Learjet production to come to an end
 

https://www.flightglobal.com/business-aviation/bombardier-to-cease-learjet-production-at-year-end/142393.article

Bombardier is shutting down Learjet production. OWP, You're not working with Learjet, are you?

Fortunately no. Sad end to a legendary brand but the product just wasn’t competitive in the marketplace anymore.

I actually owned a Learjet.

8 Track player.

Few people realize what a prolific and successful inventor Bill Lear was. A legitimately brilliant man.

That he was. The problem is they did not continue to follow his lead at the company and they were surpassed in the price/performance ratio by several other companies.

It is sad news, fantastic aircraft since 1963. Bombardier will continue to support the fleet.

Good to hear for you, OWP.

Gulfstream is dying on the vine as well and I will not shed a single tear if they bite the bullet as well.

how is Honda doing?

Strange thing right now is that private jet charter has grown quite a bit since the pandemic.

Yeah, but there are a lot playing the field right now as well and Bombardier has their own business jet to sell.

I have a nephew and niece in-law who work for Gulfstream. What's the issue with them?

I have no dog in the fight, I'm just wondering why you have that reaction.

Sad the Lear jet is an Icon.

They have been having a lot of lay offs and closing facilities amongst other factors I would rather not discuss.

Nobody is doing well in business aviation right now. Or commercial for that matter. Business jet utilization is close to pre-CV levels but that isn’t translating into new jet sales. I’m assuming due to the general uncertainty about many things that people are holding onto their current aircraft or using fractional services.

I worked for a company that had a Dassault Falcon 10. I did not find it that comfortable and using the toilet was quite an ordeal. It was in a "closet" between the cock pit and the main cabin. You pulled two pocket doors out to close off the space and the toilet came out of the side like a drawer. It was kind of fun to leave the doors open, leave the lid down and pull it out as a jump seat behind the pilots. I preferred to fly commercial but if the jet was available I had to use it. The novelty wore off real quick. The pilots were on company payroll and just sitting around in the mail room if they were not flying people around.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1613095208.jpg

I heard rumors years ago when I was at Boeing that Airbus was building a factory in Alabama? Did that happen? Still in business?

Airbus has had a factory and I think also a large MRO type facility in Mobile for years. Recently expanded to build the A220 that they purchased from Bombardier for next to nothing.

The older Lears (31, 35, 60, etc..) are WAY different then the newer Bombardier models..(40, 45, 75, etc.) I have about 700 hours in the 40/45 series and its still a 'lawn dart' but with updated avionics/engines etc...

Good thing is there are some aircraft out there cheaper than usual nowadays... A guy I work with just bought an SR-22... not a small investment!

Very sad to hear of the end of the Lear. Iconic.

“Near-jet performance” ;)