The original Learjet 23 was a six- to eight-seater and first flew on October 7, 1963, with the first production model being delivered in October 1964. Just over a month later, Lear Jet became a publicly owned corporation.

The Learjet 23 (originally Lear Jet 23) is an American six-to-eight-seat (two crew and four to six passengers) twinjet, high-speed business jet manufactured by Learjet. Introduced in 1964, it was Learjet's first model and created a new market for fast and efficient small business aircraft.

Jul 29, 2023 · The Learjet 23, which rapidly evolved from its conception to production and attained cult status, was the creation of Bill Lear, a self-taught inventor and high-school dropout originally from Hannibal, Missouri. Learjet's first twinjet was made entirely of metal and could accommodate four to six passengers and two pilots.

Best known for his bold effort to build the world's first private jet, Lear had a distinguished history of other inventions that are seldom acknowledged; it was the fortune from these earlier ventures that provided Lear with the capital to establish the Learjet company.

Oct 7, 2022 · The first Learjet made its initial flight on October 7, 1963. On June 4, 1964, the FAA pilot flying it during certification testing forgot to retract the landing spoilers during a touch-and-go takeoff and the airplane ended up on its belly in a cornfield.

Learjet, founded by Bill Lear, innovated passenger jet travel with the Model 23's impressive speed and range. Despite early setbacks, the Learjet 35/36 variants became popular among world...

Oct 25, 2024 · He acquired the design and patents for jet fighters and made the first private jet—the Learjet. It was a twin-engine jet that set the standard for speed in business jets. It was so fast it was nicknamed 'Pocket Rocket.'

May 5, 2023 · In 1959, the visionary William Powell Lear set out to transform the world of business aviation by developing a jet-powered airplane for personal and corporate use. Fueled by the passion of a family deeply entrenched in aviation, the Learjet emerged as a symbol of luxury and performance.

Aug 13, 2015 · On 1 May 1967, Sinatra lent Elvis Presley his Learjet to elope from Palm Springs to Las Vegas with 21-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu. After an eight-minute ceremony at the Aladdin Hotel, they...

7 October 1963: The first of two Learjet 23 prototypes, N801L, makes its first flight at Wichita, Kansas, with test pilots Henry Grady (“Hank”) Beaird, Jr., and Robert S. Hagan. A light twin-engine business jet, the Learjet 23 is considered a “first” because it was designed from the start as a civil aircraft.