727gm

In my meager Lear experience, I loved the Lear 24, with the EPR guages and all the other old-school guages/instruments, & the noisy, responsive engine, feeling like 727 crammed into the body of a hot-rod light aircraft, so much more honest than the 35, with it's dainty new(er) instruments and weird 731 engines. I even liked the 20-series nose-wheel steering much better.

WorldTraveler

True enough about the need to be on proper speed. Too fast at altitude or too slow in the flare is where all the accidents happened. It was an awful lot of airplane especially back in the day where training was very rudimentary. (shall I even dare say non existent for some operators) Plus the airplane demanded avery light touch. People got in trouble over controlling, especially in the flare. Best advice I got as a newbie on the airplane was to fly it like a helicopter, finger tip pressure only. True in any aircraft but especially so in Mr Lear's special ride.

The old style EPR gauges were especially cool, how they would spin up or down crazily as the engines spooled.


The 24 was like an old Porsche 911 I had. Basic technology, very little in the way of creature comforts or ergonomics. Just a big ass engine on a little frame. A bit squirrelly, especially at the limits, but drop dead gorgeous and it appealed to all the senses. Never failed to bring a smile to my face when driving.

Hmmm. Now that I think about it, that's how I would describe some old girlfriends.

As for being constantly min fuel: The most worn switch on the airplane was the toggle to go back and forth to see fuel remaining on each tank. For some guys, it was a nervous habit to scan the fuel tank gauge.

xtreme_jetlag

One of the airplanes I currently fly is a 24D and it is a nice plane to fly. Not many 24D's around anymore due to the noise restrictions at some airports and the fuel consumption. Like many other straight pipes, this does require some finesse in fuel management and aircraft control, especially the CJ610. You have to climb and cruise at red line or you risk a flameout.

The 24B is a different animal completely, as is the 24. Descending out of altitude also takes some finesse since the pressurization cannot manage a thrust idle descent. You just gotta love them.

III Corps

All of our training was in the airplane. We were over at AGS doing single engine work and as usual wound up hot/high. The student had trimmed initially for number 2 in idle but when we got on final, in the confusion he thought number 2 was the good engine and he shoved the throttle up. We almost swapped ends. I think many were surprised at how much rudder was needed for a V1 cut. I always advised to go to the floor and back off IF necessary which most of the time it was not.

Every body wanted to roll it. The problem is most didn't know the first thing about rolling an airplane and invariably, so I was told, they would try to keep back pressure which just sucked the nose down. BAD.

I remember after a while at altitude, you opened the bleed on the windshield and waited until you got that warm plastic smell.. bleed OFF then. If you forgot or didn't warm the windshield you could plan on being woxof taxiing in to hot airfields like FLL, MIA and PBI.. so i was told.

But yes, a great airplane and a privilege to have flown it.

III Corps

I had forgotten that. Just like Concorde. Out of 10,000ft, barber pole out to about 550KIAS and stayed there until you got to Mach 2.

727C47

What a great jet !, in my formative years I flew round engines,loved them,my first jet was the 727,loved it,another barber pole airchine,but always wondered about those hot baby Lears. You guys are blessed !

III Corps

The 727 landed somewhat similar to the Lear 20s. Come into the flare on speed, stable sink and pull the power to idle. The nose came up just slightly but the trick was to nail that pitch and the Mighty Tri-motor and the 23 would settle on nicely.

IF a sink rate developed or airspeed began falling off rapidly, begin adding power and don't stop until you arrest the sink, the speed decay or touch down.

The Mighty Tri-Motor was one of my real favorites and seeing 400kt + indicated was always a reason to smile. (we often flew in the A mode)

X Rated

The three most important words a B727 uses when the F/O is landing: power, Power, POWER!

X

III Corps

We did routine landings at DCA with flaps 40 to runway 33 when VFR. I understand now that the flaps 30 and 40 detents have been locked out.

The 727 and MD-80 had similar landing quirks in that you just didn't want to keep pulling back and never try to stop the sink by pulling back. That just made it worse and drove the mains into the runway.

I flew with guys who used different techniques. Some used the slight push or release of back pressure just before touchdown. Others used a big flare (I could never do that) and still others just tried to freeze the pitch and let it land itself. One thing was certain... you didn't go to sleep trying to land the 727. It provided a nice little challenge each landing especially with gusty crosswinds.

Twin Wasp

It's just flaps 40 that's locked out, most 727 land flaps 30 now. There is one STC that has both 30 and 40 pinned and lands 25 but I've only heard of a couple airframes with that STC.