With a robust line of executive aircraft on offer, and five out of the line-up of seven aircraft that comprise Embraer's portfolio in production and service, demonstration flights with Embraer executive jets take place almost daily worldwide. So what's it like being a demostration pilot, earning a living flying brand new, multi-million dollar, state-of-the-art aircraft every day? In an interview exclusive to Aviator, Embraer's Marcelo Borin explains his role as one of the fortunate few.
WHAT DO YOU DO AT EMBRAER AS A DEMO PILOT?
I support all demo flights that the company conducts for the benefit of owners, prospects and at shows.
At Embraer, we typically conduct demo flights for aircraft owners, corporate CEO’s or leaders of flight departments (e.g. a Chief Pilot or Director of Ops); plus we also conduct demonstration flights with the preferred pilot of a client
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DEMO OR DAY AT THE OFFICE COMPRISE?
A ‘typical day at the office’ for a demo flight actually starts at least the day before the flight itself, when we first receive information that a demo is scheduled. As you can expect, organising a demonstration flight takes skillful coordination of various elements such as crew and craft availability, successful application of permits, authorisations, etc – these are typically done by the executive demo team who then give us, the demo pilots, the green light for the demo.
Once we get the go ahead for the demo flight, we then collaborate with the local teams to confirm the location of the flight or flights, prepare the flight plan and on-ground logistics and support by ground handlers and FBOs.
EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENS ON THE DAY OF A DEMO FLIGHT?
On the day of the demo flight, the flight crew normally heads out to the airport a couple of hours before the flight.
Preparation is critical to presenting our aircraft optimally to our passengers on the flight so we make sure we review important details of the upcoming flight with the local team who’ve requested the flight.
For example, the local team provide a detailed briefing about the passengers who will be flying with us, so we are aware and know what they are looking out for, what their concerns or queries may be, their objective for reviewing the aircraft, and if there are any specific details that we should be paying attention to regarding the performance and quality of the aircraft.
After the briefing, the flight crew will head to the aircraft for the pre-flight (checks) and set up, essentially to ensure that the aircraft is ready for the passengers to enjoy a smooth, seamless flight and appreciate the comfortable interior.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE PASSENGERS ARRIVE AT THE AIRPORT?
When the passenger arrives, we greet them at the entrance of the aircraft before introducing ourselves and walking them around the plane to show the exterior features of the aircraft, and explain key facts about features. For instance we may speak to them about the baggage cabin on the Legacy 650, which is accessible from the exterior as well as the interior.
Normally during the walk around, the passengers tend to ask about the systems of the plane like fuel, hydraulics, engine (performance) and ice, etc. After the exterior walk around, we all board the plane and while the pilots are prepping the plane for flight, our sales and marketing counterparts will go over most of the interior features with the passenger.
If it is a demo flight for a pilot, then the pilot-passenger will first make a stop at the cockpit where I or one of my colleagues will go over all the switches, avionics and systems of the aircraft with the pilot-passenger.
HOW LONG DO DEMO FLIGHTS NORMALLY TAKE TO COMPLETE?
Typically, our regular demo flights take anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour during which time we take a flight to nowhere, or, in the case of parts of the Asia Pacific, where it only takes about 45 minutes to an hour to cross borders, we may even stop at another country location for lunch, or a coffee break, before either dropping the passenger off at the destination, or head back to the point of origin.
For the flight itself, we try and place the passenger in the ‘VIP’ chair – a designated seat, usually diagonally in front of the entrance to the aeroplane which is linked to the master controls for features in the cabin, such as the IFE (on the Phenom 300 for instance), shutters on the windows, etc.
Our local team representative typically takes a seat close to the passenger to review and elaborates on what we are doing in the cockpit, for instance, when we conduct a performance take-off to show the capability of the aircraft.
During the flight as well, and especially in some of our larger jets like the Legacy 600 or Legacy 650, the passengers may wish to get out of their seat and walk around to experience each cabin zone (we have three cabin zones (which you can configure according to your needs, with a divan in the third and furthest zone from the cockpit, foldaway tables, etc) in the Legacy, so he/she gets a chance to ‘feel’ what it’s like to use the aircraft for work, play, and/or rest.
HOW IMPORTANT IS THE PASSENGERS’ FLYING EXPERIENCE?
The flying experience from the passengers’ point of view is important so, during this flight the passenger will be able to analyse the noise level and the comfort of the cabin.
While the client enjoys the comfort of our aircraft, the pilots work hard in the cockpit to make sure that the customer has his best flight experience. We pay special attention to ensuring a smooth flight, smoothening out any bumps that may be created (like air turbulence) and making sure our landing is perfect.
This is especially important if our passenger is seated up in the cockpit with us in the jump seat, which is a treat for passengers on a demo flight as they get a birds’ eye view of what we do and see.
DO YOU FLY PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS ON PARTICULAR ROUTES?
We do also get the chance to present our aircraft to passengers who wants to go on a long flight as an opportunity for him to check if the plane meets specific needs. For example: the passenger may need to fly across a continent (from Perth to Sydney, for instance) and sometimes we have the opportunity to do this.
Whatever the route or length of the flight, when the flight is over, the passenger typically comes by the cockpit to say a few words of gratitude.
WHEN DOES YOUR DAY END?
After the customer leaves, our local team representative gives us a debriefing about the passengers’ and their experience. This debriefing is a good opportunity for us to talk about some things that would promote improvement for the demo team based on the experience of that flight.
After that flight is over, we then proceed to the next region to perform another demo flight/static as an opportunity to demonstrate our products to new costumers
Sometimes, we are also called upon to be available for a non-flying demo; this typically takes place during shows when the aircraft is on static display.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE AT THE SHOWS?
My duty at these shows as an Embraer Demo/ Instructor Pilot is to answer every question that people have about our aircraft.
I know that I have in my hands the responsibility to represent the third largest aircraft manufacturer in the world during every demo flight that I perform. At Embraer, every pilot has the support of an entire team behind him coordinating schedules and logistics, in order to present our products in the best possible light, provide a great (flying) experience to customers, prospects and the general public, and prove just how comfortable, capable and convenient our aeroplanes are.
Regardless of the number of demo flights a pilot performs around the world, at the end of the day, the objective is to provide passengers with a fantastic experience before, during and even after the flight. The success of the venture relies on teamwork and to achieve this, seamless cooperation between the company’s pilots and teammates is imperative.
ABOUT MARCELO BORIN
Marcelo Borin, 33, has wanted to be a pilot since his early childhood. After earning his licence in 1996, he moved to the USA where he spent eight-and-a-half years flying charter before joining Embraer in late 2008. He has been a demo/instructor pilot since.
