Buying a used Embraer Phenom 100: price, checks and questions for the seller
On freeze–thaw nights, when it froze and thawed at the field within the day, the North American Phenom 100 fleet ranked the lowest of the types we track in North America. Its median aircraft spent 2% of its nights that way in the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026. A pre-purchase inspection reports the present condition of a used Phenom 100. Tracking fills in the months before it: landings, runway lengths and overnight weather.
One check for each TailCheck chapter: Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization. Each gives the North American Phenom 100 fleet median on its lead measure and the level that 1 in 20 aircraft reached at the demanding end.
What has each flight cost the structure?
The median Phenom 100 flew 1.2 hours for each landing. 1 in 20 landed every 0.8 hours or sooner, the most landings for the time flown. The lower the figure, the more of the landing-counted life limits it used for its hours.
Hours per landing, short hops and leg length.
Each landing is one pressurization cycle, and landings count against the structural and landing-gear life limits. A Phenom 100 flown on short legs uses up those limits faster than its hours suggest.
Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
All 135 active Phenom 100s in North America, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 50% | 36–68% | 5% at 85% or more |
| Leg length Median leg | 297 nm | 207–402 nm | Highest 5%: 577 nm or more |
A landing every 0.8 hours or less, the rate of 1 in 20 of the fleet.
Short hops on 85% or more of its legs, as for 1 in 20 of the fleet. A short hop is a leg under 300 nm.
Logged landings that don't square with the logged hours, set against the fleet's median hours per landing above.
How many landings has it logged against its hours, and how does that ratio compare with the fleet median for the Phenom 100?
Which structural and landing-gear life limits are counted in landings, and how much of each remains?
What air has it lived in?
Of the 77 aircraft we could place on enough nights, the median spent none of its nights within 2 km of the coast, our salt-air measure. Three in four spent 3% or less; 1 in 20 spent 18% or more.
Salt, damp and freeze–thaw where it spends its nights.
Salt air, damp and freeze–thaw nights drive corrosion, so where an aircraft spends its nights matters as much as where it flies. A coastal base doesn't rule an aircraft out. It moves corrosion to the top of the inspection list.
Nights within 2 km of the coast
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
77 Phenom 100s in North America we can place on enough nights at known fields, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; 4 on their record since 1 Jan 2025, with too few in the twelve months.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 3% | 0–26% | 5% at 95% or more |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.8 h | 5.4–9.2 h | 5% at 11.0 h or more |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 2% | 0–10% | 5% at 21% or more |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 10.0 g/m³ | 9.0–12.3 g/m³ | 5% at 14.3 g/m³ or more |
Salt air on 18% or more of its nights, as for 1 in 20 of the fleet, and no record of hangar storage.
Freeze–thaw on 21% or more of its nights, as for 1 in 20 of the fleet, without a recent check of drains, seals and sealant.
A main base on the coast and no corrosion inspection in the records.
Where has it been based, and was it hangared there?
When was the last corrosion inspection, and what did it find?
What did its departures ask of the engines and brakes?
The median Phenom 100 left from a short runway on 2% of departures; 1 in 20 on 9% or more. A short runway is a field whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the type's published takeoff distance.
Runway length, heat and height at takeoff.
A departure from a short runway calls for high takeoff thrust, and landings at those same short fields wear the brakes and tires. Hot, high takeoffs work the engines harder again. A record showing both is worth matching against engine trend data and brake records.
Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
135 Phenom 100s in North America with enough departures we could assess, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; 2 on their record since 1 Jan 2025, with too few in the twelve months.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 2% | 0–9% | 5% at 34% or more |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,654 ft | 1,371–2,183 ft | 5% at 3,526 ft or more |
Short runways on 9% or more of its departures without brake and tire records to match.
Hot, high takeoffs, at 5,000 ft density altitude or more, on 34% or more of departures, as for 1 in 20 of the fleet, without engine trend data to match.
Are its Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F-E or Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F1-E engines (EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.157 Issue 9, p.11) on an hourly maintenance program, and does it transfer?
Is there engine trend data, and do the brake and tire changes line up with landings at short fields?
How hard has it been flown?
The median Phenom 100 logged 67 estimated hours a year; the middle half, 50 to 101 hours. 1 in 20 logged more than 252 hours. Charter aircraft were 19% of the fleet but seven of the 10 busiest.
Estimated hours, flights and flying days: how much of its life it has used.
Estimated hours are the quickest read on how much of an aircraft's life has been used. As they build, hours-based inspections come due sooner. Compare the tracked flying with the logbook hours, month by month.
From time in the air
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
All 135 active Phenom 100s in North America, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026. Tracking misses some flights, so hours are minimums.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 4.5 | 3.3–7.0 | 5% at 19.8 or more |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 3.2 | 2.5–5.0 | 5% at 11.2 or more |
More than 252 estimated hours a year, as 1 in 20 of the fleet logged, presented by the seller as ordinary use.
Logbook hours well below what tracking shows. Tracking misses some flights and its hours are estimates, so a small gap means little; a large one needs an explanation.
Do the logbook hours match the tracked flying, month by month?
Has it flown charter or under a management company, and for how long?
What affects the price of a used Phenom 100
Six factors shape what to check in a used Phenom 100: age, hours, landings, charter flying, demanding fields and corrosion. Each comes with the fleet's figures and the TailCheck chapter that grades it.
| What moves the price | Across the Phenom 100 fleet | TailCheck chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Build year alone says little about wear. Calendar inspections come due as the months pass, whatever the hours. Tracked Phenom 100s with a known build year date from 2008 to 2025. Older and newer aircraft flew much alike, with medians from 65 to 70 estimated hours a year. | Fatigue |
| Hours | Higher estimated hours mean hours-based inspections and engine overhauls come due sooner. Check where each stands in the logbook. Across the fleet, a year's flying ran from 32 to 548 estimated hours, with the median in the Utilization check. | Utilization |
| Landings | Few hours per landing means more of the structural and landing-gear life limits used for the hours flown. Check that the records log landings beside hours. The middle half of the fleet flew 1.0 to 1.5 hours per landing, either side of the median in the Fatigue check. | Fatigue |
| Charter history | Charter flying puts hours and landings on an aircraft for paying customers, under the operator's maintenance program. Ask for that program's records alongside the logbooks. Of tracked North American Phenom 100s, 19% are on our charter list. | Utilization |
| How hard it has been flown | Short-runway departures need high takeoff thrust, and landings at those fields wear brakes and tires. Hot, high takeoffs work the engines. The short-runway median is in the Engines and brakes check. The fleet's median takeoff density altitude was 1,654 feet. | Engines and brakes |
| Base and corrosion exposure | Salt air and damp at the fields where an aircraft spends its nights drive corrosion, which spreads until it is found. On a wider measure, nights within 10 km of the coast, the median aircraft spent 3% of its nights there; 1 in 20 spent 95% or more. | Corrosion |
Asking prices vary by aircraft, and the tail’s history explains much of the difference. Check a tail →
Where TailCheck fits in a Phenom 100 purchase
Usage checks cost least at the start, before anything is signed and while walking away costs nothing. Later in the deal, the report points the records reviewer and the inspection shop to the areas to examine first.
| # | Step | Where TailCheck helps |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Shortlist Screen candidates on how they have been used before spending on anything else. | Free record for each tail, then TailCheck on the shortlist |
| 02 | Letter of intent Price and terms, subject to inspection and a records review. | — |
| 03 | Records review Logbooks, maintenance programs and damage history. | Hours, landings and long gaps to check the logbooks against |
| 04 | Pre-purchase inspection At a shop that knows the type. | Brief the shop on what the usage data flagged |
| 05 | Discrepancies and price Negotiate on what the inspection and records found. | Grades against the type support the conversation |
| 06 | Closing and delivery Title, escrow, registration and acceptance flight. | — |
What each part of the purchase answers
Usage is one leg of a purchase; paperwork and condition are the others| Item | Why it matters on a Phenom 100 | Who answers it |
|---|---|---|
| Usage history | Hours, landings, bases and gaps, against the 135 North American Phenom 100s. | TailCheck |
| Logbooks | Complete, back-to-birth records, and whether they square with the tracked flying. | Records review |
| Damage history | Any structural repair, how it was signed off, and whether it was disclosed. | Records review |
| Inspections due | When the next major inspections fall due, by hours, landings and calendar. | Records review |
| Engine program | Whether the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F-E or Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F1-E engines are enrolled on an hourly maintenance program, and whether it transfers.Engines: EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.157 Issue 9, p.11 | Records review |
| Physical condition | Corrosion, structure, systems and interior: what the usage data says to look at hardest. | Pre-purchase inspection |
| Title and registry | Liens, the ownership chain and any export or import between registries. | Title search |
What tracking can and can’t tell you
Tracking shows how often a Phenom 100 flew, from which runways and where it spent its nights. It can't see condition, and tracking misses some flights. Use it alongside the inspection and the records review.
| What it can show | What it can’t establish |
|---|---|
| What it has flown, and where | Its mechanical condition, maintenance quality or airworthiness |
| How hard it is used against other Phenom 100s | Its exact hours and landings, or flights we didn’t see |
| Long stays on the ground, and gaps in the track | What work was done at any shop, or why it sat anywhere |
| Where it spends its nights, and the weather there | Whether it was hangared or parked outside |
| What its departures asked: runway length, heat and height | Its takeoff weight, or which runway it used |
Ben
Ben founded The Aircraft Ledger to show buyers how an aircraft has really been flown. Before that, he spent five years researching what more than 140 private jet models cost to buy and run, for clients mostly in the US.
Down to two Phenom 100s?
Check both tails before you choose.
Enter the two tails on your shortlist. TailCheck grades each one on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization against the Phenom 100 fleet, then puts them side by side.
Buying a used Phenom 100: questions
How many hours a year is normal for a Phenom 100?
About 67 estimated hours a year was normal: that was the North American fleet median in the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026. One in ten aircraft logged fewer than 42 hours, and one in ten more than 171. Tracking misses some flights, so a logbook can show more.
Is a high-hour Phenom 100 a bad buy?
No, not on hours alone. High hours mean hours-based inspections and engine overhauls come due sooner. Landings count against the structural and landing-gear life limits, and long legs add fewer landings per hour than short hops. Weigh hours and landings against the fleet median in the Fatigue check. Of the four types in its size group, itself and the Cirrus Vision Jet SF50, Cessna Citation Mustang and Eclipse 500/550, it flew the longest median leg, 297 nautical miles.
Does a TailCheck report replace a pre-purchase inspection?
No. TailCheck shows how the aircraft was used. A pre-purchase inspection shows its condition. The report tells the inspection team where to look hardest.
Can tracking show whether a Phenom 100 was hangared?
No. Tracking shows where the aircraft spent its nights and what the weather was there. Whether it sat inside a hangar is a question for the seller and the records.
When should I run these checks?
Before a letter of intent. At that stage, a record that doesn't fit the seller's account can end the deal with nothing spent. If the deal goes ahead, the records reviewer and the inspection shop use the report to decide where to start.
Does this guide cover every model, from the Phenom 100 to the Phenom 100EX?
Yes, mostly. The benchmarks cover the 135 North American aircraft recorded as Phenom 100s; tracking can't tell the Phenom 100, 100E, 100EV and 100EX apart. The Phenom 100 and 100E fly with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F-E engines, the 100EV and 100EX with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F1-E (EASA TCDS EASA.IM.A.157 Issue 9, p.11). Another 17 aircraft recorded as Phenom 100EVs share the type code but aren't included yet.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Buying a used Embraer Phenom 100.” Data to 29 August 2026. theaircraftledger.com/guides/embraer-phenom-100
Method: benchmarks are North American Phenom 100s with at least 20 tracked flights in the latest twelve full months, ADS-B tracking 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; each figure is the fleet median with its middle half (25th–75th percentile) and the 5% at the harder end. Estimated hours from time in the air; tracking misses some flights, so counts and hours are minimums. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Engines from the type certificate data sheet, cited. This guide is general information, not an inspection, appraisal or records review. About our data