Quote from Mark Speechley on December 24, 2025, 3:58 am

Interesting question  and response in my Quora feed today.

Is it true that Lear jets are particularly unforgiving, and the pilot can quickly find himself "behind the airplane"?

Edward Chevrette,

Retired professional pilot, author, Wings of Fortune, Private pilot, with over 1000 hours in gliders and single-engine aircraft.Dec 4

As a former Learjet Pilot, I would like to take a quote from an article I wrote for General Aviation News. Flying The Learjet. “The Learjet is small compared to other transport category aircraft and requires a certain degree of diligence flying one. It is based on a fighter type aircraft that Lear converted to a civilian transport. The training is intensive and must be adhered to in order to obtain your Learjet Type Rating”

Like any other airplane it has its own characteristics that require proper piloting techniques. There were some incidences with the earlier models, but that was due to the fact the plots flew the airplane beyond its limitations as well as those of the pilots.

Misuse of the airplane and yes, it is very unforgiving. Not using proper piloting techniques, yes you can get behind the airplane very quickly. Understanding your limitations and that of the airplane is the key factor. I will always remember my instructor on the first day of my training. He handed me a piece of paper and told me to read its contents. The paper was titled “How to kill yourself in a Learjet”. I flew the airplane for several years and loved every minute of it. I found the airplane to be very responsive, comfortable and safe. This was one great airplane.