Well after stressing out for 2 weeks I knocked the type rating check ride out of the park.  It was an awesome experience, and if you guys ever get to come to CAE in Dallas you will enjoy it.  Very very nice facility and the instructors are top notch.

Now I get to fly to Brazil next week and pick up a shiny new Phenom.  Have to get 25 hours on the way home so that i can get my SOE completed and then start doing basic easier single pilot flights.  I have to get some seat time before winter hits, Buffalo NY is rough fly sometimes.  

A type rating was one of the hardest check rides ever, but the most rewarding.  It sounds crazy to think that i have s license that after 25 hours will allow me to fly a jet single pilot.  I do have permagrin though.  

Awesome!  Congrats on the tpye!

Brian

congrats.  i remember the feeling.  enjoy your new ride.

I love me some Embraer's.  Real pleasure to work on and ride in.   Never got to drive (in the air)

Way to go!  You'll enjoy the Phenom.  Try to stay at the Caesar Business hotel in Sao Paolo.  It was pretty decent.  I don't know what your pax/bags load will be on the trip home, but we had a total of 5 onboard with lots of bags, so we stopped more than most probably do.  
Our trip back was:
- Day 1: Sao Paolo - Palmas, Brazil - Belem, Brazil (stayed at the Hilton- thought 3 of us were going to die in the "Elevator of Doom.")  Also, the fuel at Palmas is insanely expensive (was $8/gal US) and CASH ONLY.  



- Day 2: Belem - Georgetown, Guyana - St. Johns, Antigua.  Stayed at the Blue Water Resort (IIRC) on Antigua and it was awesome.  We were the only 5 Americans there from what we were told, and also were, aside from the staff, the only people there not on a honeymoon!  Some hot wimenz there fo' sho'.  Also, Antigua = An-tee-guh, not An-tee-gwah.  Barbuda = Barb-you-duh, not Bar-boo-duh.  Damn Yanks!  



- Day 3: St. Johns - Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos - Ft. Lauderdale.  If you've never come up through the Caribbean before, carry as much fuel as you can.  Miami Center never let us up very high for the last leg, and then Approach brought us right up to the shore and then turned us about 20-30 miles back out over the ocean...fuel was a huge concern at the end.  
Have fun at the Embraer facility- it's friggin' sweet.  Lots of ERJs in completion there, awaiting delivery.  They have a nice lunch for you each day.  They have some kind of fruity soda in cans.  Can't remember the name- something like "Guarnia?"  It's GREAT!  
Oh, BTW, I got about 17 hrs on the way back to the States.  





Edit for some motivational pictures





Leaving St. Johns.



Resort on St. Johns, Antigua



Phenom 100 at Georgetown, Guyana



Montserrat, on approach into St. Johns



Approach into Georgetown



Georgetown, Guyana



Embraer's completion/delivery center






Heading to Palmas



Belem  



Sao Paolo



 
 

We need an update with airplane pictures !