https://montrealgazette.com/business/lo ... -1600-jobs

I guess this really isn't a surprise with the desire for bigger cabins. Still unfortunate to watch an aviation icon get shuttered.

Sad state of affairs...For sure

Who remembers these ads from Pro Pilot.

They dumped the C-Series line to Airbus, the CRJ line to Mitsubishi, I suppose it was just a matter of time. I was in Montreal picking up a new airplane, and the people there said the company was more interested in the train business. I hope someone will pick up the Lear Jet line!

If they'd pushed through for SP, they'd probably still be in business. Sad. What an icon, not only for aviation, but for pure design. Still looks modern today, almost 60 years later. How many things can you say that about?

About 10 years ago. This one is in a museum now. It had Bob Hoover in it, but Clay Lacy was flying.

Sad. My first flight in any non-airline aircraft was a Lear 25 during my first week at Atlantic Aviation in Houston 1977. I don't think anything I've been in since then has topped the climb rate!

They dumped the C-Series line to Airbus, the CRJ line to Mitsubishi, I suppose it was just a matter of time. I was in Montreal picking up a new airplane, and the people there said the company was more interested in the train business. I hope someone will pick up the Lear Jet line!

Maybe by making Jet Ski hulls that delaminate at high speed..

This news hurts my heart. It is completely unfathomable to me that a company could destroy such an iconic brand.

About five years ago a sales guy from Learjet called me, said that Bombardier had realized their mistake and they had hired him to focus on Lears instead of letting the Bombardier sales team sell them. I thought "well that's great... and too late"

I actually think they may have done a better job if they'd called the Lear 75 a Challenger 250 or something, I don't think most folks really understood the 45 / 75 and how different it was from the Lears of the past. It's a clean sheet design and by far my favorite jet in its class.

I do agree that Learjet needed a single pilot jet to compete with Citation in the light jet market, the Lear 75 isn't a single pilot jet, but something smaller that was single pilot would have helped them maintain a broader offering. It's pretty hard to hang a company on one single model of aircraft.

I have two clients that are considering Lear 45XR's right now, this news is certainly going to create some buying opportunities!

Try being a Canadian taxpayer. Bombardier has been a black hole for money.

My wife and I arrived in Lakeland last Sunday midday (to the tower controller saying "you're the smallest thing we've had in here all day"). Sheltair was hopping with G5s, Challengers, and lots of heavy iron and the crews moving them off to another line after the Escalades picked up their VIPs.

As I was shutting down she looked across from us and saw the lear. "What's that! It's just sexy compared to all those other big jets". She may not know her planes but she does know what one should look like!

Not sure if the Lear's good looks are a chicken and the egg question, if the finished product turned out better than expected, or if old Bill planned it all along that his airplanes would still have a commanding ramp presence 60+ years later.

I've always thought the windshield on the PC-12 looked just right too. Out of all the visual things that grab your attention—or don't—that part of the PC-12 has the same aesthetic quality that helps give Lears their good looks.

In my opinion

I like the idea of Lears….I don't think they make very good flight inspection airplanes (exactly the opposite of what our mission is IMO - though I chose not to fly them).
The L60s that my organization have been flying for my 10 years here are rod hard and put away.... Maintenance queens. Worst FMC rates in the fleet by far. Practically can't give our away with all the mods and the holes drilled in the fuselage. Hopefully this might even hasten their departure even quicker!

BUT - for what IMO Lears are suppose to do - - what a nice looking airplane.

I'm sure some south Florida 135 will buy them....

Not to derail the thread, but I flew a Hawker that used to be a USAF flight inspection airplane. What an odd duck that was, and a complete POS.