Current and past Lear 35 drivers

[TRBojet]

I recently accepted a job to fly a Lear 35a and wanted to gather any opinions about flying it. I'll be going to school in about two weeks and just wanted some info that might be unique to the airplane. Anything that you said "I wish I had known that earlier."

Thanks in advance
Tom

Oh yeah, what's there to do in Tucson? Any good golfing?

 

[passion4flying]

The 35a is a good airplane. The biggest thing I found is that on approach the plane has a tendency to display dutch roll characterics. It is easy to over-control. Sometime you might try cross-controlling a little. Great single engine characterics. Small cockpit. Other than that you pull up to make the world smaller, push down to make the world bigger and pull really hard to make the world even bigger. Just me .02 worth

Passion

 

[LearjetGA]

The 35 doesn't need much fuel, climbs fast (3000 ft/min full load) has good single engine caracteristics.

Don't go below vref. Depending on which S/N you are going to fly, you will find the yaw damper doing sometimes his own stuff. Just disengage it, reengage it.

First hour fuel about 1500, then 1300, 1200, ...

Landings are very easy, compared to the 20's, the 35 has a great wing and effective spoilers. The thrust reverses, if you have Aeronca's, can be a real pain in the ... neck !!!

Crosswind landings are easy if you fly the plane into the ground. A pitch up attitude with crosswind is going to get you in trouble, i.e. AOA close to the yellow range, tip tanks close to the ground, ...

After flying the plane for two years, i think that it's a great airplane. One of htese birds that you need to have flown in your career.

Fly safe.

LearjetGA

 

[Gulfstream 200]

a great airplane....no doubt.
very reliable, plenty of power, good learning experience!

Its just VERY small! like others said keep up VREF (I always liked VREF+10) dont get it slow...I never really noticed much dutch roll others talk about, maybe I was sleeping.....

Have fun, be careful, hope its a good outfit, lots of the smaller lear operators (Part 135) tend to be dirtbag operations....be safe, you will love the Learjet.

 

[Old Crow]

Can't say enough good things about the 35A. The only two Flight Levels you'll use are 390 and 410.

The biggest problem most newbies have is adjusting to the sinsitive pitch control that begins when you level off above 27,000 feet. The air is becoming less dense and as the aircraft accelerates you literally only need to think about controlling the pitch. Any movement of the yoke will end you with a constant dinging off the altitude alerter 300 ft. low then "ding" you're 300 ft. high. then "ding" again. Just relax and say "You got it"!

That dutch role thing is simple. Only occurs on final with the yaw damp off. If it happens, simply turn in on or put it into a slip.

You'll enjoy Tucson if you like ovens... Make sure you go to the bone yard. Other than that and a few cold co-cola's you'll be in the books most of the time any way.

The Lear is a joy to fly. Take a dart and put two big ass engines on it and there you have it.

Good luck and Enjoy the ride!

 

[Timebuilder]

Ref plus ten is nice and safe, but ref on a short final works fine....as long as you don't go below it. If you don't have reversers, you will like ref better than ref plus 10.

Figuring Vref is simple in the 35. You're landing with 4,000 lbs of fuel. Divide that in half, and think "20" instead of 2,000. You have four pax. Take "105", add the 20, and 4 (for the 4 pax). Add it all up, and your ref speed for landing is 129kts, and target speed is 139kts.

The damper is supposed to stay in until the flare, but I like to take it out just inside a 1/4 mile final, so I can slip for a crosswind. The "do-all" button on the yoke gets hit ONCE to take out the damper. After the landing rollout, slow down to a walking speed, just before you want to turn off the runway, then hit the steering lock button. Don't do this at speed, as a lot of accidents were caused by the steering taking the plane off into the grass at 90kts. Rely on the rudder only for steering until you are at taxi speed.

The reversers can be a pain. If you have the bucket type, no problem. If you have cascade reversers, you first have to raise the levers, and get them to "unlock" first, then deploy them.

Right after takeoff, start using nose down trim. Always use it in short "bursts", holding in the trim button center section and pushing the knob upward. Continuous trim application can lower the nose a little too quickly for passenger comfort.

Hopefully, that's enough to get you started.

Good luck. It's a nice ship.

 

[TRBojet]

Thanks

Thanks everyone for the insight. If the company gets the plane they were talking about, it has the Dee Howard TRs, so that'll be nice. I haven't heard anything good about the Aeroncas. Also, I know about the level off at high altitude; the F-28's autopilot was a piece of junk (had to play with it constantly.)

I think I'll be able to hang with this company until my furlough is over (whenever that'll be), but at least I'll get the LRJET type if they decide to close up shop.

Thanks again
Tom

 

[Bill Mostellar]

SimuFlight or Flight Safety

Where will you be going to school?

I was fortunate enough to fly Lears in the USAF for 8 years (operationally and schoolhouse). Most of the great attributes have already been mentioned.

Get used to leaning your head the left if you're going to the right seat - the cockpit is a bit small.

I wish you success!

 

[TRBojet]

I'll be going to Flightsafety in Tucson.

It should be fun. That cockpit does look small, especially when you're 6'1".

See ya

 

[temcgrew]

VREF?

hey check out www.jetreview.com for all of the lear 35 limitations, memory items, and annunciator panel. I have set it all up to memorize these three things. let me know if it helps any! or if there are any mistakes.

as for never go below Vref in a learjet. we had this long term debate at my company.(we have over 10 lears.) I have been told by folks I fly with that this is true, but when I asked someone to document it, I was told...."well, it's in THE BOOK." I was never told which book or were in whatever book he was talking about.
Also I have never been instructed to "never go below Vref" in a learjet. Ask your instructor when you go about this and he should be able to clear this up.

technique, even though it works fine for you should never be taught as absolute doctrine.

If you are going to drag a tip tank three inches over the runway, it won't be becouse you are 5 knots or so below Vref speed!!!!