Learjet, through the years:
Summer 1962
Bill Lear moves his business jet company from
Altenrheim, Switzerland to
Wichita, Kansas
September 15, 1962
A Prototype
Learjet 23 is completed and
rolled out of factory for
preflight equipment installation and final check-out.
October 7, 1963
The first Learjet, the Model 23, makes its
first flight.
July 31, 1964
The Learjet 23 is
certified.
October 13, 1964
Delivery of the first Learjet 23
production model (
Serial number 003) to
Chemical Industrial Corporation of
Cincinnati, Ohio.
January 1965
A Learjet is used for the first time in a
special mission role, acting as an
Air Ambulance.
May 1965
Learjet 23 establishes three
world speed records, flying from
Los Angeles to
New York and back in 10 hours, 21 minutes, with two
refueling stops.
March 17, 1966
The
Learjet 24 becomes the first jet certified to U.S.
FAR 25 standards.
April 10, 1967
Bill Lear sells controlling interest in
Learjet, Inc. to
Gates Rubber Company. The name is changed to
Gates Learjet Corporation.
February 1968
Learjet sets a
time-to-climb record: 40,000 feet (12,912 metres) in 6 minutes, 19 seconds.
January 1972
The
FAA approves Learjet for operation from
gravel runways, a
business jet first.
August 22, 1973
The
Learjet 35 completes its first flight.
July 1974
The FAA certifies the
Learjet 35 and
36
April 8, 1975
The 500th Learjet, a
24D, is delivered to the
Mexican Navy.
May 19, 1976
Golfing legend Arnold Palmer leads a
Learjet 36 crew on an
around-the-world, record breaking flight of 57 hours, 26 minutes.
April 15, 1977
The FAA certifies operation of Learjet
aircraft to 51,000 feet-- the highest in
civil aviation.
April 1978
A Learjet 23 is made a
permanent exhibit in the
General Aviation gallery of the
Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.
January 30, 1979
The FAA certifies the
Learjet 28/
29 series, the world's first production
airplane with
winglets.
February 21, 1979
At
Kitty Hawk,
Astronaut Neil Armstrong climbs to 50,000 feet (15,240 metres) in the
Learjet Longhorn 28, setting five world records for business jets.
1980
A $5.2 million expansion is carried out at the Wichita site, and the first production
Learjet Longhorn 50 series business jet rolls out.
March 28, 1980
The 1,000th Learjet is delivered to the
Eaton Corporation of
Cleveland, Ohio.
March 1981
The FAA certifies the
Learjet 55, the company's first medium sized jet.
May 1983
The
Learjet 55LR sets a world speed record by flying from
Los Angeles to
Paris in 12 hours, 37 minutes with one refueling stop.
September 1985
Learjet receives a contract to build
Intertank for the
Space Shuttle's main booster rocket
June 1986
The 1,500th Learjet is delivered.
September 1988
Learjet 31 and
55c, the first business aircraft to incorporate
delta fins, receive FAA certification
June 29, 1990
Bombardier acquires Learjet, Inc.
October 1990
Bombardier unveils the
Learjet 31A; the aircraft completes its first flight in the same year
June 13, 1991
The Bombardier
Learjet 60 completes its first flight.
1991
The Bombardier Learjet 31A receives its FAA certification.
September 1992
Bombardier introduces the
Learjet 45, a super-light jet based on a
clean-sheet design.
January 1993
The FAA certifies the Bombardier
Learjet 60, generally regarded as the quietest business jet in the world.
October 7, 1993
The Bombardier Learjet 45 completes its first flight, 32 years (to the day) after the first Learjet took to the skies.
June 19, 1997
The 100th Bombardier Learjet 60 sets a speed record, flying from
Pittsburgh to
Paris (3,452
nautical miles, 6,392 km) in 8 hours, 1 minute.
1997
The Bombardier Learjet 45 receives both
Transport Canada and FAA certification.
August 20, 1999
The 2,000th Learjet is delivered to
Parker Hannifin Aerospace.
July 2000
The Bombardier Learjet 45 receives
Reduced Vertical Seperation Minima (
RVSM) certification.
October 3, 2000
The 200th Bombardier Learjet 31A is delivered to
Falcon Air Services of
Phoenix, Arizona.
May 2002
The 200th Bombardier Learjet 45 is delivered, less than four years after the aircraft entered service.
July 22, 2002
Bombardier announces the new
Learjet 40 and
Learjet 45XR to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the founding of Learjet, Inc.
Source: Bombardier Website