Legacy of the Lears

The first Learjet made its inaugural flight two months short of the 60th anniversary of the world’s first powered, controlled, sustained heavier-than-air flight. This year the aviation community is celebrating not only the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brother’s success but also a host of other anniversaries. For example, Learjet’s 40th.
Bill Lear in 1963 was trying to bring high-speed air travel to private plane owners who envied the new jet airliners. Breaking price or performance barriers is rare, though many have tried. (Eclipse Aviation is trying it now. Aviation historians will have to wait a few years to see if they emulate Bill Lear or Tony Fox.) Bill Lear made it happen, and started not just a revolution in aircraft design but a new way of life – the Jet Set. Four decades later, more Citations are flying than Learjets, but a business jet of any make may still be called a “learjet” in the mass media.

But regardless of the Learjet’s success, Lear was only a Wichita resident for about 5 years. So why is he enshrined in the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame? Part of the answer lays in the fact that his ability to apply the jet engine in creative and effective ways was not limited to small private jets. Special mission aircraft based on the Learjet have been used for air-to-air photography, high performance flight training, atmospheric research, aerial surveillance, and even towing practice targets for jet fighters. After selling Learjet, Lear saw an opportunity to combine new NASA airfoil technology, high-efficiency turbofan engines and a stand-up cabin into a business jet that would provide unprecedented passenger comfort, range, and operating costs. The Canadian aircraft manufacturer Canadair entered the business jet industry by buying rights to the concept. Initially called the Learstar 600, it is now known as the Challenger 600 series. It is the best-selling aircraft worldwide in its class, and since 1990 has been a stablemate of Learjets (both product lines being owned by Bombardier Aerospace). In the 1960s, Lear developed initial plans for a small jet airliner design he called the Learliner. It seated 40 passengers. In the 1990s, the Challenger 600 evolved into the Canadair Regional Jet, a 50-passenger airliner, which has been so successful it created a whole new market for small, regional airliners.

Another reason Bill Lear is in the Kansas Hall of Fame is that he left an indelible impression on Kansans who worked for him. In addition to being an incredibly hard-working genius, he was able to lead people to accomplish things they themselves thought were not possible. The original Learjet confounded the experts because it was a breakthrough design that was certified in less time than conventional designs. Lear had a terrible temper, and could be very difficult to work with. But many engineers chose the excitement of working with Lear on whatever radical program he was pursuing, rather than working on a more mainstream project.

Another reason is Bill’s wife of 36 years (and his closest partner), Moya Olsen Lear. Moya kept close ties to Wichita and Learjet after she and her husband left town. To Learjet employees who knew her, she was always ‘Mom.’ And anyone who had the chance to meet her, or hear her speak about her life, immediately recognized the amazing talent and sophistication of this remarkable lady. One of the most memorable moments in all of KAM’s Wright Brother’s Celebrations came during Bill’s induction into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame, when Moya sang her alphabet song about him. Everyone in the Beech Activity Center was thrilled; she was invited back the following year as the keynote speaker. Later she herself received the Kansas Governor’s Aviation Honor Award. Moya’s autobiography, “LEAR: An Unforgettable Flight” is a must read for any fan of aviation history. She still had great plans for her future when her brilliant life was cut short in December of 2001, at the age of 86.

Business jet aircraft from Wichita have changed the world. The two people most directly responsible were in many ways larger than life. The Lears, their personal and aeronautical legacies, will always be an integral part of Wichita’s heritage. That is why this December 17th, when we celebrate 100 years of powered flight, we will also picture in our minds a little sleek jet that first flew October 7, 1963.

Courtesy Bombardier Aerospace/Learjet by Dan Demott.