least 40% of their flights tracked (80) and every active Phenom 100 (135). Each type uses the tracking rule its own fleet page uses.| Measure | Premier I median | Middle half | Phenom 100 median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 6.6 | 4.8–9.6 | 4.5 | 3.3–7.0 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 4.3 | 3.2–5.9 | 3.2 | 2.5–5.0 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈95 h | 72–146 h | ≈67 h | 50–101 h |
Choosing between a Premier I and a Phenom 100?
Check both tails, not the types.
Enter the two tails on your shortlist. TailCheck grades each one on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization against its own type, then puts them side by side.
Trip-length mix
48% of Premier I legs and 58% of Phenom 100 legs were under 300 nm, a gap of 10 percentage points; 5% and 4% were over 900 nm.
| Leg length (nm) | Premier I | Phenom 100 |
|---|---|---|
| <150 | 19% | 26% |
| 150–300 | 29% | 32% |
| 300–450 | 21% | 17% |
| 450–600 | 12% | 11% |
| 600–900 | 15% | 11% |
| 900–1,200 | 4% | 3% |
| 1,200–1,800 | 1% | 1% |
| 1,800+ | 0% | 0% |
Share of legs by length in nautical miles, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026: 10,289 legs by 141 Premier Is and 9,502 legs by 135 Phenom 100s, every leg with a known distance. The Premier I's trips bunch at 150–300 nm, the Phenom 100's at 150–300 nm.
Premier I vs Phenom 100: on paper
Certified figures come from each type certificate data sheet, the rest from the manufacturer. Each figure names its source; a range covers the variants one page tracks together; a dash means we don’t have a source for that figure yet. We don’t have a manufacturer source for the Premier I or the Phenom 100 yet, so its manufacturer rows show a dash.
| Measure | Premier I/IA | Phenom 100 |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum takeoff weight (certified) | 12,500 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.073 Issue 02, p.7 | 10,472–10,703 lbEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.157 Issue 9, p.9 |
| Fuel capacity (certified) | 539 US–548 US galEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.073 Issue 02, p.6 | —Not in our sources yet |
| Maximum operating altitude (certified) | 41,000 ftEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.073 Issue 02, p.6 | 41,000 ftEASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.157 Issue 9, p.8 |
| Passenger seats (certified) | Up to 6EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.073 Issue 02, p.7 | Up to 6EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.157 Issue 9, p.9 |
Premier I vs Phenom 100: questions
Which is flown more, the Premier I or the Phenom 100?
The Premier I, by about 28 estimated hours a year: the middle Premier I flew ≈95 h a year, the middle Phenom 100 ≈67 h. That is a fleet median: the middle half of Premier Is logged 72–146 h and of Phenom 100s 50–101 h, so one aircraft can sit far from its type. In flights, the medians are 7 a month for the Premier I and 5 for the Phenom 100.
Which lands more often for its hours, the Premier I or the Phenom 100?
About the same: the middle aircraft of both types flies 1.2 hours per landing. More landings per hour means more pressurization cycles for the same time in the air. Short hops, legs under 300 nm, make up 46% of the middle Premier I's legs and 50% of the middle Phenom 100's.
Which flies longer trips, the Premier I or the Phenom 100?
The Premier I, by 33 nm on the median leg: 330 nm for the middle aircraft, against 297 nm for the Phenom 100. 48% of Premier I legs and 58% of Phenom 100 legs were under 300 nm, a gap of 10 percentage points; 5% and 4% were over 900 nm.
Which spends more nights by the sea, the Premier I or the Phenom 100?
About the same: the middle aircraft of both types spends 0% of its nights within 2 km of the coast. Salt air is one of the corrosion inputs a TailCheck report grades for one aircraft against its own type.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Beechcraft Premier I/IA vs Embraer Phenom 100.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/compare/beechcraft-premier-i-ia-vs-embraer-phenom-100
Embed a chart
<iframe src="https://theaircraftledger.com/embed/compare/beechcraft-premier-i-ia-vs-embraer-phenom-100/fatigue" title="Fatigue: Hours per landing" width="100%" height="360" style="border:0;max-width:960px" loading="lazy"></iframe>Method: Premier Is and Phenom 100s with most departures in North America, ADS-B tracking. Flight measures cover 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; each figure is the median of its own fleet, with the middle half (25th–75th percentile). Estimated hours from time in the air. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Specifications from type certificate data sheets and the manufacturers, each cited. About our data