Nothing climbs like a Lear Jet. Not even military planes.
We clip off about a hundred miles every ten minutes. – William Lear
I love the Lear Jet! To me, the Lear is iconic Wichita. Yes, I know that Bill Lear was a latecomer to the aviation world that is Wichita, Kansas. Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, and many others preceeded Mr. Lear. Yet, there is something about the LearJet.
This fascination may stem from the first time I, as a child, saw a Lear take-off from Wichita Mid-Continent Airport in the early 60s. I was awestruck as I watched this civilian aircraft take to the sky. It would be years later before I got to fly in one.
I wrote about that first ride in a blog post about my friend Doug Jackson. Although a short flight in and out of Wichita, it was, nonetheless, a dream come true.
From Civilian To Military Lear Jet
In the mid-90s while I was serving as the Federal Aviation Administration air traffic representative in Brussels, Belgium. I had yet another opportunity to ride in a Lear Jet. This time the Air Force military version, a C-21A.
This was a mission, that required I visit three US Air Bases, two in Italy and one in the United Kingdom. The most cost and time efficient way to complete the task was to take military transport. Arrangements made, I reported to Ramstein Air Base at the designated time.
I had expected to be on some version of a cargo transport, however, I was delighted when I realized I would be on a C-21. Hello Wichita! As we pulled up to the airplane, I reveled in the fact that Wichita, the Air Capitol of the World, was represented.
Owning A Piece of A Lear
Sadly, the Lear Jet is no longer being produced. There are still many that fly, and Bombardier still provides support for those aircraft flying. There is a group in Wichita restoring the first Lear Jet. No, I am not alone in my love affair with this airplane.
I know I will never own one, and doubt I will have an opportunity to fly in one again. However, I do have a small piece of the Lear Legacy: An original 8-track tape player, developed by Bill Lear. The deck actually shows Lear Jet as the brand.
In the 70’s my husband traded for and acquired this Lear Jet 8-track tape player. It played a variety of country western and rock n’ roll in his 1967 VW pickup truck, then in his 1973 Ford Pickup. It kept him company on long drives to Melodyland School of Theology in California before he removed it and put it into storage.
I knew he had an 8-Track, but I did not realize until recently it was a Lear Jet 8-track. I did not know either, until recently that Bill Lear invented the 8-track tape itself. The thing weighs about 20 lbs, so I seriously doubt it ever was intended to be installed in a Lear Jet, but there are stories that they were.
This is as close as I will get to owning a Lear. Still, it takes me back to the first time I saw a Lear Jet take off. It was pretty special.