Learjet 45

chensler

Well-Known Member
Hey ladies and gentlemen, I got hired at really awesome company and will start training soon on the Learjet 45. Any tips? Advice? or anything I can study beforehand. Thanks ya'll.
 
Nope, going home either Friday or Saturday. This is my first time at Tucson - always gone to Atlanta before - so I can't even give you heads up on different instructors. FSI usually does a good job though, so I'm sure you'll have an excellent experience.
 
Thanks for the good info. FSI was good when I went through the EMB-145 program so it should be a good time again. Drinks on me when we can have a M&G. Thanks again.
 
Find time to go to Lindy's on Fourth while you are out there. Eat the "blue suede moo" burger. You'll thank me,

The 45 is a very simple, very docile airplane. Easy to fly and easy to like. It's still a Learjet so anything longer than 3 hours in there and you will be begging to escape. I had no real complaints about the airplane other than the yoke sitting too far back in cruise, and the lavatory needs to be about 2 feet taller!
 
Thanks Zap for the heads up. We still need to do a M&G, you were in Chicago a few years ago and I was busy flying with the Chinese students.
 
I really enjoyed my time in the 45 and I would echo what Zap said about it. I could never figure out what they were thinking when they decided the yoke should sit where it does in cruise. And yes it is small but I was going back and forth between it and the old 35s, so to me it was great!
 
Tucson has some excellent instructors. They are lead center and write most of the manuals, so they have really good technical understanding of the airplane. Enjoy the -45, I had a blast flying it.
 
I've only been to Flight Safety in TUS so I have nothing to compare other training centers. I've always had a positive experience in their 45 program. I think my last recurrent was #5 or #6.

I'll echo what Zap said. It's a great airplane, no real gotchas that I can think of. If it was a bit bigger it would be a perfect airplane (which is why I want the boss to get a CL300, it's just a larger 45). As mentioned before when I give a pax brief, I let them know the bathroom is a "sit down affair". They all laugh, but then thank me for the tip if it's been a long leg and a couple beers were involved. It does tend to be front heavy (forward CG) so be carefull for that. You have to get creative if you want to load 8 pax that didn't bring very much baggage. Like a long day trip. If you have 8-180lbs pax you can take 5500lbs of fuel and need 200lbs of ballast in the tail. That puts you right at gross and at the forward take off CG limit. Landing won't be an issue, as once fuel is burned and you lighten up the CG range widens. Speaking of baggage, practice some Tetris. If you get good at packing it can hold a lot of stuff. It's a million times better than dragging bags through the interior of an old 20/30 series Lear.

If you've got any other questions at all feel free to pm. Good luck and have fun. If you go to Baggins, get the "cowboy", best. sandwich. ever.
 
Awesome, thanks for the write up. I appreciate everyone's advice. This will be the second jet I've flown but it's been more than a year since I've flown one. I'm a little nervous but going in with a positive attitude. Tucson is way different than my hometown in the Midwest but I plan on exploring the city. Today starts day number one of ground school.
 
We'll everyone, thanks for the sound advice. I passed my checkride, learned a lot, and had a great experienced thanks again.
 
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