Fifty years ago, on Aug. 12, 1966, the Lear Jet 25 made its maiden flight in Wichita, Kansas. It was the last model to fly before Bill Lear, the inventor of ADF, the 8-track cassette and 150 other things, sold the company in the midst of a crushing recession to the Gates Rubber Co. Many Learjet models would follow through the years, including the iconic Lear 35 and 55, as the Learjet brand became a household name in the 1970s and 1980s — but the Lear 25 was the last of the original lineage.
Lear Jet: 50th Anniversary Milestone
Key Takeaways:
- Bill Lear, an electronics pioneer, launched the Lear Jet brand in 1963, establishing a new benchmark for civilian jet performance with models like the Lear 23, 24, and the Lear 25, which made its maiden flight in 1966 and was the last before Lear sold the company.
- The brand's popularity soared due to key advocates, including legendary pilot Clay Lacy and Hollywood actor Danny Kaye, who actively promoted the diminutive private jets to the Hollywood elite.
- Despite Bill Lear selling the company in 1966, the Learjet brand became iconic, is now owned by Bombardier, and continues to produce models, with Clay Lacy still actively flying them.
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