0:22

I'm selling my products all wrong

Sven,

Sorry for the late reply, I just saw your question. I was always on Cal to get a Lear 35 because with the 24 (N711CW) we were stretching fuel on the Anchorage-Seattle legs.

When I left Cal to go to the airline, he sold the 24 to an aerial mapping company in Washington State, and bought a Lear 35. I think his Lear 24 eventually ended up in a small museum, and I don't know what happened to the 35 when Cal passed.

Hello there,

I Curate an aviation Museum here in Tillamook, Oregon (The Tillamook Air Museum) and I’m trying to gather some additional information on this particular Lear Jet being discussed (N711CW) that is said to have once belonged to Cal Worthington. This airplane is currently a part of our collection and I was interested in learning more about the ship’s association with Mr. Worthington. I can be contacted either through this forum, or at CGurling@Tillamookair.com

Thank you!

Christian

Christian,

Cal purchased the Lear 24B around 1983 and I flew it with him until I went to Evergreen in late 1985.

It was purchased from a Canadian oil and gas exploration company and was equipped with a gravel kit, Dee Howard Mark ll smooth wing, Dee Howard hydraulic reversers and a drag chute. it was bought for $250,000 in good shape. It had a 98 knot basic ref.

After I left he finally took my advice and bought a Lear 35; maybe getting tired of seeing those low fuel lights flashing from stretching the range. It was a real rocket ship to fly, but a fuel guzzler. We based it at Cal's ranch in Orland, Ca operating off a 3,000 foot dirt strip that we oiled, and I see the strip has been lengthened to about 4,000 feet. We had a 10,000 gallon Jet-A tank at the ranch for the plane, and kept it in a taxi-thru shade hangar.

Oddly, it was a non-icing Lear. It had hot wings and hot engine nacelles, but didn't have the radome anti-icing alcohol nipple required for icing conditions, but ice was never a problem. The subsequent owner painted the hot engine nacelles, probably flying in VFR conditions only as a mapping plane.

Bill Lear's cameo role in "In Like Flint."

The early Lears were all partial de-iced, with hot wings and inlet rings but nothing on the tail or nose. This one is clearly an early model. The very early ones had electrically heated engine inlets which apparently could be painted as I've seen some photos. I don't think it disabled the heaters. Ours had unpainted inlets. All of them had the drag chute.

The early Lears were all partial de-iced, with hot wings and inlet rings but nothing on the tail or nose. This one is clearly an early model. The very early ones had electrically heated engine inlets which apparently could be painted as I've seen some photos. I don't think it disabled the heaters. Ours had unpainted inlets. All of them had the drag chute.

I don't have much time in the LearJet 35A, but wow, what a hot rod. The one that I flew had the 55 engines, and we had to depart (and land) pretty light for a less than 4000 foot home base runway.

It was always fun grabbing a big handful of throttle to SLOW DOWN, so as not to bust 200 knots on departure.

I'm 6'2", and I really don't fit in the cockpit. With all the scary stuff out there about how a Lear will kill you, I thought it flew very well. I liked that is was built like a "big %#$@ house".

I don't miss the clunky systems, but oh boy, did it have character.

I have no idea if I'll ever fly one again, but I certainly wouldn't mind one as a personal plane. Just need to have a handful of other pilots on call. And a wheel barrow load of cash to buy gas.

0:22

I'm selling my products all wrong

"I'm 6'2', and I really don't fit in the cockpit."


Thar's how you tell a Lear Captain from an FO; the Captain walks around with his neck leaning to the right, and the FO walks around with his neck leaning to the left.

"I'm 6'2', and I really don't fit in the cockpit."

That's how you tell a Lear Captain from an FO; the Captain walks around with his neck leaning to the right, and the FO walks around with his neck leaning to the left.

My first FO, later co-Captain was a big guy. All of 6’2” and well over 200 lbs. He squeezed into that plane and enjoyed every minute in spite of the cockpit. I OTOH happen to be the exact dimensions of Bill Lear. That plane fit me like it was made for me. Plenty of head room, and I had to slide the seat forward to get full deflection on the pedals. I could fly it all day and not be uncomfortable.

It would have been nice to have a cup holder though.

Our 31aER has cup holders.. seats go up and down to fit everyone. I just sit a little higher than the 6-4 boss. Systems rival a Baron for complexity in use, but easier to fly.

Power management is a no brainer: Rest the PLs on the DEECS at 250ias… no more houses. Done!

Never seen a 35 that didn’t have vertically adjustable seats. The Ipeco seats adjust about everything.

I need to take a cold shower