classic-lear-jet-foundation

Progress Report - March 2026

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:39:48 GMT

Our March progress has been slowed somewhat because of the construction activity being accomplished in bays 1 and 10 at the north end of building 14. 23-003 is in bay 9 which shares a hangar wall with bay 10. The construction has cut electrical power to this wall, but we are working around this problem. Also, our access to bay 9 now involves having to go through a badge access turnstile which limits our volunteers to those of us who have contractor badges.

Even with these construction issues, we are continuing with the cutting and marking of the new wiring for the new wiring harness and tracking parts. Also, the wing that we acquired from 23-024 arrived at building 14 on March 3, 2026. We are using this wing to salvage parts including the leading edges, hydraulic components, etc. that will help with the restoration of 23-003 and needed spares.

We are completing the final leveling of the fuselage and securing the supports. This will allow us to remove damaged fuselage skins. With these skins removed, Non-Destructive Inspections (NDI) can continue in order to provide us additional data on the fuselage structural integrity.

Ed Grabman, Experimental Test Pilot at the Bombardier Flight Test Center, has agreed to chair the 23-003 Cockpit Configuration Committee. This committee is tasked with determining the cockpit upgrades required to operate 23-003 in the current airspace system while maintaining, as much as possible, the look of the original cockpit.
Parts donated by Incora are continuing to arrive with the latest delivery on March 3rd. These much needed, and greatly appreciated, parts include mechanical hardware, aircraft wiring and some electrical components.

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Progress Report - February 2026

Tue, 03 Mar 2026 19:46:40 GMT

The tip tanks and keel beam are back in Florida!! S.E.A.L. Aviation has generously volunteered to rebuild and restore our tip tanks and keel beam! Since they are in southern Florida, we loaded them up in a truck for the trip back to Florida. Ron Forshee and Chris Marshall volunteered to make the long drive. They departed Wichita on February 15 ^th at 12:35 pm and arrived in Florida at the Global Jetcare hangar two days and 1,306 miles later on February 17th. The tip tanks and keel beam will now be taken to the S.E.A.L. facility for restoration.

A volunteer has started cleaning the flight controls, ailerons, flaps, etc., so that we can accomplish the necessary detailed inspections. As you can see in the photo below, they are quite dirty after sitting outdoors for years.

Volunteers Dan DeMott and Cliff Ives are identifying all of the hydraulic and fuel tubes and components that have been removed from 23-003 with part numbers and Parts Catalog locations. The tubes will also have metal ID tags to facilitate vapor degreasing when the time comes for this operation.

Another milestone was reached late this month in the restoration of 23-003: The fuselage has been firmly tied down, securing it to prevent any movement. This will allow us to now start the necessary structural repairs! In the photos below you can see the cradles and supports securing the fuselage. One cradle just forward of the cabin door, a cradle aft of the cabin window, the jacks on the engine beams, a cradle just aft of the engine pylon and the tail stand.

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Rebuild of 23-003 Officially Starts!! - January 2026

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 19:02:48 GMT

LATE BREAKING NEWS: The rebuilding of 23-003 N200Y has officially started! On January 28, 2026 the first set of wires for the new wire harness were cut! Volunteers Denver Plumb and Mike Johnson made the first cut! We would like to thank John Bowman and Larry Thimmesch of Incora for the donation of the wire.

We are making great progress in getting all the removed parts identified with part numbers and returned to the storage racks. We are working with Katie Yaverski to get all the racks identified and labeled for location identification.

We are moving forward with a partnership with S.E.A.L. Aviation for overhaul and repair of numerous items and components! They will be a great asset to CLJF and the efforts to rebuild 23-003.

The wing from of 23-003 is now in a stored position on its leading edge against the south hangar wall in order to give us some additional working room in the hangar.

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Progress Report - December 2025

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 20:17:17 GMT

Classic Lear Jet Foundation has entered into our next major step in our restoration of 23-003 N200Y, the Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI)! NDI testing started on the forward fuselage of 23-003 on December 11, 2025.

This will be a lengthy process that will continue into next year. It is a slow and steady work that uses X-ray photography to detect structural defects such as corrosion, cracks, etc. Because of the use of X-rays, we cannot be in the hangar so our restoration work has had to be paused when the NDI testing is in progress.

The process starts with placing unexposed x-ray film on the fuselage at the desired inspection location. Then aiming the x-ray emitter on the opposite side of the structure. When the emitter is activated, x-rays pass through the structure and into the film. After the film is developed, the
result is a ‘picture’ of the structure that shows any defect, corrosion, crack, etc.

The structural visual inspections, using flashlights, mirrors and trained eyes, are also progressing, but slowly because of the NDI testing. It is amazing that we have entered the NDI phase on 23-003 in less than 2 years since our restoration started! On December 30, 2023, Jay Thomas removed the first Dzus fastener, officially kicking off the restoration of 23-003. Thanks to the dedicated volunteers who have put in nearly 2,000 hours of work to get us to this major phase on the road to fly N200Y again!

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Holiday Special Edition - December 2025

Mon, 22 Dec 2025 17:00:51 GMT

If you receive the RECHARGE newsletter, we assume you are already a valued supporter or donor to the Classic Lear Jet Foundation. We want to wish you a happy holiday season and we feel it appropriate to provide feedback on just what exactly your support has provided over the last year. Our mission is to restore the aircraft to an airworthy condition and return it to its 1964 original appearance.

Due to its historical significance, we are looking much more in depth than a traditional aircraft inspection. Every part of this aircraft is being removed, inspected and cataloged for future repairs, restoration and reinstallation. Our electricians are fully documenting the electrical wiring in the aircraft, carefully identifying each individual wire and preparing to re-manufacture that wiring. With 147,000 inches (2.3 miles) and hundreds of engineering changes that’s a big job.

We also spend a lot of time evaluating the necessary repairs and restoration of the aircraft structure and systems. We have made many field trips in search of aircraft structural and system components. Most of which are long obsolete, some of which we have found, some remain elusive, some we will have to fabricate. Another area of activity is seeking out donors for services, such as fabrication of replacement parts, (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) and necessary aircraft verification services. Behind the scenes, these hours are worked by a team of 7 individuals who donate their time every Tuesday and Thursday. As of this writing our volunteers have donated approximately 1900 aircraft labor hours with 1400 being logged since January 1.

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Progress Report - November 2025

Fri, 05 Dec 2025 16:50:43 GMT

With the removal of the windshields, glareshield and remaining instrument panel framework, we now have access to the foam insulation around the forward pressure bulkhead and the most forward fuselage. Ryan Timesch, owner of Best Engineered Performance Coatings (BEPC), and his daughter Raegan, came out on November 14 and 15, 2025 to finish their removal of foam beneath the cockpit floor and these now exposed areas in the forward fuselage.

Following completion of the interior foam removal, the fuselage was moved to the north side of the hangar where it will be prepared for the Non-Destructive Inspections (NDI). It will be secured so that, after the NDI, any defective fuselage structure that is found can be repaired or replaced safely without allowing the fuselage to move or twist. The wing was moved to the south side of the hangar.

Visitors, November 2025

Shane Johnson and family came out on Friday, November 15, 2025, to witness the dry ice blasting first hand. They were impressed at how easily and completely the dry ice removed the fuselage foam. They were able to see the before and after effects of the dry ice.

The latest Flight Safety International (FSI) Model 45 training class visited 23-003 on November 6, 2025. Rick Rowe, CLJF Director of Public Relations, and Ron Forshee, CLJF Board member, provided the tour for the class and their instructors Abe Vidulich and Phil Heseltine.

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Progress Report - October 2025

Tue, 04 Nov 2025 15:35:22 GMT

We continue to work toward preparing 23-003 for the Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) phase of her restoration. The cabin windows were removed on October 8, 2025.

As of October 9, 2025, we are moving forward with the preparation efforts for the removal of the windshields. Lee Aerospace will do the actual removals in order to accurately manufacture duplicate windshields to fit into the existing structural framework and fastener hole pattern. Lee Aerospace will also manufacture new cabin windows for 23-003 N200Y!

We are going through the wiring from each connector in the wiring bundle, that was previously removed from 23-003, comparing each wire to the production wiring diagrams to identify the purpose of each wire. This information will be used when we build the new wiring harness to ensure that it accurately covers all of the needs of 23-003.

The tip tanks were taken to the K&L Body Shop by owner Larry Ortiz to have the last remnants of paint and aerodynamic filler (Bondo) removed on October 21, 2025. Thank You Larry Ortiz and the K&L Body Shop for coming forward to help with the restoration!

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Progress Report - September 2025

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 14:37:45 GMT

A major step in the restoration of 23-003 N200Y was achieved on September 9, 2025 when it returned from having the paint stripped from the fuselage, tip tanks and horizontal stabilizer. As you can see in the photos, we will have to manually remove the remaining bits of paint (download the full newsletter to view photos).

The next step is to complete some additional dry ice blasting and remove the windshield and windows then start the Non-Destructive Inspections (NDI) of the fuselage structure. This will identify any structural components, skin, frames, etc. that will require repair or replacement.

The crew that stripped the paint paused in front of the fuselage of 23-003 just before it was loaded onto a Patton Trucking trailer for the trip back to building 14. They are (not in order in the photo): Dave Lewis, Kevin Dome, Harold Haviland, Will Brown, Joseph Irwin, Adam Biggs and Jay Prideaux (not pictured).

A big THANK YOU to the anonymous vendor that donated his company’s time and resources to strip the paint!

Also, THANK YOU to Patton Trucking for donating their equipment and personnel to take 23-003 to the paint stripping facility and bring her home again.

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Progress Report - August 2025

Wed, 10 Sep 2025 18:48:25 GMT

The final sealing of the fuselage, tip tanks and horizontal stabilizer has been completed and they were prepared to be shipped off to have their external paint removed. All openings, seams, windshield and windows had aluminum tape or sealer applied to keep the chemical stripper out of the inside.

The tip tanks and horizontal stabilizer were loaded onto a trailer on August 5, 2025 and taken to a paint facility for paint stripping using Al Goodwin’s truck and a trailer borrowed by Dave Dendurant. The tip tank cradles were the same ones that were used for their trip from Florida.

The fuselage was lifted off of its jacks and placed in its cradle on a trailer for its trip to have the paint stripped on August 12, 2025. The truck and trailer, as well as the trip to the paint facility, were donated by Patton Trucking of Clearwater, Kansas.

These parts should be back in building 14 in early September and ready to have the remaining bits of paint removed. Then we will remove the windshields, windows, panels, finish the internal foam removal and start the Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI). Any issues found on the skins, stringers, etc., such as corrosion, will be repaired or replaced.

While these parts are out to be stripped, we are currently setting up to do a pressure check of the right hand wing looking for any leaks. These results, along with the corrosion found on the left wing, will help us make a decision about the wing. Whether it is repairable or we must replace it. Cross your fingers!

We just passed 1,400 volunteer hours since 23-003 arrived in Wichita! Thank you to all of you who have contributed your time to help restore 23-003!

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Progress Report - July 2025

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 14:20:22 GMT

We are prepping the fuselage, tip tanks and horizontal stabilizer for transport to a paint facility for paint stripping. The keel beam and doors have been reinstalled to prevent the fuselage from twisting or bending during lifting and transport.

The parts room has been set up and we now have a couple of volunteers that are developing the inventory control system and ordering parts. When the airplane comes back from paint strip, we will remove the windows, finish the internal foam removal and get the Non-Destructive Inspection (NDI) started. We will then start repairing or removing any corrosion that is found on the skins and structure. Also, we are looking into a potential repair of the discovered wing corrosion. We will also get the wing leading edges cleaned up and inspected for any excessive corrosion.

Will you volunteer?

We need your help with the restoration of 23-003! Help in all areas! A&P’s, electricians and all people willing to assist others, move stuff around, hand a screwdriver to a mechanic, fill out forms and paperwork, push a broom or just provide enthusiastic support to others! We can use your expertise, whatever and however you can help! Schedules are flexible to your availability!

You don’t have to be a former or current Learjet employee to volunteer! Direct questions and to volunteer please contact our volunteer coordinator, Brenda Parks, through her email: Brenda.Parks@ClassicLear.org

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Progress Report - June 2025

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Wed, 16 Jul 2025 15:09:39 GMT

The dry ice blasting to remove the remaining foam is nearing completion on the rest of the areas in the cockpit and under the floorboards. The dry-ice blasting is doing a fantastic job of removing the foam remnants! Thank you Ryan Thimesch of BEPC for his time and talent!

The dry ice blasting turns the foam, remaining after manual scraping, into a fine dust that requires continuous cleanup!

After the completion of the foam removal in the cockpit, we have decided to proceed with another novel use of dry ice blasting; to clean the grime and crud from other areas around the airplane. Trial areas show great promise to reduce the amount of manual labor required! The nose landing gear doors have been removed and the nose avionics bay and nose landing gear bay are now ready to be cleaned by dry-ice blasting.

We now have large prints of the wiring schematics to help us identify wires and components. This will assist us in developing the new wire harnesses. A completely new wiring harness will be built to replace the 61 year old brittle harness that was recently removed. Some components are not planned to be reinstalled, such as the thrust reversers, so all of the wiring and components associated with these will not be a part of the new harness. We just received the shelving to get our parts room sorted. We will need some volunteers to help assemble the shelves and move some things around inside the storage cage.

Will you volunteer?

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“N200Y” is Official !! - May 2025

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Sat, 31 May 2025 15:16:49 GMT

23-003 has been officially assigned the registration number “N200Y” by the FAA! Bill Kinkaid, President of the Classic Lear Jet Foundation, made the announcement at the Polar Mission Hangar Party on the evening of April 26 th . We then witnessed Bart Gray, Vice-President of the CLJF, sign the AC Form 8050-64 to formally complete the official assignment process. We owe a big ‘Thank You’ to Joel Weber for tracking down the chief pilot and owner of the airplane that had N200Y and explaining the significance of this number to our historic Lear Jet and asking them to let us have it. He then worked tirelessly with them to help them find another suitable number for their airplane. Joel started this quest on October 28, 2022, a little over a month after CLJF received our Articles of Incorporation, and on April 26, 2025 we own it! This is the same registration number that she wore at her delivery on October 13, 1964!

“The Polar Mission” – Huge Success!

The Polar Mission events started the evening that 36A-022 N31GJ and crew arrived at Jim Lee’s hangar at Stearman Field on April 24, 2025. The airplane was all decked out with the colorful logos of each of the mission sponsors. A special decal, placed on each side of the fuselage, just aft of the cabin door, was a note dedicating the mission to William Powell Lear, Jr. by his wife Brenda. Also, special windshield sunshades were made to honor Bill, Jr. and Brenda Lear.

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Departing on The Polar Mission - April 2025

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Wed, 30 Apr 2025 15:12:03 GMT

"The Polar Mission"

The Polar Mission will the circumnavigate the globe from south to north by flying over both poles. Learjet 36A-022 N31GJ and her crew, Captain Bart Gray, President of Global Jetcare (also CLJF Vice President), Joshua Podlich, John Bone and Kirby Ezelle will attempt the flight to earn the coveted Polar Circumnavigation Diploma. The Polar Mission is dedicated to William Powell (Bill) Lear, Junior. The Polar Mission flight is entirely funded by Bart Gray and Global Jetcare and he has allowed the Classic Lear Jet Foundation to use the flight for our fundraising efforts to restore 23-003.

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"The Polar Mission" Dedication - March 2025

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 14:53:58 GMT

Captain Bart Gray, President of Global Jetcare and CLJF Vice President, announced that “The Polar Mission” will be dedicated to Mr. William Powell Lear, Junior. Bill Lear, Jr. played a critical role in the birth of the original Lear Jet. Being a well established test pilot, he was invited to fly and evaluate the Swiss FFA P-16 ground attack fighter. After 2 of the prototypes and their pilots were lost, he successfully flew 5 flights and went supersonic twice. He was very impressed with exceptional structural qualities of the Swiss P-16 ground attack jet (ex. the 8 spar wing) and was responsible for convincing his father, Bill Lear, Sr., that this was what he was looking for in his new business jet. He also told him that since the Swiss government had cancelled the P-16 project there were a lot of skilled aircraft engineers available to help with the design of his business jet. The rest, as they say, “Is History”. If it were not for William Powell Lear, Jr. the Lear Jet would have been an entirely different airplane!

"The Polar Mission" - Update

Final flight planning for “The Polar Mission” around the world pole to pole record flight is well underway and the necessary equipment is being assembled. In addition to the FAA required overwater life vests and rafts, they also require special survival equipment for flights in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions. Part of the special equipment is extreme cold weather suits. These suits are designed to protect the crew in the event of an emergency in some of the coldest and most remote places on Earth.

The crew has been hard at work putting the final touches on the flight plan, fuel stops, required coordination with each airport authorities, etc. Since the crew of The Polar Mission flight will be the same crew that accomplished the world record setting The Century Mission last April, all ‘lessons learned’ will be thoroughly reviewed and included. Follow the flight at polarmission.org

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Announcing "The Polar Mission" - February 2025

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 14:49:07 GMT

“The Polar Mission” is the name of the record flight attempt by 36A-022 N31GJ and her crew to circumnavigate the globe from north to south by flying over both poles. The “Pole to Pole From the Air Capital” flight is scheduled to depart from the Learjet ramp near building 14 on April 30, 2025. After flying over both poles, is expected to return to the Learjet ramp on May 3, 2025. The scheduled flight path is shown below:

You will note that fuel stops 4 and 5 are at the same airport (SAWH) in Argentina. This is because the plan is to overfly Antarctica and land back at SAWH to refuel before continuing northward. In order to overfly Antarctica the crew had to get special permission from the U.S. State Department! They had to have a special reason for the flight, so during the entire mission they will be doing an official scientific experiment in conjunction with a college. This experiment has to do with measuring the slight variation in the gravitational attraction at the poles versus the equator and along the flight path.

One of the biggest challenges for the flight is the wildly varied weather and temperatures they will encounter. Hot at the equator and extreme cold at the poles! The crew will carry polar survival gear for the ‘just in case’ scenario. Another challenge is access to fuel and, if required, maintenance. While these are plentiful near the normal flight routes, they are pretty scarce near the poles.

We are looking for sponsors for each of the flight legs. Sponsor will have their name or logo displayed on the airplane. Just like “The Century Mission” airplane last year. If you are interested in sponsoring a leg please contact us at info@ClassicLear.org .

In order to celebrate the “The Polar Mission”, we are planning a ‘kickoff’ Hangar Party on April 26th (see details below) and a ‘welcome home’ event when they return. Also, we will set up a website so you can follow the flight as it progresses. (Watch next issue of RECHARGE for the website and preflight updates)

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2024 In Review - January 2025

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:07:32 GMT

Wow what a Year for 23-003 and the Classic Lear Jet Foundation!

The biggest and most important event of the year was the long term hosting agreement being signed by the Wichita Airport Authority, the City of Wichita, Bombardier and the Classic Lear Jet Foundation! The hosting agreement subleases bays 9 and 10 of building 14 to the CLJF from the primary lease holder, Bombardier. On October 12, 2024, 23-003 N200Y was moved into Bay 9 of building 14, the former Learjet Delivery Center where its restoration process is now serious!

In January we announced that restoration for 23-003 had officially begun with the removal of the first panel, the pilot’s nose avionics door and our first official call for volunteers was sent out. Renowned videographer Tom Zwemke produced a promotional video on the Classic Lear Jet Foundation.

In March the interior was removed from 23-003 and the first inspection, the cabin skin thickness checks were successfully completed. The months since then have seen numerous removals: cockpit instruments, instrument panel, throttle quadrant and floor boards, control column, glareshield, etc. In order to remove the cabin wiring, removal of the circuit breakers from their panels was required. We discovered that 23-003 was built without break plugs between the circuit breaker and its wiring. They are ‘hard wired’! The last of the pilot and copilot circuit breaker panels were finally removed on August 6 ^th .

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Progress Report - December 2024

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Wed, 15 Jan 2025 20:38:37 GMT

Wiring, parts and assembly removals from the fuselage, wings and tip tanks continued all month. We are rapidly adding to the hours volunteers have given to the restoration of 23-003. By the end of this year we should have surpassed the 500 volunteer hours mark!! This count does not include the numerous hours that were donated in Florida to de-mate the wing, remove and crate the engines, load everything on the trucks and the hours required to drive back to Wichita.

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Progress Report - November 2024

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Mon, 02 Dec 2024 16:37:23 GMT

November was another busy month for the restoration of 23-003 N200Y. Volunteers continue to dissemble the airplane in preparation for de-painting, interior foam removal and detailed structural and component inspections.

The nose avionics bay wire bundle and equipment racks were removed on November 7th. On November 8th , the brakes were removed from the main landing gear. This turned out to be a real task since they were rusted together! While 23-003 was sitting outside on the ramp of Bartow Executive Airport, Bartow, Florida, the landing gear were submerged in 1 to 2 feet of water a couple of times over the years because of hurricane rains. This caused the brakes to rust and be non-serviceable. Thankfully, the dedicated volunteers were successful in removing the brakes.

November 17th saw the removal of the wire bundle from the cockpit and cabin. Next up comes the removal of the remaining wire bundle located in the aft baggage bay and tail cone. We intend to replace all of the 60 year old wiring. For safety sake, the airplane will be completely rewired with modern aircraft wire. Also, connectors will be installed in the wire bundle between the fuselage and wing. Because 23-003 and the very early Model 23’s were originally assembled and then wired, fuselage to wing connectors were not installed. Remember that we had to cut this bundle in order to remove the wing on February 22, 2023 for the trip back to Wichita.

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Progress Report - October 2024

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Mon, 04 Nov 2024 15:32:06 GMT

October 12, 2024 was a historic day for the Classic Lear Jet Foundation and 23-003 N200Y! With the long term agreement signed, we moved 23-003 into its restoration hangar -- Bay 9 of building 14, the former Learjet Delivery Center. A group of 15 volunteers showed up at 8:00AM on Saturday, October 12th ready to move the wing, fuselage, horizontal tail, engine inlets and all of the miscellaneous parts from bay 10, where the fuselage has been since May 25, 2023 and the wing since September 1, 2023, into bay 9 to start the intense restoration efforts.

Photo: Volunteers - Brian Williamson, Ed Grabman, Mike Yandell, Bill Kinkaid, Dan DeMott, Steve Miller, Dan Broyles, Larry Bowler, Jim Edwards, Ron Forshee, Mike Holt, Nancy Holt, John Reisch, Rick Rowe (not shown – Jim Tidball)

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SPECIAL EDITION - 60 Years Ago Today

kristen@armstrongchamberlin.com (Kristen Nuss) — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 18:50:36 GMT

The first Lear Jet was delivered 60 years ago today to Chemical and Industrial Corporation of Cincinnati, Ohio!! The third Lear Jet to be built and the first ever Lear Jet delivered to a customer, was flown to the Lunken Airport in Cincinnati for a brief delivery ceremony on Tuesday, October 13, 1964. Herb Hamilton (CEO of Chemical and Industrial Corporation accepted the airplane from Bill Eikenberry (Lear Jet Marketing Director) and W. R. Dotter (Lear Jet Sales Rep).

The Lear Jet was the first jet designed and built exclusively as a corporate jet. The delivery of 23-003 N200Y was the start of what is today a multi-billion dollar business jet industry.

Photo: Herbert Hamilton (center) accepting symbolic desk model from and W. R. Dotter (L) Bill Eikenberry (R)

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Progress Report - July 2024

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:41:11 GMT

The restoration of 23-003 continued throughout July. On July 18th, after earlier removal of the cockpit instruments, instrument panel, throttle quadrant and floor boards, Bill Kinkaid was able to remove the control column. He then removed the glareshield (shown in the image above).

On the morning of July 20th, the interior (seats, side walls, partitions, carpet, etc.) along with the thrust reversers, engine cowlings and a set of new tires were removed from building 14 to Millennium LLC who have volunteered to store these items for us making more room around the airplane and wing.

“A major milestone was reached on July 23rd, when Bill Kinkaid announced that the cockpit had been disassembled to the point that we can start removing the cabin wiring. This will begin with the removal of the circuit breakers from their panels. Bill discovered that the airplane was built without break plugs between the circuit breaker and its wiring. They are 'hard wired'! This will require each wire to be labeled as the circuit breaker is removed.

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Progress Report - June 2024

webstratics@armstrongchamberlin.com — Sat, 01 Jun 2024 15:35:54 GMT

More work towards the restoration of 23-003 was accomplished on June 17th. We completed the removal of the remaining instruments from the pilot's instrument panel. During this removal, Bill Kinkaid discovered just how many of the instruments do not have wiring connectors but are 'hard wired' to the wiring harness! Including the annunciator panel and circuit breakers!

A team of volunteers came out on a Monday evening, June 17th, to lift the horizontal stabilizer off of its initial resting place on old tires, turned it right side up and placed upon stands so that the removal of the elevators can begin.

Century Mission World Record 'Official'

On June 21, 2024 the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) officially recognized The Century Mission Around The World flight as a new world record!

Congratulations to the crew, pilots Bart Gray, Kirby Ezelle, Josh Podlich, John Bone and observer Joel Weber. The new world record: Speed Around the World, Westbound: 341mph, total elapsed time 67 hours and 28 minutes including 11 fuel stops. Total flight time was 54 hours and 48 minutes covering 20,008nm.

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SPECIAL EDITION - 60 Years Ago Today

webstratics@armstrongchamberlin.com — Wed, 15 May 2024 13:34:11 GMT

At 6:00pm on Friday, May 15, 1964, 23-003 N803L took off from Wichita's Mid-Continent Airport's Runway 14 with pilot Hank Beaird and copilot Glen David at the controls. 23-001 N801L flew as chase for the flight. They climbed to 12,000ft where speeds up to 400mph were achieved. All systems functioned satisfactorily during the entire 60 minute flight.

The first flight of 23-003 N803L took place a mere 10 weeks after 23-002 N802L's first flight!

23-003 was assigned FAA registration N803L, one of several Lear Jet owned numbers used for production flight testing. This number is typically replaced with the customer's unique number prior to delivery. N803L was replaced with N200Y when she was delivered to Chemical & Industrial Corp later that same year.

On the third flight of 23-003 N803L, June 15, 1964, pilot Hank Beaird and copilot Glen David flew to Vic Dietzel in San Antonio, Texas for upholstery and interior installation. The upholstery, supplied by Lear Jet, was taken along in the airplane.

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Progress Report - April and May 2024

webstratics@armstrongchamberlin.com — Wed, 01 May 2024 13:34:11 GMT

Restoration of 23-003 continues. The April step on the road to total restoration to flight status was the removal of the interior on April 27th. This will allow us access to the inside of the fuselage for the removal of the foam insulation which will then let us evaluate the condition of the fuselage structure. Tim Walker and Joel Weber spent Saturday removing the seats, side walls, carpet, cabinets, partitions, etc. These items will be used as patterns to help manufacture a new "original" interior. A couple of companies have already volunteered to make and donate this interior to us!

The latest work towards the restoration of 23-003 was accomplished on May 19th. The wing flaps, ailerons and spoilers were removed. The left hand aileron had a large, luckily unoccupied, wasp nest inside! Also, we started removing the cockpit instruments from the pilot's panel. Each removal was documented and carefully bubble wrapped and placed in a storage container for future refurbishment and, if needed, calibration.

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May 1964 - Third LEAR JET Takes To Air

webstratics@armstrongchamberlin.com — Wed, 01 May 2024 13:34:11 GMT

Piloted by Hank Beaird and Glen David, the third production Lear Jet took-off in close formation with N801L from Runway 14 at 6 p.m. last Friday, May 15th. They IeveIed off at 12,000 feet where? speed ranges up to 400 mph were approached. All of N803L's operating systems functioned satisfactorily during the 60-minute test flight. After FAA certification in June, Chemical & Industrial Corporation of Cincinnati Ohio will take delivery. Lear Jet Number Four is now in final assembly while the fuselage and wing are being mated on Number Five.

C7,655 Nautical Mile Total Posted By Lear Jets
During 13 Flights

Our Lear Jets have been seen in eight new ports -of-call from New York to Texas and from Florida to Colorado over a 23 - day period. Covering a criss-cross distance of 7,655 nautical miles, the flights began when Bi 11 L ear took N802L to LaGuardia on April 23rd in 2:21 for an average block- speed of 490 knots. The last cross- country was made to Denver last Friday with a return time of 53 minutes.

Distances ranged from 1,150 nautical miles to New York and a short 294 mil es to Dallas. The 2:50 Westward - leg from Tampa to Dallas was the longest flight time. Lear Jets have now visited 13 cities. The 20 hours logged during this period brings combined totals for Number One and Number Two up to 244 hours in 201 test flights.

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C7,655 Nautical Mile Total Posted By Lear Jets During 13 Flights

C7,655 Nautical Mile Total Posted By Lear Jets
During 13 Flights