The fields of sugarcane soak up the hot Brazilian sun in the month of March and soak in the summer rain storms to produce high quantities of sugar in the Araraquara region. On the outskirts of the Gavião Peixoto airfield awaits the Legacy 450, Embraer’s latest business jet that we are taking out for a flight.
Peixoto is a private airfield located far from the hustle and bustle of general aviation. To say that I have enjoyed visiting this site on more than one occasion would be an understatement.
The airfield has one of the largest/ longest active runways in South America (4,967m). This location was also used for the space shuttle program when it was still operating. The private runway is part of the vast airfield owned by Embraer since 2001, and which has undergone continuous upgrades. The manufacturer set up its military sector here for the assembly of the Super Tucanos and for modernization work on certain aircraft such as the Força Aérea Brasileira (BAF - Brazilian Air Force) including the Northrop F-5 or the Douglas A-4D Skyhawk of the Brazilian Naval Aviation Force (Aviação Naval Brasileira). However, the Gavião Peixoto site is not solely dedicated to military aircraft. It is also where the final assembly of Phenom 100 and 300 takes place and where tests flights are performed for aircraft off the assembly line and for ongoing programs such as the E-Jet E2, the KC390 and of course the Legacy 450 which recently obtained certification from the Brazilian authorities and the FAA.
Why the Legacy 450?
This story is from the Special Issue - October 2017 edition of Global Aviator - South Africa.
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This story is from the Special Issue - October 2017 edition of Global Aviator - South Africa.
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