A patient of mine is chief pilot for a charter out of Van Nuys. He called me up and said the Lear 60 needed to go out for a flight and asked if I'd like to come along just for fun. After considering this offer for 0.3 nanoseconds, I informed my receptionist to, " CANCEL ALL MY PATIENTS!"

My first impression walking up to this machine is that it just LOOKS like it goes really fast.




The gear is way beefier than on the Bo:


The panel has lots of pretty blinking lights:


With just the two pilots, half fuel and me, the plane was a rocket ship! The acceleration on the runway was incredible. The SOP as soon as it is airborne requires a huge power reduction... "two clicks and an inch" on the thrust levers is what they told me. If this is not done immediately, you will bust the Class D speed limit before you exit the top of Delta airspace!

We flew up to the San Joaquin Valley where ATC gave us a huge block of airspace and cleared us into our "jet playpen," at which point I was invited to climb into the right seat. We started with some basic airwork. Control forces seem very stiff compared to how light the Bo feels. The pilot said that this is something you get used to. We then set up for some "slow flight" at 150 KIAS, and then once comfy at this speed, he let me throttle jockey the power levers to full power. In about 5 seconds we had accelerated to 450 KIAS... talk about lighting your hair on fire!

Then we got to have even more fun... note the attitude indicator in this shot... 60 degrees left bank baby! The pilot was laughing at me at this point.


Finally our fun was over and it was time to go home. Normally the 60 charters for 3.5AMU per hour. This flight cost me two sandwiches and a glass of iced tea at Camarillo airport. Now my problem is that I have tasted kerosene... and I want to taste it AGAIN!

Jealous.... I got to sit in the right seat of a Lear 25 my dad used to fly when I was about 11 or 12, they are very cool machines to say the least. I didn't get to play with it though, we were in cruise at FL 450 before the co-pilot and I switched seats. I thought I was in a rocked that day. That was my first time in anything with turbine engines. I think the fastest airplane I had been in before that was a Baron.

Correct me if i'm wrong but Lears have turbojet engines and citations have turbofans?

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Pratt & Whitney Canada PW305A turbofan, 4,600 lbf

Just so you know without any hint of doubt, I'm jealous and you suck.

The older Lears like a 24 had turbojet but I think most modern jets have turbofan engines. In the 24 you were in fuel emergency by the time you got to altitude.

I bet you'll feel like this for a week

20 series Lears are pure turbojet.

30/40/50/60 series are fans.

Citations are all fans.

450KIAS? Seems a bit quick, I'd believe 350..my Beech400 is limited to 330KIAS/0.78 Mach..I'd figure the lear is a bit quicker but not that much..thoughts?

Way to go Jamie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


+1 on the "you suck".

Fantastic opportunity. That tops my Citation XLS ride 2 years ago. I see a Falcon 900 in my future though

thoughts?


They may have been doing 450KTAS, not IAS. The Lear 60 climbs like a home-sick angel but is not all that fast at normal cruise altitudes compared to other swept wing corporate jets. The MMO is less than .80 Mach, if I remember right it is .78 or .79, it has been 14 years since I last flew one. But they ALL are FUN to fly! If you want see FAST,
get a ride in a Falcon, a Gulfstream or the Citation Ten.

Joe

Joe Sasser
V35B 550
Pecan Plantion, TX