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Learjet Careers

 
Learjet Milestones
 
1970   1980   1990   2000

1962

lear plane bulletAugust of 1962, Bill Lear moves his business jet company from Altenrheim, Switzerland to Wichita, Kansas, and names it Lear Jet Corporation.
   
1963 lear plane bulletSeptember 15th, the first Learjet is completed on production tooling and rolled out of factory for preflight equipment installation and final check-out.
  lear plane bulletOctober 7th, the first Learjet, the Model 23, makes its first flight.
   
1964 lear plane bulletJuly 31st, the Learjet 23 type certificate is awarded.
  lear plane bulletOctober 13th, delivery of the first production model of the Learjet 23 (serial number 003) to Chemical Industrial Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio.
   
1965 lear plane bulletMay, Learjet establishes three world speed records, Los Angeles to New York and return in 10 hours, 21 minutes flight time with two refueling stops.
   
1966 lear plane bulletMarch 17th, Learjet 24 becomes the first jet certified to U.S. FAR 25 standards, which superseded the former CAR 4b transport category.
   
1967 lear plane bulletApril 10th, Bill Lear sells controlling interest in Lear Jet Industries to Gates Rubber Company. The name is changed to Gates Learjet Corporation.
   
1968 lear plane bulletFebruary, Learjet sets time-to-climb record: 6 minutes, 19 seconds to 40,000 feet.
   
 
1972 lear plane bulletJanuary, FAA approves Learjet for operation from gravel runways, a business jet first       return to top
   
1973 lear plane bulletAugust 22nd, Learjet 35 makes its first flight
   
1974 lear plane bulletJuly, FAA certifies the Learjet 35 and 36.
   
1975 lear plane bulletApril 8th, Learjet delivers the 500th Learjet, a Learjet 24D to the navy of Mexico.
  lear plane bulletDecember 20th groundbreaking ceremonies are held for an all-new 75,600 square-foot facility in Tucson to augment manufacturing and service activities of the Wichita facility.
   
1976 lear plane bulletMay 19th golfing legend Arnold Palmer leads a crew that pilots a Learjet 36 to an around-the-world record of 48 hours, 48 minutes flight time (57 and hours, 26 minutes total).
   
1977 lear plane bulletApril 15th, the FAA certifies operation of Learjet aircraft to 51,000 feet, the highest in civil aviation.
   
1978 lear plane bulletApril of 1978 a Learjet 23 is made a permanent exhibit in the general aviation gallery of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum.
   
1979 lear plane bulletJanuary 30th, the FAA certifies the Learjet 28/29 series, the world’s first production airplane with winglets.
  lear plane bulletFebruary 21st, astronaut Neil Armstrong climbs to 50,000 feet in the Learjet Longhorn 28, setting five world records for business jets at Kitty Hawk, NC.
 
1980 lear plane bulletA $5.2 million expansion is made to the Wichita site and the first production widebody Learjet Longhorn 50 series business jet rolls out.             return to top
  lear plane bulletMarch 28th, the 1,000th Learjet is delivered to the Eaton Corporation of Cleveland, Ohio.
   
1981 lear plane bulletMarch, the FAA certifies the Learjet 55, the company’s first medium sized jet.
   
   
1983 lear plane bulletIn May, the Learjet 55LR sets world speed record by flying from Los Angeles to Paris in 12 hours, 37 minutes with one refueling stop.
   
   
   
1985 lear plane bulletIn September, Learjet receives contract to build intertank for space shuttle main booster rocket.
   
1986 lear plane bulletIn June, the 1,500th Learjet is delivered
   
   
1988 lear plane bulletIn September, Learjet 31 and 55C receive FAA certification, the first business aircraft to incorporate delta fins.
   
 
1990 lear plane bulletJune 29th, Bombardier acquires Learjet.         return to top
  lear plane bulletIn October, Bombardier unveils the Model 31A and announces the Learjet 60 project.
   
1991 lear plane bulletJune 13th, the Learjet 60 makes its first flight
  lear plane bulletIn June, Bombardier establishes the Bombardier Flight Test Center at Learjet in Wichita.
   
1993 lear plane bulletIn January, the FAA certifies the Learjet 60, launching into service the quietest business jet in the world
   
   
1995 lear plane bulletOctober 7th, the Learjet 45 makes its first flight, 32 years to the day after the first Learjet took to the skies.
   
   
1997 lear plane bulletFebruary 22th, a 98,000 square foot expansion of the Bombardier Flight Test Center is officially marked with a ceremony.
  lear plane bulletJune 19th, the 100th Learjet 60 sets a record between Pittsburgh and Paris taking 8 hours and 1 minute to cover the distance of 3,452 nautical miles.
   
1998 lear plane bulletJuly, first Learjet 45 delivery.
   
1999 lear plane bulletJune 13th, Bombardier announces that the all-new Continental Business Jet, a midsize jet positioned between the Learjet 60 and the Challenger 604, will be assembled at the Wichita facility.
lear plane bulletAugust 20th, Bombardier delivers the 2,000th Learjet to Parker Hannifin Aerospace (of Cleveland, Ohio).
   
2000 lear plane bulletOctober 3rd, delivery of 200th Learjet 31A to Falcon Air Services of Phoenix, Arizona.
   
2001 lear plane bulletAugust 14th, the Bombardier Continental successfully completes its first flight.
   
2002 lear plane bulletMay, delivery of the 200th Learjet 45, less than four years after aircraft entered service.
lear plane bulletJuly 22nd, Bombardier announces the new Learjet 40 light and Learjet 45XR super-light jets.
lear plane bulletAugust 31st, the prototype Learjet 40 completes its first flight, followed by the first flight of the production model six days later on September 5.
   
2003 lear plane bulletThe FAA certifies the Learjet 40 during the 40th anniversary year of the first Learjet flight.
   
2004 lear plane bulletJanuary 21st, the first delivery of the Learjet 40 light business jet.
lear plane bulletJuly 1st, first delivery of the Learjet 45XR super-light business jet.
lear plane bulletJune 17th, Bombardier announces that it has received regulatory approval from the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the Honeywell TFE731-20BR engine upgrade for the Learjet 45XR business jet.
lear plane bulletOctober 11th, Bombardier introduces the new Bombardier Learjet 40XR, an enhanced version of the Learjet 40 light business jet that entered service in January 2004. The Learjet 40XR surpasses the outstanding performance of the successful Bombardier Learjet 40 by flying even further under hot and high conditions and out of challenging airfields. Bombardier also launches Special Edition Learjet 60.
lear plane bulletOctober, Bombardier successfully relocates interior completions from Tucson to establish Learjet integrated manufacturing facility in Wichita. To make room, the Continental Business Jet -- re-christened the Challenger 300 -- is relocated to Montreal, Canada.
lear plane bulletOctober, Delivery of the first Special Edition Learjet 60, the 275th Learjet 60 in the program's history.
   
2005 lear plane bulletNovember 9th, Bombardier raises the bar for the entire midsize jet category with the introduction of the Learjet 60XR business jet - the latest evolution of the powerful, proven Learjet 60 - at the 58th NBAA Convention. The Learjet 60XR business jet features a state-of-the-art avionics system along with a stand-up cabin with a restyled interior.
   
2006 lear plane bulletApril 3rd, the Bombardier Learjet 60XR successfully completes a rigorous 2-hour 20 minute first flight.
   
2007 lear plane bulletJuly 30th, Entry into service of the first Learjet 60XR jet.
lear plane bulletOctober 30th, Bombardier launches an all-new midsize Learjet, provisionally named NXT.
   
2008 lear plane bulletJanuary 22, Bombardier announces a permanent name for the new aircraft - the Learjet 85. It also announces the selection of Grob Aerospace of Switzerland to develop the all-composite structure of the new Learjet 85 and that Grob will also build the first three prototype aircraft.
 
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