Ode to the Learjet

I've always said to myself that I would NEVER ride in one - the residual affects of having lost our good family friend Richard Koret in 1965 to a Lear accident at Palm Springs. Then again, I've spent many a happy hour riding an MU-2 - another aircraft known for some handling issues. Older and wiser, if anyone wants to give me a Lear ride, I'm game! It is a classically beautiful bird.

To my eye nobody has ever built a sexier line of biz jets.

I have flown the Lear 23,24,25,31,35 and 45. My personal favorite is the Lear 24. It flys just like the T-38...same engines CJ 610/J-85 minus the burner cans.

I worked for a radio pioneer named Bill Brennan. He was a personal friend of Bill Lear, being an engineer and possessing a similar mind. He hand-built radio transmitters across the south and owned four 50,000 watt radio stations in Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. He owned one of Bill Lear's first jets and flew it himself. When he flew me, a 20 year old radio neophyte, from Montgomery, Alabama, to Jacksonville, Florida, I was sold and went to work for his station, WAPE-AM, in Jax. I flew one or two more times on the jet before, sadly, Mr. Brennan, attempting a second night landing at Daytona Beach, crashed the plane and died. If Bill Lear was anything like Bill Brennan, wow! I still love the Lear Jet and fly on them every chance I can.

Interesting. As I said, I never flew one, but as with a lot of other things, it seems there is a strong love/hate relationship here.

One of the most fun rides I ever had was a short hop on a Lear 25.

I've been flying the 35 for a couple years now. Easy to fly once you get the hang of it. Somedays I can't wait to move up to bigger and better rides, but at the same time I realize I should cherish every hour I can because someday they wont be around.

The 24D with the Dee Howard MarkII wing was the best plane I ever flew. It was a puppy dog to handle and could it ever perform. My favorite flight was an engine test flight from a 600' elev airport. I made FL450 in 12:16. Could have done better but ATC gave me two level offs, one at 6000' where I couldn't let it just run. In everyday operations I would usually climb at redline and just reduce power for level off. In level flight up to about FL250 the plane would go through redline with either engine idle and MCT on the other. A sweet ride. If I could fly any airplane again it would be that one.

indeed I would say the same no one has built the sexier line of biz jets such as these.my favorite is the lear 24 outstanding indeed

I have flown the lear 24 and 25 and I have not yet found a more sexier jet as these the engines and very much alike , the rides are above all, and the are indeed very beautiful to add , but truly my favorite ia the 25 very sexy.