The next time actor and philanthropist Jackie Chan films a movie or visits one of the dozens of charities he established, chances are good that he will arrive in his new Embraer Legacy 500 business jet.
Embraer announced Feb. 1 that brand ambassador Chan was the first customer in China to take delivery of the new midsize business jet, which features fly-by-wire technology, Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics, and a 6-foot flat-floor cabin for its eight passengers.
The company’s Embraer Enhanced Vision System with a head-up display and enhanced vision help complete the technology package while a pair of Honeywell HTF7500E engines power the jet to FL450 from runways as short as 4,084 feet; it can cruise at 433 knots.
“I’m so thrilled to receive this Legacy 500, a state-of-art executive jet,” Chan said in the news release. “In the past few years, my Legacy 650 has brought me fantastic traveling experiences and great convenience, allowing me to do more acting and philanthropic works around the world. I’m sure that the performance of the new Legacy 500 will again exceed my expectations, and become a comfortable mobile home and office for me.”
Chan was the company’s first recipient of a Legacy 650 in 2012, which opened the door for his official partnership with the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer. Chan said in an earlier AOPA article that he deployed his Legacy 650 to shuttle between China and Los Angeles and has also volunteered the airplane to send food and water to disaster-stricken areas of China.
The martial arts specialist endeared himself to movie fans when he brought humor to his roles in Rush Hour and Shanghai Noon, which helped raise awareness for Asian actors. Chan’s charitable foundation work off-screen began in 1988 when the Hong Kong-born actor established his first scholarships for young people.
Chan is known for performing his own demanding stunts, and he apparently expects no less from his personal aircraft.
Guan Dongyuan, the Embraer senior vice president and president of Embraer China, said in the news release that the new aircraft’s capabilities could help the movie actor better balance his work schedule with his philanthropic outside interests.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China granted the Legacy 500’s validation of type certificate to Embraer in July 2015.
David Tulis
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